Waiheke Island - Transport and Infrastructure

Transport and Infrastructure

A number of scheduled ferry services (passenger and freight) sail to and from Waiheke. Fullers runs the main passenger ferry between Matiatia and downtown Auckland, with trips taking about 40 minutes. Sea Link provides passenger, car and freight services between Half Moon Bay in East Auckland and Kennedy Point. Trips take about 50 minutes.

HeliScene is the Waiheke based helicopter operator providing transfers, scenic flights and tours from the island. There are various other air connections including Air Discovery, an aeroplane service based at the privately operated Waiheke Island Aerodrome (NZKE) near Onetangi Bay, and a number of Auckland helicopter operators that charter to the island.

The island has less infrastructure than mainland Auckland. The roads are mainly narrow and in many places unsealed and unlit, especially on the eastern half of the island. The Waiheke Bus Company (owned by Fullers) services most inhabited parts of the island, linking to the ferry sailings from Matiatia.

Waiheke is connected to the North Island electricity network by undersea cables from Maraetai on the mainland. Each house must maintain its own water supply, most collecting rainwater in cisterns, and must install a septic tank and septic field to handle sewage. This is a requirement in every building consent.

The community established a charitable trust which bid on Auckland City's contract for solid waste disposal. After winning the bid, it was implemented with such success that the recycling centre soon had to be expanded to handle the volumes.

The island has a lively press, with two weekly newspapers vying for attention: the long-established independently-owned Waiheke Gulf News and the Fairfax Media owned Waiheke Marketplace. A community radio station, Waiheke Radio, is broadcasting on 88.3 FM and 107.4 FM after Beach FM lost its licence in a commercial bid in 2008.

Waiheke Island has two primary schools: Waiheke Primary School in Ostend serves Years 1 to 8 and has around 230 students, and Te Huruhi School in Surfdale serves Years 1 to 6 and has around 370 students. The island also has a secondary school, Waiheke High School, in Surfdale adjacent to Te Huruhi School which serves Years 7 to 13 and has around 450 students.