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Every city of this trip along the east coast is a perfect holiday destinations. In a setting of spectacular natural beauty they offer historical and art museums, Maori culture, unique architecture, wine-tasting and diverse entertainments.
At the foot of Gisborne's Kaiti Hill, a memorial on the beach marks the place where Captain James Cook and members of his crew from the Endeavour, first set foot in New Zealand in 1769. At the southern end of Poverty Bay are the white cliffs of Young Nicks Head, the headland named Nicholas Young, after a young boy in Cook's crew who made the first sighting of land and earned himself a gallon of rum as well as a place in the history books. Long hot summers and mild sunny winters make Hawkes Bay the perfect year round holiday destination. Whether it's a romantic break, family fun in the sun, action and adrenalin, or a backpack adventure, you'll find it in Hawkes Bay Wine Country. Ranging from Mahia in the North through to Porangahau in the South, the region boasts more than 70 vineyards, fabulous fresh produce and gourmet delights. Hawkes Bay also offers a wide range of activities and attractions to suit all ages, plus stunning landscapes with a unique wildlife, distinct architecture, a vibrant arts community and a rich cultural heritage.Visitors can satisfy their appetites at food and wine markets, award-winning restaurants and vineyards, or quench their cultural thirst at museums, art galleries, home studios or workshops.Hawkes Bay also offers a diverse range of events to tie in with your visit throughout the year ranging from food and wine festivals, premier equestrian competitions, agriculture shows and open-air concerts.Once your day is over, you can retire to romantic cottages, elegant country houses and hotels, motels, urban and self-contained apartments, camping grounds, holiday parks, farm-stays and hosted accommodation.Have a great time in Hawkes Bay and we look forward to seeing you again soon.
1gisborne
Known as Gizzy to the locals, the best views of Gisborne are from the summit of Kaiti Hill. A city of rivers, Gisborne is located at the convergence of three rivers, spanned by a number of bridges. Originally laid out in 1870, the city was named Turanga but
later took the name of the Colonial Secretary Sir William Gisborne to avoid being confused with Tauranga. The city features a number of fine parks, recreational facilities and museums, including the Tairawhiti Museum which can be found in Kelvin Park on Stout St. The museum features Wyllie Cottage which dates back to 1872, as well as the Star of Canada, a 12,000 tonne ship that was wrecked on the Gisborne reef in 1912. Its bridge and the captain's cabin were salvaged and built into a house that was later moved and restored to become part of the museum. The East Coast Museum of Transport and Technology is open daily near the A&P Showgrounds in Makaraka, while the one of the largest Maori meeting houses in the country, Te Poho-o-Rawiri, featuring elaborately carved bargeboards, can be found at the base of Kaiti Hill.
matawhero presbyterian church
Drive west 7 km from Gisborne on SH2 to Matawhero. The church is at the end of Church Lane off Salesyards Road.
At Matawhero you will find the oldest church in Poverty Bay. Built originally as a schoolroom in 1865, it was also used as an Anglican then a Presbyterian church, and was spared destruction during a rebel Maori raid in 1868. Many chiefs from the East Coast did not acknowledge the authority of the Treaty of Waitangi when it was signed in 1840 and numerous battles took place during the 1860s, with government troops taking control in 1866. A number of rebellious Maori, including the chief Te Kooti, were exiled to the Chatham Islands and Europeans began to settle the area, bringing with them flocks of sheep. Te Kooti escaped and sought revenge against the Europeans who had over-ridden his land claims as well as the Maori who had supported the government personally offended him in some way. He attacked the settlements at Matawhero and Makaraka with 200 warriors, killing 33 Europeans and 37 Maori in what was to become known as the Poverty Bay Massacre.
2morere hot springs
Continue south 49.6 km on SH2 to Morere.
A 200 ha reserve protects a small part of the native forest that once cloaked much of the East Coast and provides a luxuriant setting for a complex of natural mineral hot pools. The most popular are the Nikau Pools which are a 10 minute walk into the rainforest where you can relax in the warm water and listen to the many birds. Over 250,000 litres of heated non-sulphurous salt water emerges each day from the springs, having taken thousands of years to travel through superheated subterranean vents from the Pacific Ocean. The springs have been in use since the 1890s.
3wairoa
Continue south 40.5 km on SH2 to Wairoa.
