Waiheke - Natural Highlights

Waiheke welcomes you

Auckland's getaway island

Welcome to Te Motu Ara-i-Roa Waiheke Island!

Māori lived here for hundreds of years, gardening on the flats at the heads of the many Waiheke inlets, and harvesting kai moana (food from the sea) from the surrounding waters of Tikapa Moana.

Many Waiheke headlands were developed as pā (fortified settlements).

At first, the European settler farmers were relatively isolated here. Once the wharf at Matiatia was built in the early 1920s, it more and more became the ‘front door’ for Waiheke Island.

In recent years, Waiheke has become a noted international visitor destination – but it still retains its original charm.

This app will reveal the natural highlights of Waiheke – our incomparable coastal environment, wildlife, our parks and walkways, natural and cultural history, and the distinctive elements of our island lifestyle.

Please note, this is not a tourist guide, or a bookings system. Rather, we are simply encouraging you to explore and enjoy our island in a low-impact, cost-free way.

Explore the app by finding groups, and stories within them, that interest you. Links will take you to more relevant information on the web.

The main commuter and visitor arrival zone for the island, Matiatia is the westernmost bay on Waiheke Island. At 12 nautical miles from Auckland, it's the closest point of the island to the city.