It’s June already … we have a busy month, and walk registrations open in just three and a half months!

Check out what’s in this month’s newsletter:

• Matariki Walk on June 26th
•  A big Thank You to Ray White Waiheke
• The volunteer recruitment walk June 13th
• A short update on the 5-day Te Ara Hura and walk and accommodation packages
• A Link to become a Friend of the Festival
• Some hints from the 2021 programme

Our walk programme is shaping up nicely.  We always try to invent new walks, and this year is no different, with walks on private land that we’ve never done before, as well as mixing up our food and wine and walk options. We also retain some favourite walks, with the occasional tweak to improve the experience for everyone.

We have a very special morning planned. We’d love you to join us to celebrate Matariki rising.

Meet down on Beach Parade, Oneroa (that’s the road along the beach), near the corner of Puriri Rd, toward the South East end of the road, at 5am.

We’ll walk along Oneroa Beach and up the hill to Artworks to be welcomed by Ngāti Pāoa, and they will share some kōrero about Matariki, and its cultural significance. We will also learn from Dark Sky Waiheke the science and astrological significance, as we watch Matariki rise in our sky. Tea and coffee will be available to buy at the Artworks bar.

Ray White Waiheke knows the Island and its hidden bays and secluded pockets. Matthew Smith and his team at Ray White have been part of our Waiheke Walking Festival family for some years now, and we appreciate their support – being our presenting partner through their significant annual financial contribution making it possible to hold this event, and their team joining us as guides and volunteers. Our Festival is all about community, and Ray White is a real part of Waiheke Island’s landscape.

On Sunday 13th June, yes this Sunday, we are planning a walk from Rangihoua to Rocky Bay, through Okoka Bay and along the Te Whau coastal track. If you are thinking of being a volunteer this year you are welcome to join us. Note: this is a 9km walk with some good hills – a reasonable level of fitness is required.  

For more information on becoming a volunteer, and to register your interest in this walk CLICK HERE

We know many of you are excited about the challenging 5-day Te Ara Hura walk – dates and booking will be available soon, to give you time to book accommodation and get fit!

We will be offering this 5-day walk experience twice this Festival – due to previous demand.  Information on how to book will be in the next newsletter.

The Walk and Accommodation packages were exceptionally popular last year and booked out fast; if you like the sound of us sorting your accommodation on Waiheke for 2 nights, and 3 days of walks and delectable one off experiences, watch out for our next newsletter.

We will also be doing some “Best of” Te Ara Hura walks over our Festival.  We’ve looked at some of our challenging or just plain gorgeous (approximately) 10km walk segments of the Te Ara Hura and have added them into the walk programme as one off walks.  Just look for the “Best of Te Ara Hura” walks in our walk programme when we share it in September.

We love the support of our Friends of the Festival.  These generous humans donate $100 to the Festival to ensure we can keep offering what we do, and in return, we share some walk registration love with them! This year’s offering for Friends of the Festival is limited to 100 membership spots, and in return we offer 10 walk registrations (up from 6 that the general public can book) as well as an early bird booking window before we release the walks to the general public in October.

For more information CLICK HERE and believe us when we say, we so appreciate it!

There’s Awaroa and Awaawaroa! The coastal walk around from Rocky Bay via Gordons Rd to Poderi Crisci will be back, but we also will have a new walk to explore around Awaroa and the organic vineyard, gardens, and tasting room.

We have an explorers grade 10 around the bays of Omaru and Orapiu, a private track up near Musson Drive, and new Red Wine Ramble around the valley, and some great walks that will end at Waiheke’s not-yet-open venues!

If you love to laugh we have something for you. Opera lovers will also be happy. Dog walkers will have their fix, and we’ve found a spot for a picnic in Woodside Bay we think you’ve never been. Enough said for this month!