By Fallen line, sparks or smoke
Stay back at least 8 metres, keep clear of standing water near a downed line, and call 111 first. Waiheke's local distribution runs overhead through bush and along ridgelines, so a branch on a line or a pole down in a gusty front is the most common island hazard.
Help your neighbours
Live community map & report a power cut
If neighbours are also without power, the fault is on the network, not your switchboard. The map below shows outages reported by other Selectra readers across New Zealand in real time. Use it as a first diagnostic before you call: if an active outage is already plotted near you, crews likely know about it. A short anonymous report helps others see what is happening in your suburb. It does not replace the call to your lines company.
Immediate danger
Fallen power line, sparks, burning smell or smoke? Call 111 before reporting anything else. Stay back at least 8 metres from any downed line.
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Report a power cut
Thanks: your report is recorded
Now make the official call to your lines company so a crew is dispatched. For a fallen line or any hazard, dial 111 first.
Who fixes the fault
Your lines company and its 24/7 fault line
Waiheke Island is part of the Vector network, fed from the mainland by submarine cable. Only Vector can dispatch a crew to a fault on the island's poles, cables and substations. Call the number below once your report shows the outage is on the network rather than your own switchboard.
V
Vector
Waiheke Island, one lines company
Or dial 0508 VECTOR. Available 24/7.
Coverage: Oneroa, Surfdale, Ostend, Palm Beach, Onetangi, Blackpool, Rocky Bay (Omiha), Church Bay, Cowes Bay, the eastern end of the island.
Why the island goes dark
How a submarine cable shapes every Waiheke outage
Waiheke does not generate most of its own power, it imports it across the Hauraki Gulf. That gives the island a different outage profile from any mainland suburb, with three distinct local patterns.
The gulf cable
Whole-island events: power reaches Waiheke by submarine cable from the mainland. A fault affecting that supply link can darken the entire island at once, which is the rare but serious scenario. These events are escalated quickly because they affect every connection.
Local overhead faults
Oneroa, Surfdale, Onetangi, Palm Beach: the island's own distribution runs overhead through bush and along ridgelines. Most Waiheke outages are local: a branch on a line or a pole fault that affects one bay or one road, not the whole island.
Crews come by ferry
Restoration timing: additional crews and heavy gear travel to the island by ferry or barge, so a complex island fault can take longer to resolve than the same fault on the mainland. A simple local switch is fast, a multi-pole rebuild after a storm is not.
Waiheke tip
Because the island depends on a single supply link, a longer outage is more disruptive here than on the mainland. Keep a charged power bank, torches and drinking water on hand, and if you run a holiday rental or hospitality business consider a backup plan for the fridge and EFTPOS. Check the live map at outages.vector.co.nz first: it will show whether the whole island or just your bay is affected.
Vector damage claim: process and realistic outcomes
A surge on restoration can take out a heat pump, TV or modem. Vector accepts appliance damage claims when the fault was on its network and a registered electrician links the failure to the event.
- 1Call 0508 832 867 and ask for the incident number. Note the time, the duration and any visible cause (a branch on a line, a pole fault, a whole-island event).
- 2Lodge the claim at vector.co.nz/claims within 30 days of the event.
- 3Attach photos, the appliance model and age, the original receipt if you have it, and a registered electrician's report. Vector reimburses the electrician's fee (typically NZ$80 to NZ$150) when the claim is upheld. On the island, factor in that an electrician's visit can take longer to arrange.
- 4Decision in 20 to 40 working days. Equipment and switching faults have the best success rate. Storm-driven outages are usually treated as weather, so your contents insurance may be the better path for spoiled food and surge damage.
Waiheke Island questions
Frequently asked questions: Waiheke outages
Vector, 24 hours a day, on 0508 832 867 (or 0508 VECTOR). The same number covers the whole island: Oneroa, Surfdale, Ostend, Palm Beach, Onetangi and the eastern bays. For a fallen line or hazard, dial 111 first.
The island's electricity arrives from the mainland by submarine cable across the Hauraki Gulf. A fault affecting that supply link can darken every connection on Waiheke at the same time. It is rare, but it is the reason an island-wide outage behaves differently from a mainland suburb, where a single fault only affects a few streets.
Waiheke relies mainly on supply imported from the mainland over the gulf cable rather than large-scale local generation. That single dependency is why island supply is treated as a special case, and why a longer outage is more disruptive on Waiheke than in a mainland suburb served by multiple feeders.
For a complex fault, extra crews and heavy equipment travel to the island by ferry or barge, which adds time compared with the mainland. A simple local switch in Oneroa or Surfdale is quick, but a multi-pole rebuild after a storm can take longer because of the logistics of getting people and gear across the water.
Probably not. If your neighbours still have power, the fault is likely on your side of the connection: your switchboard or an RCD that has tripped. Reset the trip switch first. If your bay, road or the whole island is out, that is a network fault and you should call Vector on 0508 832 867.
Because the island depends on a single supply link, keep a charged power bank, torches and some drinking water ready. If you run a rental or hospitality business, have a plan for the fridge and EFTPOS during a longer outage. Vector gives at least 5 working days notice of planned maintenance by letter or email, and lists planned outages on the live map.
Nearby outage guides
Power outages across Auckland
Same storm front, different lines company. If the cut reaches a neighbouring town, here is the right 24/7 fault line and live map for the rest of Auckland.
See the full Auckland outage guide, or browse every New Zealand region.