waiheke island by Anja1216
Just a 20 minute ferry ride from Auckland is Waiheke island, a small slice of lazy paradise in full view of the bustling city. Waiheke is an island of rolling hills and quite a few vineyards. I rented a bicycle and rode from the ferry terminal down to Stony Ridge Vineyard, where I was plied with wine and a cheese and tomato sandwich. The ferry building has an information booth and many maps and pamphletts to direct you to all the wineries. If you don't want to bike, there are coaches and guided tours that can take you, but on a summer's day (end of January) with just the perfect amount of subtle breeze, the biking was perfect! And the best reward was as I climbed up a tall hill, to my right was an almost hidden beach, as calm as bathwater, and sparkling crystal turquoise. I hopped off and ran into the water, rejuvenating and cooling off after all my hard work and tastes of Merlot! It was just one of those days where everything fell into place, and all conditions were perfect for a great memory!
I think the ferry ride was about $17. NZ, and bike rental was 40. The wine and food were free!