Lines of Phoenix palms border the Wairoa River and the Marine Parade that features a historic lighthouse that was relocated from the Mahia Peninsula. The Takitimu meeting house is a memorial to Sir James Carroll, the first Maori to serve as a minister of the Crown. The ancestral Maori canoe Takitimu is said to have travelled up the river and landed near where the location of the Takitimu meeting house. William Rhodes established a trading station here in 1839 and the missionary William Williams visited Wairoa in 1841. A permanent mission station had been established by 1844 with early European squatters running sheep and trading flax. The sand bar at the mouth of the Wairoa River regularly silted up, making it hard for boats and despite being regularly dug out by hand, the river won out in the end with the settlers eventually giving up and the port failing which was not surprising considering that the Wairoa has the largest catchment of any river in Hawke’s Bay. Whakaki Lagoon, to the east of Wairoa, is an important wetland area and an excellent place to go birdwatching.
4lake tutira
Continue southwest 75.2 km from Wairoa across the Rabbit Bridge and the scenic Mohaka Viaduct on SH2 to Lake Tutira. The carpark and access is on the left off the highway.
Lake Tutira is a wildlife reserve set in pleasant farmland where many bird species are protected. It was originally declared a bird sanctuary by William Herbert Guthrie-Smith (1861 - 1940) who farmed neighbouring Tutira Station. Guthrie-Smith was one of the early pioneers of bird photography in New Zealand, photographing a number of bird species now gone from the lake, including the blue duck, weka, falcon and brown teal. There are still, however, large number of waterfowl at Lake Tutira including the Australian coot which first appeared in New Zealand at this location in 1954 before spreading to other parts of the country. There are walking tracks around the lake and the Tutira Walkway continues through the Tutira Station.
Hawkes Bay - The Dome in Napier
5Napier
From Lake Tutira continue south 40 km on SH2 to Napier.
Named after the British General Sir Charles Napier, the city originally developed from a whaling and trading station that was established in the 1840s. The city centre was almost entirely rebuilt after the 1931 earthquake which devasted most of the buildings. Art deco was at the height of its popularity in the 1930s, and the buildings were reconstructed in this single coherent architectural style. Today Napier possesses one of the most significant collections of these buildings in the world and holds an Art Deco weekend in February each year. The city was also remodeled to feature wider streets and among the earliest underground power and telephone lines in the country. Today a stroll along Napier's Marine Parade will take you to many of the city's attractions, including the performing seals and dolphins at Marineland, the Hawke's Bay Aquarium with the only school of piranha in the country, the Centennial Gardens, an illuminated fountain and the bronze statue of Pania of the Reef. Also on the Marine Parade is the nocturnal wildlife centre where you can see kiwi and other nocturnal animals. The Stables Museum and Waxworks tells the story of the 1931 earthquake, which measured 7.9 on the Richter scale and raised an area of 40 sq km from beneath the sea, causing 256 deaths. The Hawke's Bay Art Gallery and Museum features an impressive collection of moa-hunter artefacts as well as numerous dinosaur fossils, many of which were discovered by local amateur palaeontologist Joan Wiffen. Fine views of the city and port can be enjoyed from a lookout off Lighthouse Road on Bluff Hill. The Botanical Gardens, near Hospital Hill, feature a huge aviary set among the flowerbeds as well as a number of walks and miniature waterfalls. A large flock of multicoloured budgies spend the day flying free around the area before returning each night to their cages.
otatara pa
Follow Taradale Road and SH50 southwest from Napier, 2.3 km onto the Napier Hastings Highway and continue 6.6 km on SH50, turn right onto Links Road, drive 1.8 km west and turn right onto Waiohiki Road. Drive north 1.1 km and turn left onto Springfield Road. Otaratara Pa is 0.3 km west on the right.
Otatara Pa is one of the oldest and largest of the ancient Maori pa sites in Hawke's Bay. There are numerous terraced dwelling sites and food pits that can still be seen, the earthworks on this historic reserve having been enhanced by reconstructed palisades and carved ancestral figures which surround the pa.
napier / hastings wineries
Visitors are welcome at all of the vineyards between Napier and Hastings. These include the historic Te Mata Estate, which began production in 1896 and the Mission Vineyards, where the Marist Brothers planted their first vines in 1851. Hawke's Bay features very warm summers and a grape-growing season that extends right through into April which is perfect for late-maturing varieties such as riesling and cabernet sauvignon. With a wide range of soil types in the region, including the sought after river gravels, this district provides ideal conditions for all the classic grape varieties. You can also visit the New Zealand Wine Centre, located in the old AMP building on Shakespeare Road in Napier. As well as wine tasting you can take a look at the wine museum and visit the aroma awareness room where you can experience the different aromas associated with the many different wines.