June 22, 2024 • 4 mins
As winter marches on, many Kiwis will be nostalgic for the warmer months and considering an island holiday.
Waiheke Island could be the next best thing - it's only 35 minutes away from Auckland by ferry, and it includes beaches, fine dining and wineries.
BloggerAtLarge writer Megan Singleton says 47 local businesses have even come together to create the Waiheke Island Winter Passport, offering several limited-time deals.
Read more about Megan's experience with Waiheke here.
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sunday Session podcast with Francesca Rudgin
from News Talks EDB Travel with Wendy wo Tours unique
fully inclusive tours around the.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
World, and our travel correspondent joins us now Meghan Singleton,
blogger at large dot com. Good morning, Good morning. I'm
sure about now a lot of people are thinking, I
wouldn't mind a little mini island getaway, and you've got
kind You've got an island get away for us this week.
Maybe maybe just something that people I hadn't sort of
(00:39):
thought about as having an island get away, but very
easy to do.
Speaker 3 (00:44):
This one doesn't even require a passport.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
Exact passport's required.
Speaker 3 (00:49):
Look. I was in touch this week with way Hike
Island Tourism, Inc. Didn't know that they existed until this week.
And I mean, we know it's tough for businesses right
all around the country. Just winter is tough anyway if
you're not like a ski destination, and of course with
the recession and businesses are just really struggling. And I
don't know if you've noticed, but there's deals everywhere at
(01:12):
the moment, from you know, SPA treatments to accommodations, to
meals to you know, I've discovered first table this week
as well, if you want to dine at Nana hours
from between five and six pm. But anyway over on Yhiki,
they've got forty seven businesses together and they've created the
Wayhiki Island Winter Passport. So basically you pay sixty bucks
(01:35):
and you get this little booklet and inside it is
just incredible deals, discounts, freebes, you know, pay for two
stay for three nights, thirty percent off your Ceilink or
the New Island Direct Ferry are doing buy one ticket,
get one ticket free to get over there from downtown
(01:55):
and then within then you can carry on and go
all right, well we'll go to these restaurants, we get
a free dessert with a meal at this one, or
where you can stay you know here and get fifty
dollars off a night. So basically, I've got the booklet
in front of me and I've just been going through
it and thinking, yeah, well maybe that's just a little
bit of motivation that I needed to get back over there.
And it runs until the twentieth of October, so plenty
(02:18):
of time to buy this little booklet, support local, get
over on the high seas without your passport and go
and stay a couple of nights on Wahiki and splat
a bit of a little meager amount of cash.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
Around thirty five minutes by ferry from downtown Auckland. It's
got to over thirty wineries, lots of activities, gorgeous beaches,
lovely walks.
Speaker 3 (02:41):
Yeah, yeah, you might not get in and you might
not need your togs, would yea? I swim on.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
I swam on Friday morning at Takapuna Beach.
Speaker 3 (02:51):
Well done winter, Well I am trying to.
Speaker 2 (02:53):
I am trying to do my swims all years. I
try and get in the water two or three times. Yeah,
I'm going to be honest. There has it got very
cold in May, and I thought it can't get worse
than this, and the sea temperature has definitely dropped.
Speaker 3 (03:06):
But no, I don't think we've seen the winter hill
really yet.
Speaker 2 (03:10):
I have a little paddle around for ten minutes or
so and then get out and people look at you
like you're mad. Yeah, if you don't come, come and
join me. Sometimes wring themselves all over and say hi,
And that's a bout.
Speaker 1 (03:27):
That's not too bad.
Speaker 2 (03:28):
It's good for you. Good feel good.
Speaker 3 (03:30):
Oh well, you'll love it. Over there, tons of beaches,
but you can get out of the beach and you
can go back to your accommodation that might have a
hot tub. That's where you would find me. Was perhaps
one of the little local delights in my hand in
the form of a glass. There you go. So but anyway,
all a good time on whitehik Yard. And I love
(03:51):
that this booklet actually lasts for ages. It's not just
a sudden quick weekend deal you know, which they have
tried in the past, just do a quick weekend with deals,
but this one runs right through to October.
Speaker 2 (04:01):
So well, as you say you might grab it, you
might have a weekend over there, but then you might
also just have a long day over there and make
the most of what's left in your and your passport.
So that works brilliantly. Thank you very much for bringing
that to light. Now you've got actually you've got all
this on your blog.
Speaker 3 (04:16):
Yes, so I whipped up a quick post just before
I came on air so that people can just jump
straight there and find all the in phone then the
link to go and get it.
Speaker 2 (04:24):
Brilliant blogger at large dot com. It's on the homepage.
