Going For A Walk: Man O'War Bay, Waiheke Island {Or There Is More Than Wine Tasting Here}

  

Man O'War Bay is located on the eastern side of Waiheke Island in the Hauraki Gulf. Captain Cook first came across the area in 1769 when he anchored in the bay during his first voyage around the islands of New Zealand. He noted the Kauri trees along the shore and thought that they would make good masts for the Royal Navy warships, thus giving the bay its name - Man O'War. Today, the Man O'War Bay is home to the Man O'War vineyards and an access point to the road that leads up to the historic Stony Batter reserve. We went for a nice little walk when we were out there over New Year's.

There is a large beach that you can land on and leave your dinghy up on the shore. The beach is stony and full of broken shells and if you have delicate feet like me, watch out. There is a grassy strip that runs along the beach which is much more comfortable to walk on.

Cross the road that runs parallel to the beach and you'll see this old church. It is fenced off and marked as private property so you can only view it from afar.

Next to the church is the Man O'War tasting room where you can sample their wines and buy a few bottles to take back to your boat with you.

The Man O'War Bay is a popular area for picnics. Here is someone setting up for the day. Unfortunately, they were playing some really bad music which kind of took away from the idyllic nature of the bay. Next to the public barbeque is a place to leave your trash and recycling. Always important to know where these facilities are if you're living on your boat!

Nice mangoves near the wharf.

If you are interested in World War II sites, you can take the road up to the old Stony Batter historic reserve. It is a bit of a walk and I don't think there is public transport out on this part of the island., but sometimes people will stop and offer you a lift.



Much of the land is fenced off and private, but there are still some interesting views you can see along the way.



Even if you don't want to walk all the way to Stony Batter, wander along for the road a while and take the sights in.