Waiheke Island Bush & Beach Walking Tour With Lunch, Auckland

Lisa was an outstanding guide. She is so passionate about the environment of her beloved New Zealand. She is very knowledgeable about the plantlife stopping along the track to show us various plantlife.

Had a wonderful tour with Lisa as our guide. We did a 2-hour walk around Whakanewha Regional Park, followed by a lovely picnic lunch by the beach, and an added wine tasting at MudBrick. Lisa was enthusiastic, positive, knowledgeable, and really created the perfect environment for learning about Waiheke Island and New Zealand. Our tour through the bush really prioritized connecting with nature and the earth, getting up close to trees, birds, and more. I loved learning about the magic of the forest and hope to return another time to do more of these beautiful trails. All together, this was a lovely day filled with movement, education, and a few nice glasses of wine to top it off.

We hiked in a forest that was green and lush and looked prehistoric. We were unfamiliar with the plants and trees, but our very knowledgeable guide, Liz, explained what they were, their medicinal and other uses by the Maori and European settlers, and their environmental properties. She was also able to recognize birdsong and to spot them in the trees. After hiking, we walked on a huge beach, then had a box lunch. Liz drove us around the town and to points of interest, including a beautiful view of the other side of the island. At the end ofbthe tour, she dropped us off at Mudbrick Winery. Great day!

Liz was a great, knowledgeable guide. We really enjoyed our tour with her!

Absolutely beautiful scenery and learning about the local flora and fauna kept the whole family engaged.

Cindy is wonderful .Passionate , sharing with energy and a communicative joy and knowledge the numerous wonders of Waukeke . We had a splendid time .

We were very lucky to have Justine to ourselves! She was happy to set a slower pace and we learned so much! She took us to some great places to see historic buildings and amazing views!

Excellent guiding by Justine. We learnt so much about the trees, birds and history of Waiheke - and much about NZ too. The walking pace was good, the lunch was delicious and everything went to plan. We would highly recommend this trip.

We had a wonderful hike through forest ending at two of the wineries for tastings. Our guide, Renee, was the perfect guide. Throughout our hike, we learned about the wildlife on the island, the surrounding vegetation, history of the island and the people who live there. The wine tastings were the perfect break in the hiking and the local wines are delicious! We would highly recommend the tour and especially our guide.

We had the most wonderful and informative day with Maria, learning about the many facets of Waiheke - its animals, vegetation and history. As well as being fabulous company, Maria is a goldmine of information. Highly recommended.

This was a great experience while in Auckland. It was incredibly easy to catch the ferry from downtown and meet my guide on the island. I ended up having a personalized tour and my guide was very knowledgable about all of the plants, birds, and history of the island. She went out of her way to ensure that I had a chance to see and experience all of the amazing aspects of Waiheke Island. The views throughout the walk were amazing! The lunch included as part of the tour was delicious.

Our walk and wine tasting with Dell and Renée was wonderful. While the wine tastings were lovely, the highlight for us was the walk and the guides' knowledge of the flora and fauna and history of the island shared with us as we walked. The views of the coastlines and vineyards were spectacular and lunch was delicious and plentiful. While there was some gradual elevation gain over the trails, it was well paced for us (seniors over 65) with breaks for views and photos. Overall, we had a beautiful day and would highly recommend this tour.

Had a lovely day with Maria with another couple who are our friends on private tour to walk a path through a nature park and then short walk on beach. Along the way we learned about the island and the flora and fauna. If private you can make it as hard or as easy as you would like. We decided lighter on hike and finished with a drop off at Mudbrick vineyard vs ferry. Maria was a complete delight to spend our 5 hours and had a great time. Thank you. Suggest going early like we did at 9:45 and then you have the afternoon to hang out as you wish.

This tour was booked by our travel agent and quite honestly I did not know what to expect. We were met by our tour guide Justine and right away my expectationd went up. She was very friendly and knowlegable and both my wife and I really had a great time and learned a bunch too! If the rest of the guides are as good as Justine, you can't go wrong booking with Terra and Tide.

The forecast was not good and the rain delivered. Our guide Justine did a spectacular job of working around a deluge. Our walk through the bush was wonderful, we saw some of the most interesting plants and birds. She knew all the calls and the history of the Maori and the island in general. We learned so much! Follow on by a lovely trip to an olive oil tasting and a great lunch. Then another beautiful walk up stunning views of the bay and a vineyard. The sun broke just as we got to the top! We had a great time! Highly recommend. She picked the perfect walks for the weather.

Had an amazing day hiking on Waiheke Island with Lucy, our guide. She was super friendly and knowledgeable about the island and shared a lot about the local wildlife and customs. We also were able to stop into a vineyard to do a quick tasting, which was lovely. Lucy truly made it an experience I won’t forget. Such a great way to get around the island and see amazing views, if you don’t want to just bus around. Make sure to wear waterproof clothes and hiking shoes, as is for muddy on the trails with on and off rain. Highly recommend!