There if you're thinking, actually, that's great, that's good, that's
actually manageable. Let's get out of Auckland, or let's travel
to Auckland and go and explore why heck you and
good time to do it.
Speaker 1 (04:36):
For more from the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin, listen
live to News Talks It'd be from nine am Sunday,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio
You're listening to the Sunday Session podcast with Francesca Rudgin
from News Talks EDB Travel with Wendy wo Tours unique
fully inclusive tours around the.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
World, and our travel correspondent joins us now Meghan Singleton,
blogger at large dot com. Good morning, Good morning. I'm
sure about now a lot of people are thinking, I
wouldn't mind a little mini island getaway, and you've got
kind You've got an island get away for us this week.
Maybe maybe just something that people I hadn't sort of
(00:39):
thought about as having an island get away, but very
easy to do.
Speaker 3 (00:44):
This one doesn't even require a passport.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
Exact passport's required.
Speaker 3 (00:49):
Look. I was in touch this week with way Hike
Island Tourism, Inc. Didn't know that they existed until this week.
And I mean, we know it's tough for businesses right
all around the country. Just winter is tough anyway if
you're not like a ski destination, and of course with
the recession and businesses are just really struggling. And I
don't know if you've noticed, but there's deals everywhere at
(01:12):
the moment, from you know, SPA treatments to accommodations, to
meals to you know, I've discovered first table this week
as well, if you want to dine at Nana hours
from between five and six pm. But anyway over on Yhiki,
they've got forty seven businesses together and they've created the
Wayhiki Island Winter Passport. So basically you pay sixty bucks
(01:35):
and you get this little booklet and inside it is
just incredible deals, discounts, freebes, you know, pay for two
stay for three nights, thirty percent off your Ceilink or
the New Island Direct Ferry are doing buy one ticket,
get one ticket free to get over there from downtown
(01:55):
and then within then you can carry on and go
all right, well we'll go to these restaurants, we get
a free dessert with a meal at this one, or
where you can stay you know here and get fifty
dollars off a night. So basically, I've got the booklet
in front of me and I've just been going through
it and thinking, yeah, well maybe that's just a little
bit of motivation that I needed to get back over there.
And it runs until the twentieth of October, so plenty
(02:18):
of time to buy this little booklet, support local, get
over on the high seas without your passport and go
and stay a couple of nights on Wahiki and splat
a bit of a little meager amount of cash.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
Around thirty five minutes by ferry from downtown Auckland. It's
got to over thirty wineries, lots of activities, gorgeous beaches,
lovely walks.
Speaker 3 (02:41):
Yeah, yeah, you might not get in and you might
not need your togs, would yea? I swim on.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
I swam on Friday morning at Takapuna Beach.
Speaker 3 (02:51):
Well done winter, Well I am trying to.
Speaker 2 (02:53):
I am trying to do my swims all years. I
try and get in the water two or three times. Yeah,
I'm going to be honest. There has it got very
cold in May, and I thought it can't get worse
than this, and the sea temperature has definitely dropped.
Speaker 3 (03:06):
But no, I don't think we've seen the winter hill
really yet.
Speaker 2 (03:10):
I have a little paddle around for ten minutes or
so and then get out and people look at you
like you're mad. Yeah, if you don't come, come and
join me. Sometimes wring themselves all over and say hi,
And that's a bout.
Speaker 1 (03:27):
That's not too bad.
Speaker 2 (03:28):
It's good for you. Good feel good.
Speaker 3 (03:30):
Oh well, you'll love it. Over there, tons of beaches,
but you can get out of the beach and you
can go back to your accommodation that might have a
hot tub. That's where you would find me. Was perhaps
one of the little local delights in my hand in
the form of a glass. There you go. So but anyway,
all a good time on whitehik Yard. And I love
(03:51):
that this booklet actually lasts for ages. It's not just
a sudden quick weekend deal you know, which they have
tried in the past, just do a quick weekend with deals,
but this one runs right through to October.
Speaker 2 (04:01):
So well, as you say you might grab it, you
might have a weekend over there, but then you might
also just have a long day over there and make
the most of what's left in your and your passport.
So that works brilliantly. Thank you very much for bringing
that to light. Now you've got actually you've got all
this on your blog.
Speaker 3 (04:16):
Yes, so I whipped up a quick post just before
I came on air so that people can just jump
straight there and find all the in phone then the
link to go and get it.
Speaker 2 (04:24):
Brilliant blogger at large dot com. It's on the homepage.
There if you're thinking, actually, that's great, that's good, that's
actually manageable. Let's get out of Auckland, or let's travel
to Auckland and go and explore why heck you and
good time to do it.
Speaker 1 (04:36):
For more from the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin, listen
live to News Talks It'd be from nine am Sunday,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio
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