October 31, 2019

Getting around Waiheke Island

Getting around Waiheke Island is as easy as the smooth sailing over from Auckland. With so many transport options available for day trippers or weekend holiday makers, exploring Waiheke is fun, fuss-free and offers a lot of variety.

There are got plenty of convenient transport alternatives available on Waiheke, so you can cover as much or as little ground as you’d like on this sun-kissed, idyllic island paradise that’s full of vineyards, olive groves and white sandy beaches.

With great public transport, taxis, shuttles, scooter and bike hires, you can effortlessly explore Waiheke to your hearts content, even without a car.

Here’s an overview of our favourite fun and easy ways you can choose to get around Waiheke Island.

Drive your own car

If you already have a car available, it’s easy to bring your own car to Waiheke with Sealink’s vehicle ferry service.

For those wanting to hire a car upon arrival on Waiheke, there are several car hire establishments you can view listed here. These companies offer a range of hire options including vans, 4WD vehicles, scooters, economy size cars, people movers and convertibles – just take your pick!

Petrol stations are conveniently located throughout Waiheke, with stations in in Oneroa, Onetangi and Ostend.

Get on your bike!

Bring your own bike on the ferry over to Waiheke or hire one here. From classic cruisers to mountain and electric bikes on offer, you can explore Waiheke at your leisure by pedal powered transport. Electric bike hires are proving popular if you prefer to cruise along over the island’s scenic hills without working up a sweat.

Waiheke Bike Hire, WaihekE-bikes, and Bikes and Barbers are just some of the friendly and knowledgeable operators you will find on Waiheke for bike hires.

If you’re looking for some inspiration, take a look at some of the awesome bike tracks on Waiheke, which you can explore with Fullers Bike and Ferry combo packages.

Buses, taxis and shuttles options

A great way to see the sights is aboard the Waiheke Island Explorer Hop-on Hop-off Bus. You can hop on and hop off as often as you’d like as this double decker bus makes its way around Waiheke’s hotspots. With 17 convenient stops located at the island’s top attractions, you can begin your day of exploration directly from the Matiatia ferry terminal with most services connected to ferry arrival and departure times.

General public bus transport is also available with newly upgraded services running every 15 minutes between Onetangi, Ostend, Surfdale, Oneroa and the Matiatia Ferry Terminal. You can find more information on routes, timetables, and a downloadable map of the journeys here.

Taxis and shuttles

There are numerous private transport options for pickups and drops offs if you have more specific travel logistics to consider. Taxis and shuttles are a great way to get around Waiheke with round the clock service available to help you with seamless transfers to where you want to go.

From couples to groups, taxi and shuttle options can cater to different sizes with cars, coaches, vans and buses available to suit everyone including travelling couples, conference groups as well as wedding parties.

A word of useful advice, make sure you ask for an approximate price before you accept the ride. Prices can be at a premium at peak times, so getting a quote is always a good idea.

Private tours

When it comes to private tours, you’ll be spoiled for choice on Waiheke. You can enjoy wine and food tours, bike tours, kayaking tours, guided walking tours, boat tours and even scenic flight tours.

There’s a wonderful world of discovery waiting on Waiheke so find out more about Waiheke Transport options here