Wine Tasting on Waiheke Island, New Zealand, with a Baby

Ferry Service with Island Direct

If you travel all the way to Auckland, New Zealand, you have to make a stop at the stunning island of Waiheke. We took a day trip to Waiheke from Auckland using the Island Direct ferry service. The Island Direct ferry was extremely easy to book. They had multiple ferries every day, so it was easy to plan ahead!

We were able to walk from our Air BNB to Pier 13 in about 15 minutes. There isn’t an office for Island Direct located at the Downtown Pier, but there was a small banner letting us know that we were in the right place.

A few minutes before our scheduled departure, the ferry showed up to the dock. A few passengers got off, and then we were free to board. I showed all of our tickets on a QR code on my cell phone sent to me via email. Infants from 0-4 are free to take the ferry, but they do require a ticket.

Onboard the ferry, there were plenty of seating options. Everything felt very clean and organized. The staff was friendly and professional. There was even a small snack bar onboard selling food and drinks.

I would absolutely recommend using Island Direct again! It was just too easy.

Big Aroha Tours

As soon as we arrived in Auckland, I started researching private tours on Waiheke Island. We were told that Waiheke Island was a must do, and I knew that we wanted to try some wine while we were there. After doing some research on private tours, I found Big Aroha Tours. This tour company was everything we needed and more!

Our tour guide was Jane, and she did not disappoint! I was very last minute with my request for a tour, and she easily accommodated us with 2 days notice. We communicated ahead of time, and I paid the invoice online before our tour. We selected an all-day wine tour including 3 vineyard visits with 1 tasting at each vineyard for 4 adults. Our tour included all transfers, water, and snacks. Jane also made us a lunch reservation at one of the vineyards, but we were responsible for paying for our lunch.

I cannot say enough good things about our experience with Jane at Big Aroha Tours. She picked us up at the ferry terminal and helped us get the stroller and car seat into her van. We had a little bit of time before our first winery visit, so Jane dropped us off at Wai Kitchen for coffee and tea with a beautiful view.

It was really nice to be able to catch our breath and relax for a few minutes before our tasting tours! We also had a few minutes to walk through downtown Waiheke. It is absolutely adorable and feels very much like a small beach town.

We spent about 45 minutes downtown before Jane picked us back up and we headed to Mudbrick Vineyard & Restaurant.

Mudbrick Vineyard & Restaurant

Our first winery stop of the day was Mudbrick Vineyard & Restaurant. This vineyard is absolutely stunning and the perfect spot to get married on Waiheke Island! We had a lovely tasting with a guide who was very friendly and knowledgeable about the wines and the venue.

Every winery we toured on Waiheke was very accommodating and friendly towards our baby, and Mudbrick was no exception. For this experience, we sat at high top tables with an umbrella. This venue was a little more challenging with a mobile baby, but we were able to pass him around while still enjoying our wine.

Our tasting guide stayed with us the entire time, only leaving briefly to grab the next bottle. We enjoyed the dedicated attention and getting to know her while also learning about the wines and the venue.

Mubrick also has a rooftop bar. We only had time to take a few pictures from the top, but I could easily spend an entire day at this winery. We will definitely be back!

Casita Miro Vineyard

Our second stop of the day was to Casita Miro Vineyard. We also really enjoyed this winery. This one seemed to have a Spanish influence and featured beautiful mosaics along the wall as we drove onto the property.

At this venue, we were seated at a table where the wine and small bites were already set up for us when we arrived. The staff even brought over a high chair. This was perfect and allowed us to enjoy our experience a little bit more than Mudbrick. The staff also brought bread to the table which helped us keep our son entertained so we could all enjoy our tasting!

The wine was delicious, and it was fun to try it with small bites. At this vineyard, our server had to work other tables as well, but she came over and explained each wine before we tried it. We also really enjoyed this approach because we had a chance to talk openly and honestly amongst our group.

Once we finished our wine, we visited the small take home/gift shop area before heading to our final stop.

Batch Winery

Tasting

Our final stop of the day was Batch Winery. This was probably our least favorite wine tasting of the day due to the experience. There was only one person working the tasting room when we arrived, and there was a little confusion about which tasting we were supposed to be doing. Our tour guide, Jane, had prearranged all of the tastings, so we didn’t know which one had been purchased. There was a difference of 1 wine between the two tastings.

Once we got it figured out, we were able to get started with the tasting. We were outside standing under an umbrella. The baby was asleep in the stroller, so we were all good on that front. Unfortunately, about 1 wine into the tasting, a Hop On Hop Off bus group showed up, and this totally overwhelmed the one person working the tasting room (understandably so!). At the other wineries, our experiences didn’t feel too crowded or rushed.

Restaurant

After we finished our wine tasting, we walked a few feet over to the restaurant for lunch that Jane had reserved for us. The restaurant was awesome, and we thoroughly enjoyed it. To check out the sample menu, click here. We love letting the chef decide what to serve, so we all opted for the “trust the chef” option. The server inquired about any food allergies, and we let the team decide from there. We enjoyed all of the food that we tried at the restaurant at Batch Winery. The views were lovely, and we enjoyed the relaxed pace that the meal offered.

Unfortunately, after we finished our lunch, it was time to head back to the ferry terminal. Jane picked us up, and she drove us back to where we started our day with her.

Final Thoughts

I cannot recommend visiting Waiheke Island and booking a private tour through Aroha Tours enough. Island Direct makes it so simple to visit Waiheke Island, that you can’t not do it! The island is absolutely stunning and is worth the time and effort to see it.

If possible, we prefer private tours or small group tours when traveling with a baby so that we can move at our own pace and don’t hold anyone else up. Jane was so accommodating and even gave our son a t-shirt that he can grow into in a few years! The reality is that there are many more wineries than Mudbrick, Casita Miro, and Batch Winery on Waiheke Island. We trusted Jane’s recommendations and relationships for this experience, and she did a fantastic job. We love trying wine, so for our next visit, we may want to try some different wineries, but we would absolutely book with Big Aroha tours again.

If you head to New Zealand and Waiheke Island, please let us know!