Tom Ransom sees a lot of parallels between the Isle of Wight and Waiheke Island, in terms of size and proximity to the mainland. After an 8-year stint in New Zealand, the tireless cycling advocate has returned to the UK where he is busy crafting and implementing the Isle of Wight’s Sustainable Transport vision.

Similar to Auckland’s island oasis, Wight is a thirty minute ferry ride across the Solent, from various ports in the South of England, including Portsmouth and Lymington. From London, its two hours by train and ferry, making for a flavourful day trip or far more fulfilling extended island getaway.

Over breakfast, Tom shared with me the island’s transformation into a cycling nirvana, which in 2012, spurred Lonely Planet to rank it as the world’s No.1 cycling destination. There are over 200 miles of cycling routes, from challenging off-road bridleways, to quiet country lanes and purpose built tracks on former railway lines, plus the epic Round the Island Cycle Route. You’ll find bike racks outside charming pubs and farmhouse shops, that have mushroomed across the island, to embrace the cultural shift to boutique tastes and the sustainability wave.

Wight is a wildlife trove as the waterway serves as a trusty natural defence. The island is rightfully proud of its bountiful red squirrel population, unmolested by the garden-variety and bullying greys.

Explore Dimbola Lodge, the former home of celebrated Victorian photographer Julia Cameron. She was a pioneer in portrait photography, (a 19th century Annie Lebovitz) and many of her subjects were photographed in the house, including Charles Darwin, Lord Tennyson, Lewis Carroll, and the real life Alice who inspired Alice in Wonderland. Cameron’s work helped give birth to celebrity culture.

The Lodge also has a cracking exhibition on the legendary Isle of Wight Music Festival in 1970. Just a year after Woodstock, six hundred thousand fans flocked to this event, the music world’s biggest ever audience. So many legends performed at the event, including The Who, The Doors and Jimi Hendrix, who died just a few weeks later.

Shanklin would have to be one of the most insanely pretty villages I have experienced. It’s main street throngs with merrily painted thatched cottages, now converted into gift shops, pubs and cafes. Take a ride on the cliff lift, which zips you down to the esplanade’s old-time amusements and fantastic sandy beach.

Want to fossick for fossils? The Isle of Wight is the UK’s holy grail, sporting the sobriquet Dinosaur Island, because so many remains have been unearthed from the cliffs and quarries of the island. Interestingly, if you do find a fossil, it’s yours to keep, so dinosaur-hunting tours are a feverishly popular pursuit across all ages.

For many Kiwis, the prime draw is likely to be Osbourne House. It was the prime motivator for my recent island foray, and the former royal residence is a delight. Victoria and Albert bought the Osborne estate in 1845 and created a private home away from court life in London. Built in the style of an Italian villa, Queen Victoria used Osborne for more than 50 years, entertaining foreign royalty and VIPS. Alexander Bell demonstrated his curious little invention, the telephone, to the Queen at  the residence in 1878.

As you may recall from the movie Mrs Brown, starring Dame Judi Dench and Billy Connolly, Victoria found huge solace at Osborne House, after Albert’s death in 1861. It was also the site of her death, and poignantly, you can see the bedroom where she passed away.

If you have tromped through some of the heavily gilded royal pads like Windsor Castle or Buck House, what sets Osborne House apart is it feels so much more homely. Many of the rooms are frozen in time, filled with original furniture and dazzling works of art, from Victoria’s time. Several dozen rooms are open for viewing, including the nursery, the kitchens, dining and drawing rooms, and royal family bedrooms.

An amusing highlight is to see the Queen's 'bathing machine' by her private beach, which also featured in Mrs Brown. Set aside plenty of time to see the fabulous walled kitchen garden, Italianate terraces and the Swiss Cottage where the royal children played. Osborne House is unmissable.

Built in 1823, The Royal is an island treasure, splendidly restored after falling into disrepair and now a haven of majestic hospitality in Ventnor. Whether you’re staying in-house or not, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner are served in the glorious colonial style conservatory, flanked by radiant sub-tropical gardens.  Head to www.royalhoteliow.co.uk