A Place I Love: Why Waiheke Island is forever in Leah Panapa’s heart

Why Waiheke Island Holds a Special Place in Leah Panapa’s Heart

For a relaxing weekend where time seems to stand still, Waiheke Island is unbeatable, according to radio host Leah Panapa. She admits to preferring good food and cocktails over strenuous bike rides.

Leah’s Favorite Place in New Zealand

Without a doubt, it’s Waiheke Island. It might sound clichéd, but it feels like a second home to me. I have a deep connection to the island. Some of the most important moments of my life have happened there, and it holds many special memories.

Special Memories on Waiheke

My husband, Mike Nesbitt, and I got married at Saratoga Vineyard in 2007. My friend’s family owned it, and they took great care of us. It was a wonderful day. Now it’s called Tantalus, but Saratoga had a more relaxed vibe.

We celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary with lunch at Tantalus with 10 friends. We stayed at a lovely big house overlooking Matiatia. It was a surprise to our friends, but we renewed our vows the next day. We stood on a beautiful lawn with our friends and exchanged a few words. That’s another reason why Waiheke is in my heart.

Funny story—halfway through the day, two big burly firemen arrived in full gear. Since we had been enjoying champagne in the afternoon, I thought, ‘This is a bit weird. My friends have got me strippers for our anniversary!’ But the chef had smoked out the kitchen, and the silent alarm went off.

What Leah Loves About Waiheke

I’ve been going there for over 20 years—weekends with friends, girls’ weekends, holidays with my husband. I’ve never had a dull time. The beauty of Waiheke is that two days on the island feel like a long break because you can get there so quickly on the ferry.

There’s this ‘time stands still’ feel to it. If you have a girls’ weekend in Queenstown, it’s like boom, the next minute you’re catching the plane home again. On Waiheke, they joke about island time, but I think it’s real. I always feel at peace on the island.

My dad used to manage one of the Wattie’s farms in Hawke’s Bay. Our little cottage was in an orchard, and I had horses, ponies, and dogs. Nothing gives me more pleasure than looking at rolling hills and wide-open spaces. It reminds me of my childhood and being free outside.

Leah’s Waiheke Activities

I would like to say that we spend hours hiking, but we usually get into whatever little house we’re staying in for the weekend and then head out for a bite to eat and some cocktails.

To be honest, I always tell my husband when we leave the island, ‘You know, we should rent one of those bikes that we see people biking around on.’ He’s like, ‘Yeah, we should.’ Then, of course, we never do.

Recommendations for First-Time Visitors

Tantalus and Mudbrick are wonderful, but they are really top-end. I love Wild on Waiheke. You can do archery and clay pigeon shooting there. The food is amazing, the activities are really fun, and it’s lovely and relaxed. You also don’t have to spend a fortune.

The other place is Aperitivo in Oneroa. It’s small, they do live music, the best cocktails, and it’s really friendly. If we’re waiting on a taxi to get the last ferry, the owner will drop us off. Now that I think about it, he might be just double-checking we’re leaving the island!

Leah Panapa is the host of Magic Mornings, weekdays 9am-12pm on Magic Talk.