Rachal (one of my best friends, if you haven’t read any of my posts until now) and I picked up our trusty van, Bongo, near the Auckland Airport. In our search for day trips from Auckland, we found out about Waiheke Island and decided to park Bongo in a parking garage near the ferry station for the day. After we purchased our roundtrip tickets (about $25USD), we boarded the ferry for Waiheke Island. I had booked us on a zipline tour a few weeks before we arrived. Couldn’t have been more pleased with what we got out of it.
EcoZip Adventures
I signed us up for a zipline tour and Native Forest Adventure with this company called EcoZip Adventures. We had no idea that it was going to be so much more than just a fun ride over the top of gorgeous island vegetation. EcoZip has a super amazing mission to preserve and rehabilitate the wildlife in the area! What’s awesome is that this company exists to bring attention to the conservation efforts towards New Zealand’s ecosystem, which you get to learn even more about on the tour at the end.
By creating a super cool tourist attraction (who doesn’t love ziplines?), they attract more people to educate on the subject during a forest floor hike back to the start point. This is the only way back, but there is an option to walk ahead and not get the guided tour (if you’re that much of a party pooper). They taught us about the history and importance of their ecosystem, and how awesome/useful the silver fern is. So cool, in fact, that Rachal and I got tattoos of them later! EcoZip will even drop you off pretty much wherever you need to go after as well. They’re just so nice!
Food and Ferry
After the ziplines and nature walk, we stopped to get food in town with an incredible view. This was followed by some delicious gelato! For some reason I can’t recall the name of either, but they were less than a block away from each other with a bunch of clothing and jewelry shops in between. I’m sure whatever you find will be just as good though! We decided to relax for a bit and then begin our walk toward the ferry. While at the ferry station, we met a local at one of the booths who had lived in a campervan. I talked to him for a little while, and he even drew us a map to his favorite spot, Kerosene Creek, mentioned in our North Island Campervan Roadtrip! It was pretty awesome getting to hear about his travels around the country. If you don’t know already, ALWAYS try to make friends with the locals. That’s where the best chance of learning and experiencing the most awesome parts of the country happen.
Check out our North Island Camper van Itinerary including a visit to the Hobbiton Movie Set and Waitomo Glowworm Caves.
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Never heard of Waiheke but it was good to know about it. I like ziplining and I am sure you and your bestie had great fun. It was good to know about EcoZip and the efforts that they are making towards the conservation of the ecosystem. Responsible traveling gives a high to me. Last but not the least, you have suggested very rightly that one must make friends with locals to know about a place better.
I agree completely. I hope one day you can visit the island for yourself! 🙂
My sister just moved to Wangharei on the North Island so I need to go to New Zealand. Isn’t it amazing what great tips you get from talking to locals? I think it’s a brilliant idea to add zip lines to increase tourism to an area and educate people surreptitiously.
That’s fantastic! I would give up everything to move to New Zealand. Locals are the way to go no matter where in the world we go and I think more companies should look into their impact on their land and tourism.
Aaw, what a fantastic adventure! I haven’t been to New Zealand yet, but I’ll definitely remember this place when the time will come. I’m a fan of ziplines since the first time I tried one in Nepal! Definitely a great idea to use this attraction to shed light on such an important topic like wildlife preservation!
You absolutely MUST get to New Zealand! I haven’t been to Nepal yet but I know I’d absolutely enjoy zip lines there. More companies should start becoming more conscious and spreading the knowledge.
I love that EcoZip uses their popular attraction to teach others about the silver fern and the local ecosystem. It’s a great way to help others be more conscious of what’s happening to the earth. The zip line, ferry ride, and gelato sound like a perfect day trip!
I wish more companies would follow suite here. It was seriously so perfect!
Wow the color of the sea in the waves short has taken my heart away. Waiheke island looks spectacular and a must visit. impressed by this review of the ecozip adventures. will keep in mind when i go there
It is even more breathtaking in person if you can fathom it. Thank you for your kind words and I hope you get to visit!
I am definitely a fan of eco-friendly traveling and outdoor activities and a fan of New Zealand even though I haven’t visited yet! I’m glad I came accross this post. Seems like you had an amazing travel adventure, that zipline tour sounds so fun! Thank you for sharing this awesome article!
It was seriously such a fantastic experience! 10/10 would go again!
Now this is my kind of travel adventure! The zipline tour and Native Forest Adventure sound so much fun. I love supporting tour companies that promote environmental awareness. Plus, like you’ve said, you get to learn while having fun. I will definitely look into this tour if we get the chance to visit there.
Isn’t it awesome? Makes me feel good about traveling! I really hope you do get to go in the future!
I LOVE ziplining and would especially love to do so in New Zealand! I’ve never been there but it is in my top 5 on my bucket list. So beautiful! That’s awesome that you got a secret location tip from a local. I agree that chatting with those that live there always gives the best tips! Thanks for sharing!
Right?! It was absolutely my favorite trip so far. So much so that I literally got sick on the plane ride home because I didn’t want to leave… I could live there for SURE.
Looks like you had a great time! I would absolutely love to take that zip line tour! I loving zip lining, so I will definitely remember this post in the future. 🙂
It was SUCH a blast! You absolutely have to go there sometime 🙂
I am fan of eco-friendly traveling and outdoor activities, so I am glad I came accross this post. I am trying to promote eco tours and sustainable hotels so I would be more than happy to try out the EcoZip Adventures. I am looking forward to go through their website and reading your next adventures and recommendations. THank you for sharing.
I definitely try to travel as sustainably as possible, and EcoZip was such a cool experience for us! I hope you are able to go someday and see for yourself!
Would love to visit. Nice blog. 🙂 How much time do you recommend having to see the main sites?
On Waiheke Island? It’s good for a day trip or longer if you just want to spend time at the beaches and relax. In New Zealand? One week for just the north island wasn’t long enough. I’d recommend at least a month for the whole country. Lots of things to see and do in New Zealand!
Ooh that sounds awesome!
We visited Waiheke Island (mostly to escape the heat of Auckland in the summer) but I had no idea you go zip-lining there! We settled for drinking Kiwi wine and walking along those lovely beaches! 😉
Hey that sounds just as good! We didn’t have Kiwi wine, but it sounds delicious!! The beaches were truly amazing there.
Great post 😁
Thank you! 🙂