We all have these photos … throwback photos!
It’s described as ‘nostalgia-inducing pictures … from a different era of your life”.
Every Thursday we will throw a photo of ‘way back when’ on our blog. Why on a Thursday? Because it’s just a day away from the weekend … and we love weekends!
You are welcome to join in or just enjoy the photos (#TB Thursday).
New Zealand – 2019
Yes, we are still in New Zealand. In our previous posts we visited Cathedral Cove in the Coromandel Peninsula, marvelled at the bubbling mud pools in Rotorua and hiked in the magical forest of Whangarei in search of the Whangarei Falls.
Waiheke Island
In June 2019 we visited Waiheke Island – 21.5km (13 miles) from Auckland and reachable within 40 minutes by ferry.
Matiatia Bay at Waiheke Island
This was our last excursion in New Zealand before we returned to South Africa. So, we decided to end our visit with a wine tasting on an island … perfect, wouldn’t you say?
Waiheke Island is the second largest island in the Hauraki Gulf of New Zealand (after Great Barrier Island). We explored the island on their Hop-On Hop-Off bus and started with a breakfast at Onetangi. Onetangi’s 2km long stretch of beach is the largest on the island.
Onetangi beach
There are around 30 boutique wineries and vineyards on Waiheke Island. Our decision fell on Stonyridge Vineyard – they are known for producing world class Bordeaux style red wine and according to their website, “this is one of the top ten must visit wineries in the world”.
Stonyridge Vineyard
Wine tasting at Stonyridge Vineyard
On the way back to the ferry, the Hop-On Hop-Off bus stopped at a viewpoint from where we could see Auckland. This was the perfect end to our visit in New Zealand.
A view of Auckland from Waiheke Island
You can read about our day on Waiheke Island here.
Wet and Dusty Roads 
Absolutely stunning! The blue in that one photo is brilliant; wow!
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Thanks Tricia! This photo was taken by Berto with our Canon camera, while I took the rest with my phone. But as I say this, I also remember how wonderful blue the sea was on that day 🙂 .
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Love the sailboats. If I was do do some throwback photos they would be so old, black and white was the norm, color was too expensive to develop.
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I think every second New Zealander has a sailboat/yacht … well they are surrounded by water! I love going through my parents’ black and white photos – some of those photos also have a jagged edge (I think it must have been paper cutters that gave that effect), but I really like it 🙂 .
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That is the way they came from the drugstore where they probably dropped them off for developing.
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Wow! What a memory!
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Yes, this is a great memory! I can still remember what a beautiful winter day it was (and of course those few sips of wine 😁).
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Ooh I can almost taste the flavour of a Bordeaux. Bring it on! New Zealand always looks so peaceful whenever I read anyone’s experiences there.
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We have some Bordeaux blends here in SA too … but wait until you’ve tasted our unique Pinotage (if you like red wine, you’ll definitely love it)! With all its green forests, New Zealand certainly gives the feeling of tranquility – of course we made sure to visit as many of these places as possible … even though we missed out on the picturesque South Island!
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I don’t like red wine….I LOVE IT!!!
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😁 Well, then I can tell you that you will LOVE Pinotage!
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Sounds like a great finish to your trip. My son (and wife) went there for their honeymoon together with the family and friends! 😂
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Haha 😅, sounds like a fun honeymoon!
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Waiheke Island looks lovely. What better way to wrap up your trip than by visiting a vineyard and toasting to your travels! Cheers!
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As you said, a toast to our travels in New Zealand on an island was a very fitting way! And you’re right, Waiheke Island is beautiful!
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Wine tastings are a fine way to spend a day! One of my favourite wines is from New Zealand. It’s white Cloudy Bay. I selected it at random once and what a lovely surprise. Being South African you would know a thing or two about fine wines! To sample them in a beautiful setting…perfect!
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The name Cloudy Bay just sounds like a nice wine! Ah, we’re no wine connoisseurs, but we do know a thing or two about a good drinking wine – I like white and Berto red. We’ve done quite a few wine tastings in the Stellenbosch region (their wines are probably the best in the country) and the scenery there is absolutely amazing (as you’ll know – I remember you mentioned before that you and your mum visited this area long ago). So yes, tasting wine while surrounded by beautiful scenery is indeed perfect!
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I bet any wine would taste amazing in that setting! Hope Berto is feeling better. Maggie
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Yes, I think you are right there Maggie 😉. Berto is doing much better – we still drive to the hospital every now and then for x-rays and blood tests, but at least he is home. Thank you for asking 🌸.
