Waiheke: Cable Bay and Mudbrick Vineyard

I've been a slack blogger lately. I'd like to pretend I've had no internet access or that my laptop exploded, but the truth is that I've been too busy sleeping in, enjoying lazy afternoon BBQs, and beach hopping throughout my summer holiday to fire up my laptop.

But now I'm back in town (for one day!), and better make use of this Wi-Fi to start showing you all the places I have been to, and eaten at over the last few weeks.

I'll begin with Waiheke. For those of you who don't know about it, Waiheke Island is just a 35 minute ferry ride from Auckland, but it feels like a completely different world. Gone are the skyscrapers- this place is all about dreamy white sand beaches, lush farmland, and most importantly, a whole lot of vineyards.

A group of us decided to stay at Waiheke over New Years, and we had an amazing time enjoying the small villages, the beach and the sun. But, as with all trips to Waiheke, it wouldn't be complete without a trip to one or two of the famous wineries.

We started at Mudbrick, where we entered the tasting room to try a selection of six Mudbrick wines. I won't pretend to be an expert on wines, because I certainly am not, but, from the selection we tried, most of the group preferred the red wines over the whites, and in particular I enjoyed the Mudbrick 2011 Shepherds Point Syrah.

Mudbrick is a beautiful vineyard, with stunning views over the Italian style grounds. And while we didn't stay for lunch at Mudbrick, if you have the time and the sun is shining I would recommend grabbing an outdoor table and enjoying a glass of Mudbrick wine while your muse over their delicious menu.

Our next stop was a 5 minute wander down a winding road to Cable Bay Vineyard. From the traditional grounds and buildings at Mudbrick, Cable Bay seems almost futuristic with its sleek modern courtyard and metal art sculptures occupying the lawn. The two couldn't be more different.

By the time we arrived we were all a teeny bit tipsy and getting hungry, so settled down straight away to eat. I ordered a lovely glass of Cable Bay Rose from the Wine Bar, along with some beef sliders; delicious lime, avocado and jalapeno ceviche; and herb salt and parmesan fries. Almost everyone at the table ordered sliders, and we all agreed that the perfectly medium rare, juicy mouthfuls were some of the best sliders we had tried (watch out Al Brown!).

Cable Bay has long been a favorite Auckland restaurant, and although I only tried a bite from the wine bar I can agree that it certainly lived up to it's expectations, and judging from the 30 or so sliders that were eaten at our table the rest of the group thought the same.

If you make it to Waiheke do try and visit a few of the vineyards- the island is full of them! Apart from Cable Bay and Mudbrick, some of the local favourites are Stonyridge, Poderi Crisci (make sure you try their famous long lunch), and Man O'War Vineyards.