Day 3 - Waiheke Island Try #2

Tasting line-up at Goldie Estate Winery

This morning we headed out to the Devonport Ferry Terminal for the second time to make the journey to Waiheke Island. This time we were able to do the Hop on Hop Off Explorer Bus. Our first stop was a place call Vino Vino Restaurant and Bar for lunch. We both had the Spanish Potato Omelettes with spinach and feta along with…you guessed it…vino! They omelettes were delicious. We hopped back on the bus and went to the next stopped which was The Goldie Estates. They are the oldest winery on the island. They started in 1978. Waiheke Island is well-known for its high-quality red wines made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, and Cabernet Franc grapes. There are about 30 boutique wineries now scattered throughout the area, many with tasting rooms and restaurants. At Goldie’s we met another American woman who was leading the tastings. She was from California and is studying to be a winemaker. She plans to stay in New Zealand after school and start her career here. She suggested we walk up the hill to an old tree to see the view of the water. It was beautiful even though the morning was cloudy.

Next stop along the route was Wild Estate Vineyard and Brewery. I did the wine tasting flight and Jimm did the beer tasting flight. We also ordered some amazing bread that was on the menu. Wild Estate offers a huge range of outdoor activities to keep you entertained, from archery and laser claybird shooting to petanque and giant chess. They also have team-building and competitive activities for groups. It has a rustic charm to it and we enjoyed our visit there. We had hoped to stop at Tantalus Winery, but they were closed as well as The Heke Kitchen, Brewery and Distillery which was on our list, so we headed back to the harbor to catch the last ferry back to Devonport that left at 4:00pm. Luckily we made it back just in time.

Once back in Devonport we walked along the port area, did a little shopping and stopped at a couple local pubs. The last one was called The Patriot. We ended up sitting next to a local couple who we chatted with about the country while enjoying Steak and Guinness Pie (Jimm) and a delicious burger (Deb). We headed back to the house to relax and enjoy the view. Tomorrow we head to The Hobbiton Movie Set to experience the real Middle-earth with a fully guided walking tour around the 12 acre set; past Hobbit Holes, the Mill and into the world-famous Green Dragon Inn. We are excited to see the Lord of the Rings movies come to life!