Relax and Enjoy the Wine on Waiheke Island, New Zealand!

Prior to departing for my 14 night “Wine & Gourmet Cuisine Cruise” on the Regent Seven Seas Mariner between Sydney Australia and Auckland, New Zealand I had a very good friend mention we must visit Waiheke Island, New Zealand. It was one of the many highlights of our 3 week adventure. Great little shops, antique stores, friendly people and gorgeous countryside as well as great wine added up to the best way to end our holiday adventure.

Waiheke Island is a picturesque blend of farmland, forest, beaches, vineyards and olive groves. Located in the Hauraki Gulf of New Zealand, it is only 35 minutes by ferryboat from downtown Auckland. There is a great range of activities on Waiheke including sightseeing, mountain biking, sea kayaking, vineyard & winery tours and much more. When planning a trip to New Zealand, schedule a few extra days to relax on the island.

Waiheke is the third most populated island in New Zealand, after the North and South Islands. Waiheke Island has a permanent population of around 8,000 residents. Much of the population lives close to the western end of Waiheke Island, at or close to an east-west isthmus between Huruhi Bay and Oneroa Bay which, at its narrowest, is only 600 metres wide.

History of Waiheke Island
Discovered and settled by Maori approximately 1000 years ago, Waiheke translates to ‘cascading waters’. Some Maori legends relate that one of the pioneering waka (canoes) to New Zealand came upon the island. The first traces of Europeans arrived with the missionary Samuel Marsden in the early 1800s, several years after Captain Cook passed by and acknowledged the island in his travels through the Hauraki Gulf.

Contact the Travel Gal when planning your South Pacific holiday.

Your Friend in the Islands!

Teresa@LuxuryHideaways.net or call me at 800 644-6659

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Kingdom of Tonga - Things To Know Before You Go

MAJOR CENTRES
Nuku’ alofa is the capital and home of the Royal Palace. Other major centres are Eua island, an ideal retreat for hikers, adventurers and naturalists, and Vava’u island which has two beautiful beaches on the main island and a scenic drive around the west coast with stunning views of Port of Refuge Harbour and the numerous outer islands.

Ha’apai island is a favourite with visitors who are invited to stay in the village and participate in all aspects of village life from ‘kava’ ceremonies, feasting and dancing to hunting ‘feke’ octopus with village fishermen in outrigger canoes.

THE PEOPLE
The majority of Tonga’s 96,000 people live on Tongatapu. Polynesians by race, they speak Tongan and English.

HISTORY
Archaeologists claim Tonga has been inhabited since the 5th century BC. It was first discovered by two Dutch navigators in 1616. They were followed by Tasman, Wallis, Captain Cook, Bligh of the Bounty whose sailors mutineered in Tongan waters, and the missionaries.

Today the Kingdom of Tonga is ruled by King Taufa’ahau Tupou IV who reigns as a constitutional monarch. Formerly a British protectorate, Tonga gained its independence in 1970 and is now part of the British Commonwealth.

NATURE
Vegetation is typically South Pacific with masses of hibiscus and frangipani, coconut groves, pandanus palms and banana plantations.

Not far from Nuku’alofa hundreds of flying foxes cling to high trees at Kolovai. Frigate birds are common, as are the Pacific golden plover, the Pacific black duck, swiftlets (Pacific swallows) and the blue crowned lorikeet.

Tonga was the first Pacific island country to create marine parks or sanctuaries. Four such parks now exist, rich in fish, coral and marine life.

CLIMATE
A warm tropical climate exists throughout the year. There is a mild, dry season May through October, with a hotter, humid season November through April.

CURRENCY
The Tongan dollar or pa’anga equals 100 seniti (cents). Notes are in 50 seniti, 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 p’anga denominations. Coins are in 1, 2, 5, 10 and 50 seniti, also 1 & 2 p’anga. Foreign currency exchange is available at most major hotels and the Bank of Tonga. Banking hours are 9:30am - 3:30pm Mon - Fri, 9:30am - 11am Sat. The Bank of Tonga has branches on Tongatapu, Vava’u, Ha’apai and ‘Eua.

SHOPPING
Tonga offers duty free items, Island handcrafts and Island wear such as mumus and the Tongan “Pulisami”. Regular shopping hours are Monday-Friday 8:30am - 4:30pm. All main stores close on Saturday at 12 noon and do not reopen until Monday. There is no trading of any manner on Sunday.

MEDICAL & HEALTH
Piped water supplies are chlorinated, and are satisfactory for drinking. There are comprehensive medical and dental facilities available. Copyright © Goway 2009

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The Aloha State Became the 50th State in 1959

But the history of Hawaii goes back centuries earlier. More than 1500 years ago, Polynesians from the Marquesas Islands first set foot on Hawaii’s Big Island. With only the stars to guide them, they miraculously sailed over 2000 miles in canoes to migrate to the Islands.

500 years later, settlers from Tahiti arrived, bringing their beliefs in gods and demi-gods and instituting a strict social hierarchy based on a kapu (taboo) system. Hawaiian culture flourished over the centuries, but land division conflicts between ruling chieftains were common.

In 1778, Captain James Cook, landed on Kauai at Waimea Bay. Naming the archipelago the “Sandwich Islands” in honor of the Earl of Sandwich, Cook opened the doors to the west. Cook was killed only a year later in Kealakekua Bay on Hawaii’s Big island .

In 1791, Kohala born Kamehameha united the warring factions of the Big Island and went on to unify all of the Hawaiian Islands into one Royal Kingdom in 1810. In 1819, less than a year after King Kamehameha’s death, his son, Liholiho, abolished the ancient kapu system.

In 1820, the first Protestant Missionaries arrived on the Big Island filling the void left after the end of the kapu system. Hawaii became a port for seamen, traders, and whalers. Throughout these years of growth, western disease took a heavy toll on the native Hawaiian population.

Western influence continued to grow and in 1893, American Colonists who controlled much of Hawaii’s economy overthrew the Hawaiian Kingdom in a peaceful, yet still controversial coup. In 1898, Hawaii became a territory of the United States.

In the 20th century, sugar and pineapple plantations fueled Hawaii’s economy bringing an influx of Japanese, Chinese, Filipino, and Portuguese immigrants. On December 7, 1941, the Japanese launched a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor on Oahu. Four years later, on September 2, 1945, Japan signed its unconditional surrender on the USS Battleship Missouri , which still rests in Pearl Harbor today.

In 1959, Hawaii became the 50th State of the United States. Beyond the sun and surf of the islands, we urge you to discover the rich cultural history of the Islands of Aloha to add even more depth to your visit.

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