GoBananas has been organising Wine Tours to Waiheke Island for years so we know a thing or two about organising them well.
Here are our top tips:
- Start the process early. Some of the wineries have weddings or large corporate functions so you might need to ring around to 10 different Waiheke wineries to actually get in somewhere. Definitely don’t leave it till the last minute.
- Not all wineries are hens friendly, so keep that in mind when ringing around. Also we recommend not wearing to much hens party accessories, just to tone it down a wee bit – R rated probs are also a major no go with most of these places.
- Lunch & food. Some of the wineries only takes groups that are happy to order a set menu, with 2 courses. GoBananas has a list of wineries that are happy to offer our hens party groups platters, which is not only cost-effective, but also a lovely lunch option. Come into this process with a clear idea of much extra your guests are willing to spend on lunch to avoid confusion later on.
- Make sure you go to wineries that have some inside space – just in case it rains. They do say on Waiheke Island the sun always shines, but you never know and the last thing you want is to be stuck outside in the wet, looking in.
- Reliable transport is a must. There are so many people that arrive everyday to Waiheke Island, so don’t rely on public transport or the taxi outside the ferry. You might be waiting for ages. With a group of 15 ladies you need to have all of this organised before you arrive on the island – especially if you have a pre-set time for a tasting.
- Time frame – think about when you want to leave Auckland and when you need to return. Then you can fill out the rest of the day with winery stops and keep in mind the time it takes to board the ferry on each side.
- If your numbers change you might need to adjust it all so flexibility is key – make sure group is aware of all the potential costs up front so you don’t have people dropping out last minute.
Alternatively if this sounds like a lot of hard work, many phone calls and your time being spent coordinating all of this – why not book one of GoBananas Waiheke Wine Tours that run like clock work. We’ll do all this for you and take you to the wineries that are great for hens parties.
We charge a cost per person, which you simply asks each person coming on the wine tour to pay either to you direct or through the GoBananas payment software.
You can then enjoy the wine tour instead of stressing about it.
Nice and easy!