We had an incredible hiking tour, and Justine was the perfect guide. She was not only warm and friendly but also impressively knowledgeable—her understanding of the island’s history, culture, and environment added so much depth to the experience. Justine’s passion and personality made the day feel fun and effortless. To top it off, the lunch was absolutely superb and a wonderful treat after the hike. Highly recommend this tour, especially with Justine as your guide!

Dell was such an amazing guide on the Bush and Beach Walk! She had great knowledge about the Māori culture, the trees and land, even the birds we encountered along the way! I absolutely loved her energy and would highly recommend this tour on Waiheke Island. It’s a wonderful way to explore the natural beauty of this area.

Dell was our guide and she was wonderful. She had intimate knowledge of the area, the history, and had many helpful facts/advice. She took us through a beautiful hike and shared her knowledge of the plants/trees/birds. She is just a very pleasant person and it did not matter to her that it was just 2 of us on the tour. We were blessed with excellent weather. Highly recommend.

Maria our guide for the day was kind flexible and above all well versed in everything Waiheke. Easy to contact. Had the best pack lunch too. Bush walk was catered to our abilities. Vistas were inspiring. Overall an enjoyable, do it again experience b

We both enjoyed our time walking through the trails on Waiheke island. Our guide was incredibly informative and fun to talk with. We shared a lot of common interests. We were lucky enough to see several bird species and got some incredible video as well. The local lunch was probably the best meal we had on our tour. Unfortunately, it was a public holiday, so we couldn’t end with a wine tasting, but the remainder of our tour made up for it. Our guide rushed us over to the ferry so we couldn’t end catch our return trip. It was definitely worth the trip!

Our walk was challenging but terrific. Our guide was knowledgeable and lovely and the scenery was magnificent. We had perfect weather and we had a great day!

Terra and Tide provided all the logistics for a self guided series of walks around the island. They were incredibly hospitable and the food Gabriel prepared each evening was fabulous. T&T made for a wonderful week of trekking the fascinating Waiheke Island.

Amazing views learned a lot about the New Zealand wildlife and saw many birds and eels. Our guide Lucy was excellent great knowledge and we learned a lot about island life and wildlife.

My guide was great - very knowledgeable and flexible to what I was interested in. We had a great hike with beautiful views and had time to enjoy some galleries as well. Highly recommend.

We were met at the ferry by our guide, Lucy from Terra and Tide for our Bush and Beach Walk. Due to some mobility limitations in our party she had to modify our plans a bit but did so willingly and was very eager to meet our needs. It is obvious she loves what she does and sharing Waiheke Island with visitors. It was a perfect day to take a break from our recent hectic schedule. Lunch was excellent, we found a perfect spot along the beach and enjoyed watching the wildlife and chatting while we ate. Thanks so much for a great day, Lucy!!

To break up our wine-drinking adventures during our brief stay on Waiheke Island we had a vigorous and enjoyable day on the hiking paths under Cindy's good guidance - as happens, just the two of us so we had her full and helpful attention, support and education - ranging along several beaches and up into the hills. We had done a good bit of hiking during our New Zealand visit, so were interested in a good if not overly strenuous day, which Cindy managed to our expectations. Waiheke is not an island that seemed friendly to bike on, so this was a good way for some exposure without use of a car. Travelers' tip - sturdy shoes or boots are called for, and we were glad to have our sticks. Our weather was perfect so no comment on possible issues of temperature or rain.

My wife and I along with my wife's sister and her husband took the Bush and Beach Tour with Cindy and it was both educational and physically challenging. Cindy did a wonderful job giving us the history of Waiheke. She spoke of the indigenous flora and bird life of the island. She was very sensitive to the abilities of the group while being educational and entertaining. The walking on the flats and near the beaches was very easy, while the hiking through the changes of elevation was physically challenging but the views were spectacular! The tour was between 6 and 7 miles and it took about 4 hours with a very pretty lunch break.

Robyn was fantastic. She, being a long time island resident, had plenty of inside knowledge of the Island. We also wanted to change up the itinerary a little and it was no problem. We learned all about Waihike Island and saw things we didn’t expect to see. Lunch was very good as well. I would highly recommend this trip with this company and tour guide Robyn.

Cindy was marvelous. This was our first hike/tour in NZ, so we came in knowing nothing about the island history, geography, flora and fauna. We came out as experts! We got a great tour of the island, got a great walk in, tasted some wines, and went swimming off a beautiful beach. Would absolutely recommend this experience. Don’t sleep on the gelato in town!

When I go to a new place, I want to be in nature and learn about the people who live in that place. Well, let me tell you, this walk checked all the boxes. The walk itself was spectacularly beautiful and our guide, Cindy, shared her extensive knowledge of flora and fauna, Maori culture, and the culture of living on this small island. We also loved hearing about her experiences sailing much of the way around the world with her family. My husband and I would go out on a Terra and Tide adventure in a heartbeat. You should too!

