The 30th Vineyard? Dear Reader,Waiheke Island, 35 minutes by ferry from downtown Auckland, has everything I hope to find on an island: vineyards, olive groves, tree-covered hills…secluded turquoise coves…white and golden sand beaches… It also has bars, restaurants, a 9-hole golf course and crafts shops. And for the locals--all 7,500 of them--there are doctors, a junior and senior school, and 20 ferries to the mainland each day. I spent today with Clive Lonergan and Cathy Cameron, real estate agents with Bayleys. Waiheke is pretty exclusive--the cheapest property on their books is around US$200,000; the most expensive, US$1.4 million. Many of the homes here are "bachs". Pronounced "batch", a bach is a Kiwi beach house. Built of weatherboard and with a simple design, you're paying for the views of Hauraki Gulf that are, admittedly, out of this world. It's difficult for foreigners to buy on Waiheke Island--properties adjacent to beachfront or a nature reserve need special permission from New Zealand's Overseas Investment Commission before they can be sold to a foreigner. And permission is hard to come by unless you're considered to be contributing to New Zealand's economy… …like turning some of your land into a vineyard, I wonder? "That would help," Clive agrees. Contact: Clive Lonergan or Cathy Cameron; Bayleys; 147 Ocean View Rd, Oneroa, Waiheke Island, New Zealand; tel. (64-9) 372-0005. Steenie Harvey
Roving Editor, International Living P.S. I recommend Vino Vino for lunch in Oneroa (Waiheke's main village). Its deck overlooks the beach and a sapphire blue bay; have the smoked salmon and caper fish cakes (US$10). They also serve local Waiheke wines by the glass--the island has 29 vineyards. | 
