Auckland and Waiheke Island walking tour (NZ)

We spend the first and last night in Auckland, staying in a centrally located 4-star hotel.  The accommodation on Waiheke is in beautifully designed, modern, self-contained apartments, each with spectacular views over the western end of the island.  It is a short walk from Oneroa, the main town on Waiheke as well as some of the best vineyard restaurants on the island.

Waiheke is a food lovers paradise.  There are around thirty boutique wineries scattered across the island, many with tasting rooms, excellent restaurants and great views.  There is also a number of very good eateries closer to the water.  You’ll have the opportunity to sample the best of these as well as the islands own produce.  The tour includes generous breakfasts each day, four dinners and five lunches as well as a scenic wine tour. 

Waiheke is a walker’s paradise as well, with beautiful trails that take you along the beaches and rocky bays of the island as well as through the hills, forests, vineyards and nature reserves of the interior following sections of the Te Ara Hura trail.  Our tour includes four walks starting with a short warm-up walk in Auckland and including three more extensive walks on the island, ranging from three to four hours each. 

All aspects of the tour will comply with the New Zealand government recommended health, safety and cleanliness procedures. including: the maintenance of social distancing (in the accommodation; in the transport; at meal-times and during activities); regular deep cleaning of the accommodation and transport, compulsory hand sanitizer use entering and leaving the accommodation, transport and restaurants.  Each member of the group will be provided with surgical face masks, disposable gloves and a bottle of hand sanitiser.

The tour will lead by Simon Tancred.  "I first went to Italy as a backpacker in 1980 and fell in love with the country.  I returned in 1983, living and working in Milan until 1988. Afterwards I worked at the Institute of Languages, University of New South Wales (Sydney) taking guided tours to Italy annually. I spent two years with my family in Prato (Florence) in 2003 and 2004, working at the Monash University (Melbourne) Centre. Since then I have dedicated myself full-time to Hidden Italy. I love photography and writing and have had articles and photographs on Italy published in most major Australian newspapers and travel magazines. I speak fluent Italian, alas with a pronounced Australian accent.  "Great Walks" magazine recently said I had the best job in the world.. there are other much more worthy jobs around but I am lucky my passion has become my profession - click here to read their interview."