I visited Waiheke Island, the 'Hamptons of New Zealand,' where Taylor Swift has vacationed and the ultra-rich reside. Take a look around.

Off the coast of New Zealand's capital is Waiheke Island, a 36-square-mile island home to some of the country's wealthiest residents and vacationers.

The island is located in the Hauraki Gulf and has about 10,000 permanent residents. Many of those residents have familiar names and impressive titles, including New Zealand's richest man, Graeme Hart, and former All Blacks rugby coach Sir Graham Henry.

Beyond its permanent residents, Waiheke Island is also considered a vacation hot spot. About 3,500 people own vacation homes on the island, Mansion Global reported.

Each year, the rich and famous flock to those vacation homes to explore the island's wineries, pristine beaches, and dramatic landscapes. Waiheke has hosted everyone from Bill Gates to Madonna and Beyoncé.

In the summer of 2022, I traveled to Waiheke to see what exactly entices affluent vacationers and residents to the island.

And while rich vacationers often take private jets and boats to the island, that wasn't the case for me. Instead, I joined residents and visitors on a 40-minute ferry ride from Auckland.

The ferry was my first indicator that the island is a place for the wealthy. My round-trip ticket on the Fullers360 ferry cost $50, and, according to The New Zealand Herald, it was one of the most expensive public ferries in the world at the time, costing locals $250 monthly.

As the ferry departed from Auckland, the city's harbor and Sky Tower faded into the distance. A little over half an hour later, a lush, green island speckled with homes came into view.

I disembarked from the ferry and set out to explore Waiheke. Although the island is 36 square miles, the western half is more developed, with a concentration of wineries and homes.

My first stop was Mudbrick Vineyard, where I planned to do what Vogue says locals, tourists, and wealthy visitors do — sip wine.

Waiheke Island is home to more than 30 wineries, and thanks to the region's micro-climate, Syrah and Cabernet blends thrive in Waiheke's environment.

Mudbrick Winery is one of the island's most popular places to taste these varieties. Celebrities like Taylor Swift, Eva Longoria, Cindy Crawford, and Shailene Woodley have all visited the vineyard.

As I pulled into the parking lot, I understood why the winery entices such remarkable names. The vineyard had grand views overlooking Te Haruhi Bay.

I tasted six wines, which included Chardonnays, Syrahs, and red blends. It cost $22.

The wines had bold flavors, and I spent the afternoon wandering through the property's rows of vines, fields of lavender, and forests of fruit trees.

After visiting a celebrity-loved winery, I hoped to catch a glimpse of where the wealthy stay on Waiheke Island, too.

You won't find any Hiltons, Marriotts, or large hotels on Waiheke. There's a handful of boutique hotels, but most visitors book vacation homes for their trip.

Dotted along the coast are these rental properties, many of which cost millions of dollars. Realestate.co.nz reports that the island's median asking price for a home was $2.5 million this past year.

While real-estate prices have fluctuated in the past five years, Waiheke is one of the places where homes have more than doubled in price this past decade.

I headed first to Cable Bay Lane, which is home to ritzy vacation properties like Fossil Cove, the property where Lady Gaga stayed when she visited the island.

Today, Fossil Cove costs more than $6,000 a night with a minimum 7-night stay. The stay includes daily butler service, Champagne, and transfers from the ferry wharf or helipad.

I drove down Cable Bay Lane searching for other modern mansions, luxury cars, or helipads. I should've known better. Each home was gated, and there wasn't a celebrity in sight.

Fossil Cove, along with the other large and famous properties on the road, had private entrances, tall hedges, and obstructed views of the properties. 

After my failed mansion mission, I decided to explore one of the island's pristine public beaches instead. I walked along Little Palm Beach, which is free to visit.

The beach was dotted with a mix of large homes, small abodes, and duplexes.

There, I met Chris McCarthny, an architect at Gulf Architects. We chatted about New Zealand food and his favorite wineries. He then pointed to a handful of mansions he designed along the rocky coast.

McCarthny suggested I hike around Owhanake Bay. The cliffs there, he said, allow a better view of Waiheke's multimillion-dollar mansions.

With that in mind, I hopped in my car and headed to Owhanake Bay.

As I climbed up and through a forested area, the hiking trail led me to a freshly paved road that had a scattering of large homes.

Thanks to the hike's high elevation, I spotted mansions Waiheke's rich and famous own.

As a visitor, it was enticing to see these pricey homes, but after speaking with locals, I learned that these properties, over-tourism, and visitors like me have pushed permanent residents off the island.

Today, Waiheke has the highest rate of homelessness per capita in the Auckland region, Newsroom reported.

After the hike, I headed to my Airbnb for the evening.

I wasn't staying on Waiheke Island with a celebrity budget, so Fossil Cove was out.

Since the island doesn't have many hotels, I turned to vacation properties listed on Airbnb and Vrbo. That's where I found a tiny house on the coast for $475 for two nights. It had views and privacy and was centrally located.

The only catch was that the tiny house didn't have a proper bathroom, but rather, a porta-potty. Each time I opened the plastic door, I imagined luxuriating in one of the mansions with heated toilet seats, bidets, and running water.

 

The next day, I continued to explore Waiheke and headed to another part of the island, Oneroa Village. It's the island's largest suburb, and home to shops, restaurants, and businesses.

I expected to see designer stores, luxe window displays, and fine dining. Instead, the area was surprisingly quaint. Restaurants served everything from burgers to grand seafood dinners, and there wasn't a designer store in sight.

This laid-back charm was across the whole island. When I first arrived on Waiheke Island, I feared I might feel out of place.

I'm far from able to distinguish between a $20 and $200 bottle of wine, and I'm not one to insist on turn-down service in my hotel room.

But during two days on the island, I discovered much more than hot tubs, six-car garages, and helipads. I realized that I didn't need to be a wealthy traveler to enjoy Waiheke Island.

On a budget, I was able to walk along free public beaches, chat with locals eager to share their favorite cheap eats, and splurge on wine tastings with stunning views.

While my tiny house was the most expensive part of the trip, finding accommodation wasn't as costly as I imagined. Plus, if I wanted to save more money, I could have taken a day trip to the island instead.

While multimillion-dollar mansions fill Waiheke Island and glamorous vineyards sprawl for miles, the island didn't ooze only glam. I ultimately agreed with journalist Amy Louise Bailey when she wrote that Waiheke was an "escape that is high-end but low-key."

As I ferried off the island, I left with a better understanding of the beauty and the challenges that the Hamptons of New Zealand face.