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The colour of the water at Onetangi beach… wow. I’ve never been crazy about wine but I do like a glass of red from time to time. Can’t stomach white wine. Vineyards are such gorgeous places and Stonyridge looks amazing, no wonder Berto looks so chilled. One of Planet Earth’s top ten wineries eh? A winning end to your New Zealand adventures indeed…
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Yes, sometimes you ‘catch’ the sea at the right time, hey! Red wine is Berto’s favourite (mine in the winter), but I’m more of a Pinot Noir girl. Maybe that “top ten” is made up by Stonyridge because I couldn’t find any evidence on the internet 🙃 … but it was still a great end to our New Zealand trip!
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Hierdie wynlande en Auckland wat so binne sig afstand van mekaar is herinner mens aan Kaapstad en die Boland wat so oor mekaar uitkyk!
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Jy’s heeltemal reg met jou vergelyking hier Dries! Daar is baie in New Zealand wat ons herinner het aan Suid-Afrika (dis waarskynlik hoekom daar soveel SA’ners is 😉).
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Stonyridge Vineyard looks like a great place to spend the day – I’d love to be able to transport there right now 🙂
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It was a really great end to our trip in New Zealand … drinking wine in such a beautiful place (I mean tasting 😉) was a great idea!
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This bright blue water and these sailboats caught my attention. Anita
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I agree with you Anita, seeing that bright blue water from the hill was really special!
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Watb ‘n pragtige versameling foto’s.
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Baie dankie 🌸. Dit was ‘n lieflike wintersdag … en perfek vir wyn proe!
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Ek proe selde wyn, maar het die 2de Januarie by Jakkalsvlei verskeie wynde geproe, ek dink ons het altesaam 17 soorte geproe. Dit was nogal lekke rom te besluit waarvan ek hou en waarvan ek niks hou nie. Interessant genoeg hou ek nogal van hulle soeter wyne.
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Ek het al Jakkalsvlei se wyn op die rakke gesien, maar nog nooit geproe nie. Jy’s reg Christa, om wyn te proe maak dit soveel makliker om te besluit waarvan jy hou (sjoe, 17 wyne is nogal baie … ek sal ‘n uiltjie moet gaan knip as ek so baie geproe het 😀).
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Ek moet weereens bieg, ek het my lippe natgemaak en nie gesluk nie. Een glas wyn maak my knieë so lam dat ek moet slaap – my bloedsuiker kan dit nie hanteer nie. Ek kan drie aanbeveel: die wit, pienk en rooi Moscato’s – die wit is lig en die ander twee swaarder. My man het die Merlot as goed beleef. Dit was nogal lekke rom daar te proe, die plaas is ingerig vir mense. En dit is naby mosselbaai, so 40 minute daarvandaan.
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Ek hou van Moscato’s en Berto meer van rooiwyn – die Merlot klink na ‘n goeie opsie vir hom. Dankie vir die aanbeveling, as ek dit weer op die rakke sien, gaan ek dit beslis probeer!
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My gunsteling is die pienk een. Nie te suur nie en nie te soet nie.
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Wou ook vra hoe dit met Berto gaan, maar nou weet ek, danksy jou antwoord op Maggie se vraag.
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Dankie Tannie Frannie 💌. Ja, ons is dankbaar dat hy by die huis is en dat dit elke dag bietjie beter gaan. Ons glo en vertrou nog steeds dat hy ten volle sal herstel.
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I can’t get over how blue that water is! How did you find the winery?
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Yes, the sea was a beautiful colour – we probably took the picture at just the right time. The wine at Stonyridge was nice, but I have to admit I was more impressed with the setting. It is idyllically situated with the vineyards and olive trees within walking distance.
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Vineyards have the most relaxing views ever!
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Ag, hoe verlang ek nou na NZ en die kinders natuurlik! Ek was in die Coromandel , maar nie tot daar waar julle was nie. So pragtig groen daar.
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Ja, ek dink nie daar is ‘n kolletjie in NZ wat nie groen is nie. En dit klink my daar het onlangs baie reen in die Auckland omgewing geval. Een van die dae sien jy weer jou kinders – hoe lekker gaan dit nie wees nie!
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Hulle kry ontsettend baie reen, praat selfs van n sikloon! Ja, ons sien so uit daarna. 😀
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Absolutely beautiful 💕🌸 I cannot imagine not enjoying a place like this beauty, especially if it’s boasting 30 boutique wineries and vineyards. I’m sure you had a fantastic holiday.
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Can you imagine … 30 boutique wineries and vineyards (on such a small island)! We had a ball of a time – of course we would have loved to visit the South Island, but our poor Rand could only go so far 😄.
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