The island is inspirational. Our guide, Justine, helped us understand how the native plant species are returning over the last 40 years, how great efforts are being made to eliminate non-native predator species in order to better protect native bird and other animal species, and how the various communities of people on the island volunteer their time to make this possible. No better way to learn about these things than walking along the paths through the bush and along the beach. Justine also paid very close attention to our interests and our needs during this journey, ultimately making every difference in the world for making this day truly memorable. We highly recommend this tour, and specifically our guide Justine, from Terra and Tide!

The bush and beach walk was an absolute blast! Our guide, Cindy, was the best. She was incredibly knowledgeable, warm, and shared a wealth of information during our walk. Keeping the kids in our group engaged was a huge achievement, considering their ages. The picnic sandwiches were delicious, and the transportation was very comfortable. Waiheki is such a beautiful island. We’ll definitely be back and staying there next time to fully immerse ourselves in its natural beauty. Overall, it was a fantastic experience for our entire group. We highly recommend it!

I had a great time with Lucy walking the trails and beaches. The walk fit my pace, and Lucy even lent me some trekking poles for the moderate downhill for my aging knees. She described the birds and trees so that I could appreciate the best of the island. The trip included a tasty sandwich and fruit at a picnic table at the beach, and a stop for gelato on the way back to the ferry. Sign up now for a great day out of Auckland!

Waiheke Island is spectacular. Our travel agent had scheduled all of us for the 6 mile hike of the headlands. However, when we realized that not all of us would be able to complete 6 miles, our guide Justine made appropriate changes which enabled us all to see the town, have lunch on the beach and have a wonderful day on the island. Justine went the extra mile and more to make sure that all of us learned about the trees of New Zealand and had a good time, within our abilities.

The 7-mile hike around Waiheke Island through forests and along beaches was fabulous. Cindy did an amazing job of sharing information about history, culture, flora and fauna. Such an enjoyable experience...and the box lunch was delicious

This was our first adventure in New Zealand and it couldn't have been better. Justine was an excellent guide with loads of information about the vegetation, birds, and NZ culture. The walk was a good workout after travel over 24 hrs. There is a fair amount of elevation change on this walk, so those with any mobility issues should be aware.

It was a great day of a hike, pi cnic on the beach and because we requested it , wine tasting..Justine was knowledgeable, pleasant, accomodating and just a fun day.

Maria our tour guide was great! She made accommodations for our tour since I am wearing a boot. Our entire day was wonderful. Maria was very knowledgeable and couldn’t be nicer.

This was a great hike. It was just myself and my husband. They were so flexible and changed the start time to accommodate our flights. The views and waterfall are amazing.

We had a great day with our guide, Dell. She was extremely knowledgeable and loved sharing all that she knows about the island birds. plants and trees. We got great exercise and saw wonderful parts of the bush and beach. Highly recommend!!

Gabrielle was the best - from touching base ahead of time to make sure we were good to go with the muddier than normal conditions and forecasted winds. She personalized our tour to what my three teenage boys were interested in. She provided a lot of history and additional details about the island as we explored the island. Definitely one of the highlights of our trip!

Booked the excursion only to find out an hour later they weren't able to put it on. They asked if I wanted to join another excursion. In the end, it wasn't what I wanted to do. Communication with them up until that point went just fine VIA the email/Trip Adviser booking. However, as soon as I responded that I'd like to cancel, I started getting return to sender emails. The first email happened well after I sent it. So, I thought they received my message and had canceled the booking which is why I no longer could email them. Boy was I wrong. They charged me and won't refund me the money. I wouldn't recommend doing business with them. They don't do the right thing for the customer. They just want to make a quick buck.

Gabrielle"s wealth of knowledge of the flora and fauna of the island was amazing. Even though the weather meant plans had to change it was a most enjoyable day hiking on Waiheke Island. I got to test my wet weather gear! The day was relaxed and informative.

What an amazing experience exploring the beautiful Waiheke Island with Gabrielle, a passionate nature lover with in depth knowledge of the flora and fauna of the island. Gabrielle also had extensive knowledge of the Māori history of the island which was great. The tour took us through different forrest and seaside environments, including a delicious lunch and swim at a secluded beach. The walk itself was easy to moderate with some panoramic vistas. I’d highly recommend this tour to the nature lover!

Nydia was a lovely tour guide. The scenery was amazing. We had a tight schedule due to a flight and they modified the tour time to accommodate us. Great people to work with. Lunch was nice

I really enjoyed my day out. Lucie was a great guide, offering lots of information about the history of the island and the flora and fauna. The meet and greet worked smoothly. The walks provided some lovely views and we ended with a quick trip to a high point with 360 degree aspect over the surrounding islands and coastline. There was a tasty packed lunch enjoyed in a shady cove.

Thank you Gabrielle and staff for a lovely day of walking with a great swimming beach and finally a wine tasting at the mud brick vineyard.

The organization was very random. We ended having to pay a wine tasting and spending time in a art gallery, which was not previewed in the activity description (Waiheke Island Bush & Beach Walk) The walking was quite comon, lasted only 2 hours with few information about birds. Lunch was ok but nothing special. The gide was nice but we feel it did not worth the price at all and most of all, it did not correpond to the description at all.