February 16 – 17, 2022
There are just some places on earth where it feels really good to be, and Oneroa is one of them.
We can feel it the minute we put our anchor down, but it’s when we beach our dinghy that we really feel its effect. Coming ashore here starts with landing on a big white beach lined with pohutukawa trees. Behind them, a shaded lane leads past the well-tended gardens of hillside homes. At this point it’s impossible not to notice that it’s warmer here, the light particularly nice, and the flowers, native trees, and that amazing beach are extraordinarily lovely. This brings up a contented sigh of the soul, a wish to linger and watch dogs play on the beach, and pondering what it might be like to live in a place like this.
After walking down the narrow road (on which we’ve never seen a car) and rinsing the sand off our feet at outdoor showers, we take the garden path that zig zags up the steep hillside to town. This is a village town, its main street area only a few blocks long. It’s a little place filled with charming little places, nooks and crannies at which to shop or enjoy drinks or a meal. Below, a few photos of the anchorage and town of Oneroa (click on any photo to enlarge).
Once in town, there’s a wealth of choices for things to do. There are walks to neighboring beaches or along rugged ocean cliffs. There are wineries, one or two within walking distance, but many more choices if one gets an electric bike, rents a car, or takes a wine tour. And of course there are all those little spots that tempt us to get a coffee, a drink, or a meal.
We’ve visited Oneroa a few times over the years, but it had been a long while since our previous visit. It was wonderful to motor our dinghy through the clear water to the white sand shore. And once again, the first sensation after landing was that warm relaxed feeling this place always gives us. But we had some trepidation about town: would it be like we remembered? We already knew the island’s famous bakery, with its incredible bread, had closed. But last night our friends served fresh bread made by the little market, and it easily lived up to the bread we so loved before, especially dipped another island specialty: olive oil. Below, a photo of our new favorite bread.
The first thing we did after getting into town was beeline to the market to snag a loaf of that bread. Thankfully there were still loaves left, but I was also relieved when the market was just as I remembered: filled with remarkable international and gourmet goodies along with beautiful fresh breads and local produce, a really unique and special place.
Next, we went to check on the status of our favorite little Italian restaurant, Fenice. It was still here and looked just the same, even having the same menu. We ordered our favorite pizza with baby onions, a pasta dish, and glasses of local wine to enjoy. It was still the same! I was so happy!
I read recently that for the human brain, things are never as good as they are the first time you experience them. I have to disagree. Things may lack the smack of novelty, but that feeling of, “Here it is–that flavor, that feeling, that amazing scenery,” is pretty powerful. In fact, I think you can appreciate some things even more when you can focus on what you’re anticipating and not be distracted by the newness of everything else around it.
After lunch, we went to the market to get more goodies, including some of the great black truffle olive oil our friends served the previous evening (made by the Kiwi Artisan Co). We then made our way back to our boat looking forward to Waiheke wine, bread and olive oil for dinner. Sadly, this would be our final dinner of this trip. Northerly winds were forecast to arrive the next afternoon; so we’d need to leave Oneroa. We decided to take advantage of that wind direction and head back to Auckland.
We did have a few hours our final morning to take one more trip back to town. From there, we decided to walk over an anchorage our friends had gone to, Owhanake Bay. It’s where some of the boaters go when the wind goes north and they have to vacate Oneroa. It’s not far, but it faces west enough to be protected from northerly winds. We’ve never been there, but our friends liked it so we decided to take a closer look.
We got to town then did the 20-minute walk through a lovely neighborhood to the bay. When we arrived we found a large expanse of green lawn, a pebbly beach, and calm water. Wow, what a fantastic place to bring a dog! Aside from that, it’s not the prettiest anchorage on Waiheke, but it’s nice and there’s a multitude of trails that go by here; making it a terrific place for hikers.
After a stop for fish tacos at a new place called Frenchie’s and a final trip to the market, it was time to say good-bye to Oneroa, very likely for the final time. As the wind started to switch, we pulled our anchor and headed towards Auckland. –Cyndi
