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Take a ferry from downtown Auckland - only 35 minutes to Waiheke
Photo source Kate Methven
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Waiheke Island in the Hauraki Gulf is the fifth largest island in New
Zealand and is a great place to get away from it all’ for a day, or
two to
three, depending on your available time. The island is only 26
square
miles and has a total population of around 8000. However this can
swell to
two or three times that number over holiday periods, so check your
dates
before visiting if you want a quiet relaxing time. The cruising time
from
downtown Auckland is just 35 minutes by frequent ferry service so you
are
quickly transported from a bustling city to this quiet retreat with
its
beautiful beaches and open spaces.
Olive Groves and Vineyards
The island is renowned for its olive groves and award winning wines
which are enjoyed in restaurants around the world. Sample them
locally, then tell your friends when you go home that they too can
experience a touch of the Mediterranean’ in the Southern Hemisphere.
There is an Explorer bus tour available which will take you on a tour
of the island's scenic vineyards - you can book it when you pick up
your
ferry ticket.
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An idyllic spot for a vineyard on Waiheke Island
Photo source Kate Methven
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When you arrive at the harbour of Matiatia you will find buses
available
to all destinations. You may decide just to go to one of the beaches
for a
lazy day swimming and picnicking, but if you prefer you could take the
Island Explorer scenic highlights tour which will give you a one and a
half
hour commentary on highlights - plus you can stop off at one of the
places
you visit and take a return trip to the ferry when you are ready to
leave.
There is also a Beyond and Back tour where you are shown the eastern
remote and unspoiled parts of Waiheke. You are given plenty of time
to
swim, relax or take a guided walk through a forest and bird reserve.
You
could even enjoy an optional Kiwi BBQ lunch at Onetangi Beach.
For the more adventurous, mountain biking and kayaking are great ways
to see some of the islands beautiful bays. Fishing trips, golf,
sailing -
there is just so much to choose from that I just opted for a
commentated
highlight tour, a visit to a local artist and a musical experience at
Whittaker's.....
A Retreat for local artists
Waiheke is a retreat for many artists, poets and writers, and
throughout
the year there are organised open tours departing daily from Matiatia,
giving you a chance to mix and mingle with some of the not so rich and
famous. There are open studios at Blackpool, Oneroa and Hekerua Bay
and
if you visit the Artworks Centre at Oneroa you can often catch up with
a
few of the well known locals.
Mike Morgan - surrealist painter
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Mike discusses his work with interested visitors to his studio
Photo source Kate Methven
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I decided I wanted to meet one of the great characters of the island -
surrealist painter Mike Morgan who lives in Rocky Bay. Fortunately I
had
rung beforehand as often Mike can be found doing the rounds of Oneroa
-
easily recognised by his shaggy beard, black peaked leather cap,
black
clothes and no shoes.... on a recent visit to New York he was dressed
in
the same gear. He was enthusiastically welcomed by the Director of the
Agera Gallery who thinks his work is very sophisticated showing a
great
deal of promise and is a fresh eye for the new millennium - certainly
an
unconventional guy.
Mike's place is a delightful one room home and studio set in a grove
of
nikau palms. Usually there is the sound of rock music filling the
air as
Mike says music feeds us all the time. He feels it triggers the
access to
his subconscious - the world of dreams that provides most of his
material.
He loves to paint abstract figures and people doing strange
things..... Yes
people are everywhere in his paintings because he says, when you live
alone
they are good to talk to - you can discuss things. Parliament 99 is
accurate in its count of MPs but portrayed as a circus!!! I can
imagine
the conversations Mike has with them!
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Mike puts 'a touch of Ponsonby' in a Waiheke setting
Photo source Kate Methven
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In his latest series of paintings Mike was inspired by the terraced
houses
of Ponsonby. He loves the way the narrow two storeyed homes are
butted up
close together in the city but he wanted to put them into a Waiheke
landscape where they would have room to play.
For years Mike worked with steel in heavyweight industry including
Marsden Point , the Glenbrook steel works and the construction of the
Auckland Starship Children's hospital. He finally decided that his
early
desire to paint could be achieved when he moved to Rocky Bay a few
years
ago. Now at forty seven he makes his living by painting. He
produces
seventy or eighty significant works each year and when he is in the
mood he
will work for fourteen hours or more a day.
Mike's style of painting - a movement that started in Europe in the
1920s associated with Salvador Dali and others and has since been
abandoned
by many - is still alive and well on Waiheke. The people just love
him and
his works so he is a happy man.
Whittakers' musical experience
Whittakers' is unique. Where else can you enjoy a musical
performance
on New Zealand’s largest range of restored instruments dating back to
the
1500s - piano accordians, mandolin guitars, harpsichords, a French
harmonia organ, and an 1877 Theatre organ and numerous pianos
including a
Richard Lipp concert grand?
Lloyd and Joan Whittaker retired to Waiheke a few years ago and now
spend their time restoring instruments as well as presenting a daily
one
and a half hour (or more) performance which is fun, informative and a
unique way to experience music on instruments dating back many, many
years.
It was a delightful way to spend an afternoon.
Where to stay
If you are looking for large, expensive hotel accommodation then
forget
Waiheke.... instead you will find over one hundred homes offering bed
and
breakfast - a great way to meet the locals - or if you prefer there
are a
few motels and also flats and houses to let short or long term.
The Waiheke Visitor Information Office can organise bookings. You contact
them by
phone on 09 372 9999 or e-mail waiheke@iconz.co.nz They can also
assist
with ferry times and available tours.
