Epic Far-End Tour:
Man O' War & Waiheke's Wild East
Private Waiheke Island tours
Your tour, your way.
6 hours · 11am–5pm
Private, up to 4 guests
Lunch on Man O' War Bay
From NZ$599 per person (NZ$549 each for 3–4)
Epic Far-End Tour Overview
The Epic Far-End Tour is a six-hour private tour of Waiheke Island's remote eastern end — the wilder, quieter side most visitors never reach. Your local guide takes you along the coast road to Man O' War Bay for lunch, then on to far-end tastings of your choosing, in a spacious luxury SUV with the 4WD for the unsealed roads. It's for anyone who wants to see the whole of Waiheke, not just its busy middle.
A Sample Itinerary:
Past Onetangi the road narrows and the views open up — around 40 minutes of coast road to Man O' War Bay, with photo stops over the Hauraki Gulf. After lunch, choose from reserve wines at Passage Rock, a tasting among the vines at Jasper Ridge, gin with a view at Waiheke Distilling Co, or the WWII tunnels at Stony Batter. Nothing is fixed: we shape the day around you after you book.
01
Ferry to Matiatia & the Palm Beach lookout
Catch the Island Direct ferry from Pier 13 in downtown Auckland. We meet you at Matiatia Wharf, then stop at the Palm Beach lookout for your first big view over the Hauraki Gulf.
Sea View Road — the locals' way down — drops you onto Onetangi Beach, Waiheke's longest stretch of sand, for a quick look and a photo.
The locals' road to Onetangi
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Past Onetangi the road narrows and the views open up: farmland, vines and quiet bays, with photo stops whenever instinct takes you and the view deserves one.
The scenic drive out east
03
Lunch beside the bay and a tasting of Man O' War's wines, grown on 150 acres of hillside vines since 1993. There's a playground and summer swimming for the kids, too.
Man O' War: tasting & lunch
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Waiheke Distilling Co
A botanical gin or vodka tasting, with elevated views across the Hauraki Gulf — one of the best on the island.
Jasper Ridge or Passage Rock
Two family-owned far-end vineyards, and you choose. At either, the owners pour five or six of their wines for you at a table right among their award-winning Syrah vines — about as close to the grapes as a tasting gets.
06
Home via the loop road
A scenic forest drive back along the loop road to Matiatia, in time for the Island Direct ferry to Auckland.
Tour ends at Matiatia Wharf.
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This is one example of how the day could flow. Seasons, opening hours and your own interests shape the real itinerary, which we confirm with you after you book.
Planning a Monday? Man O' War is closed on Mondays until November, and most far-end venues close on Mondays. Choose another day, or we'll plan a Monday route around what's open.
Other ways to see Waiheke
Our other tours
Ultimate Freedom
The whole island in a full day — seven to eight hours, five stops and a long lunch, Michelin-starred if you like. From NZ$699 per person, or NZ$599 each for 3–4 guests.
West-End Icons Tour
Waiheke's best-known names in five easy hours: olive oil, tastings, a beach stroll and lunch at Batch, back in time for your ferry or ship. From NZ$499 per person, or NZ$469 each for 3–4 guests.
Adventure Tour
The Forest Flight zipline, archery in the vines and the Stony Batter tunnels, with a tasting or two in between. A full day at the Ultimate price.
Nature Immersion
The Cascades bush walk, coastal trails and native birdlife, with lunch at Batch. Six hours at the Far-End price.
Most visitors leave Waiheke having seen its busy middle. You'll leave having seen the whole island — the coast road, the far-end bays and the view back across the Gulf to Auckland.
We'll have you at Matiatia for the evening ferry, or back at your accommodation. Not ready to leave yet? We can book an early dinner on the way back through and drop you there.
Bringing the kids? The bay at Man O' War has a playground and safe summer swimming, and we keep the drives relaxed. Youth travel at a reduced rate and young children travel free.
Do we stop at Man O' War?
Usually, yes — lunch on the bay at Man O' War is the heart of most Far-End days. It's around 40 minutes of scenic driving from Onetangi, and Man O' War is closed on Mondays until November.
How is this different from the Ultimate Freedom Tour?
The Far-End spends its six hours on the eastern end of the island, with fewer, longer stops. The Ultimate is a seven-to-eight-hour day across the whole island, west to east, with more stops and the option of a Michelin-starred lunch.
Is the Far-End good for non-drinkers?
Very. Olive oil and honey tastings, beaches, the coast road, the Stony Batter tunnels and an impecable lunch by the water all work without a glass in hand — and tastings are pay-as-you-go, so only the drinkers pay.
