Waiheke Roads And Streets

Waiheke Roads Summary

• Over 80% of Waiheke roads are sealed.
• The longest road is only about 10km.
• Short Street is not the shortest street.
• Fifth Ave does not exist. In place there is a walk way called Jacobs Ladder.
• About half the roads have a dead end.
• Most roads are under 1000 metres.
• The average road length is 930 metres.
• Most roads are 30 km/h.
• With the total length of all Waiheke roads around 160km

Road Information By Location

Waiheke is split up into 6-8 key suburbs/locations Oneroa, Surfdale, Ostend, Palm Beach, Rocky Bay, Onetangi and Orapiu “Bottom End”. Waiheke roads are never the same dependant on the location. They are mostly narrow gravel or tarmac roads with speed limits that vary from 30km/h-50km/h due to how many residential homes or businesses are located nearby. Main roads can have some traffic, either due to road works, busy seasons or environmental reasons. There rarely are long wait times compared to Auckland traffic.

Oneroa

Oneroa, this also connects to smaller sub-regions including Cable Bay, Fossil Bay, Park Point, Matiatia and even Blackpool. Ocean View Road is the main road in Oneroa, it can be very busy due to the Oneroa village being the primary business hub and Fullers passenger ferry being a short drive away. Where as some of the connecting smaller regions like Cable Bay and Fossil Bay are usually calm, but can be busy due to tourists visiting the local vineyards and restaurants such as Cable Bay Vineyard and The Mudbrick during the warmer months. Most of the speed limits in Oneroa are 30 km/h with a few additional roads set at 40 or 50 km/h.

Surfdale

Surfdale, this also connects to smaller sub-regions including Kennedy Point and Shelly Beach. Surfdale side streets are usually calm, they are mainly residential streets. Due to Surfdale Road being the main road leading from Oneroa to Onetangi it can be a busy suburb. Located in Surfdale is a small business hub which can cause some traffic from cars reversing out of parking lots. Kennedy Point located off Donald Bruce Road is the main road towards the Sea Link car ferry. The Sea Link ferry comes in many times per day causing Donald Bruce Road to have a burst of traffic during set times when all the cars unload or load. Also located on Donald Bruce Road is Te Huruhi Primary School, Waiheke High School and Waiheke Kindergarten. For safety of children there are variable speed limits in place depending on the time of the day. In Surfdale most of the roads are 30 km/h with also a few roads that are 50 km/h. Surfdale streets and roads commonly have footpaths. I would say about 50% of them do, but roads up in Surfdale heights are typically narrower roads without footpaths.

Ostend

Ostend is considered the middle region according to locals, even though technically its only about 1/3 of the way into the island. It is classed as the middle region due to it being centralised and Orapiu “bottom end” having limited houses, businesses and roads. Some Ostend side streets are usually calm, they are mainly residential streets. Due to Ostend having connecting roads to other Waiheke regions it is classed as a busy suburb. Ostend connects to majority of the other Waiheke suburbs including Palm Beach, Surfdale, Rocky Bay and Onetangi. It is the main hub for big franchise companies such as PlaceMakers and Woolworths and also home to a variety of takeaway and commercial businesses. Every Saturday located on Ostend Road is a Saturday market this can cause a medium amount of traffic and limited parking. In Ostend most of the roads are tarmac with a 30 km/h speed limit.

Palm Beach

Palm Beach is the luxury beach suburb of Waiheke. Palm Beach suburb has a few side streets. The main road called Palm Road runs parallel to the beach. Palm Road is set back 50 metres behind a row of residential homes. Many locals own homes in Ostend and try claim they are part of Palm Beach, but Palm Beach has only about 10-15 roads total. Palm Beach side streets don’t usually have footpaths apart from Hill Road whereas the main road Palm Road has a long footpath leading from Ostend towards Palm Beach. Every road in Palm Beach is 30 km/h except for Hill Road that is 40 km/h in some places.

Rocky Bay / Omiha

Rocky Bay is a southern suburb of Waiheke. This suburb has limited shops and footpaths, many of the roads are very narrow with limited roadside parking and visibility. Some of the roads are gravel such as Bella Vista Road and Wairua Road. The roads out Rocky Bay are surprisingly quiet other than the main road Obrien Road. Obrien Road has a steady amount of cars and the occasional bus. In Rocky Bay most of the roads have a 30 km/h speed limit except Obrien Road being 30-50km/h.

Onetangi

Onetangi is home to Waihekes longest beach. It is a very popular and busy suburb. The main road called Onetangi Road also known as “Onetangi straight” is a long stretch of road leading to Onetangi Beach. Onetangi Road has a 50-60km/h speed limit. On this road there are almost half a dozen local vineyards/restaurants and a couple residential homes. Another road leading to Onetangi is Seaview Road, this road has many residential homes and a few hidden vineyards ranging from ocean views to bush landscapes. Seaview Road can be entered from Ostend and exited out by Onetangi.

Many locals believe driving out to Onetangi is a grind/hard work even though its only like a 6min drive from Surfdale.

Bottom End

The Bottom End also known as “Orapiu” is not just a single suburb but a collection of them. This includes Man O War Bay, Stony Batter, Awaawaroa, Cowes Bay, Cactus Bay, Orapiu and Pearl Bay. That is just to name some of the smaller sub locations. The bottom end only has a dozen roads, with many of them being gravel and private. The main road is Orapiu Road its a tarmac road that can be accessed via Onetangi Road/Waiheke Road. This road leads all the way to Orapiu Wharf and many of the additional sub regions. Majority of the roads located around Orapiu are some of the longest roads on Waiheke such as Orapiu Road, Man O War Bay Road and Cowes Bay Road. Road speed limits vary from 30km/h to 60 km/h dependant on the road.

About the Roads Table

This post will feature all the main roads and streets on Waiheke Island. This includes name, location, speed limit and length. Plus a link to that said street or road for more information, if we have had time to do it yet.

We also specify if the road has a dead end or is gravel, some roads are part gravel so we have listed that as parts. Roads are not listed as dead ends if there is a road after it, that following road will be.

Our data could be delayed a few months on local speed limits or road types, this could also include local road works that could change speed limits, so always follow road signs and marking as we are not responsible for any actions.

Waiheke Roads/Streets Table