Day 68. After a five year absence, we returned to Waiheke and were pleased to see that little had changed. Waiheke is the second largest island off Auckland. Historically it was inhabited by hippy dropout artists until the 1980’s when it started to become a more conventional holiday home location for Auckland residents. It still has bohemian charm with plenty of tucked away beaches of golden sand and clear blue water, and cafes, restaurants, wineries and other attractions to explore. We were last here for Sarah and Andy’s wedding (and Jo and Malcolm’s wedding on a separate occasion just before that).
View from the East side of Waiheke Island
We revisited Sarah and Andy’s bach (North Island term for holiday cottage) to see that renovations were underway. We explored the island a little, and wandered from beach to beach for a swim and a cup of coffee. We ended the day watching the sunset from one of the highest points on the island while eating a picnic.
Factoid: New Zealand is split into two main islands, North and South. North Islanders call their holiday home a bach while South Islanders call it a crib.
Another gratuitous sunset photo looking out West from Matiatia on Waiheke Island
Safe fell in love with Waiheke five years ago and it was on Safe’s wishlist of places we had to visit on this trip. We weren’t disappointed. We spent much of the day working out how we might have a holiday home in Waiheke however the 28 hour journey from the UK and the 13 hour time difference make it a little difficult as a weekend getaway!