Waiheke Island – Fullers Wine on Waiheke Tour
A must do day trip when staying in Auckland, New Zealand is to take the short 35 minute ferry trip out to the truly stunning Waiheke Island to visit its magnificent wineries and beautiful beaches. On our latest trip we were travelling without the kids so took full advantage to road test the Wine on Waiheke tour which is run by Fullers Cruises and Island Tours.
The tour includes wine tasting at three wineries, return ferry trip and an all day bus pass to travel around the island. Having the bus pass gives you the flexibility to go and explore a bit of the island either before or after the tour. Although the ferry that is recommended for our tour departed Auckland at 1.00pm, we decided to take an earlier ferry to grab a bite to eat and have a bit of a look around the island before our tour.
We had to meet our tour driver at the ferry terminal at 1.35pm where we jumped on board our mini bus – there was a total of 20 people on our tour which was pretty much capacity. Our driver gives us a detailed explanation of the island and its heritage on the way to our first stop – Mudbrick Vineyard. Once we arrived at Mudbrick we were greeted by our host who was waiting with glasses and wine. We walked up to the vine areas here, while tasting as well and got a full explanation of the wine making process that takes place on the island. Most of the wines tasted are reds, with a couple of whites thrown in. It was then down to the restaurant and cellar door for a bit of a look around.
The second winery includes tasting and nibbles at The Goldie Room which consists of the best chutney with some bread and dips and lovely wines. After a bite to eat you can walk up to the big tree and enjoy the breathtaking views.
Last stop is the stunning Te Whau Vineyard which is acclaimed for its outstanding architecture and panoramic 360 degree views. The wines here are pretty amazing too!
We really enjoyed our wine tasting tour here but if you are not into wines then there are plenty of other things to do on Waiheke Island. For more information on Waiheke Island go to www.waiheke.co.nz
