About Hawkes Bay

Hawke’s Bay, on the North Island’s eastern coast, has some of New Zealand’s highest sunshine hours - a climate that infuses the region’s award-winning wine and gourmet food. The seaside city of Napier has an internationally significant collection of colourful Art Deco architecture.   Check out the Visitors' Guide on-line
Getting to and from Hawke’s Bay Road - Self Drive Although you can fly to the Hawke's Bay, many travellers choose to arrive by road because the journey is extremely scenic. Driving distances and times to and from the Hawke’s Bay region Km Miles Approx Drive Time Napier - Rotorua 223 139 3 hours 50 minutes Napier - Taupo 143 89 2 hours 30 minutes Napier - Gisborne 215 134 3 hours 25 minutes Napier - Auckland 421 261 6 hours 35 minutes Napier - Wellington 323 201 4 hours 50 minutes These times are based on driving at 80 to 100 km (roughly 50 to 60 miles) per hour on open stretches of road, with a small allowance for traffic delays, petrol stops and refreshments. Driving Routes Pacific Coast Highway: Follow this touring route to/from Eastland via Gisborne. Thermal Explorer: Follow this touring route to/from the Taupo region Great New Zealand Touring route: Napier is the connecting point for the two touring routes www.gnztr.com. Hawke's Bay is also the starting point for the Classic New Zealand Wine Trail, which runs to Marlborough in the South Island Air Services Hawke’s Bay airport is the domestic hub for the area. The following airlines offer domestic services to and from Hawke’s Bay airport www.hawkesbay-airport.co.nz : Air New Zealand - www.airnewzealand.co.nz Sunair Ltd - www.sunair.co.nz Scenic flights are run from this airport with the following companies: Air Napier www.airnapier.co.nz Heli Air Hawke’s Bay www.heliair.co.nz Getting to and from the airport Location: Hawke’s Bay airport is approximately 10 - 15 minutes drive from the centre of Napier and 20 minutes from Hastings. Cost of taxi to city centre: approximately $15.00 - $20.00 Airport Shuttle - approximately $15 first person plus $3 per person thereafter Approximate flying times between domestic destinations Approx Flying Time Napier - Auckland 1 hour Napier - Wellington 55 minutes Napier - Christchurch 2 hours - 3 hours These are approximate flying times, including connection times, and will differ depending on the airline and type of aircraft used. Scheduled Coach Services InterCity Coaches and Newmans Coaches offer a range of scheduled services throughout the North Island. Intercity Coach Services www.intercitycoach.co.nz Newmans Coaches www.newmanscoach.co.nz Other local companies operate services to and from this region. Visit www.newzealand.com and click on Transport to see this region’s website www.hawkesbaynz.com.
Art Deco style Hawke’s Bay suffered a massive earthquake in 1931 that destroyed the twin cities of Napier and Hastings. Entirely re-built in two years in the distinctive 1930s style, Napier has one of the highest concentrations of Art Deco architecture in the world and a colourful heritage story to tell. Hawke’s Bay was at the origin of New Zealand’s wine industry and is now the second-largest wine producing region. With more than 30 award-winning vineyards, the region has achieved world-wide recognition for its quality red wine.		Hawke's Bay - hang gliding
Māori Culture Heretaunga (the original Māori name for Hawke’s Bay) is home to several Māori iwi (tribes) including Ngati Hineuru, Ngati Kahungunu, Rangitane, Ngati Kere, Whatuiapiti and Taiwhenua o Tamatea. The tribes settled river valleys and coastline where food was plentiful and the names of many landmarks and places recall stories from the past. According to legend, Te Mata Peak and the hills south to Kahurānaki (near Havelock North) are formed by the body of a Māori chief. Te Mata o Rongokako was a giant of a man who fell in love with another chief’s beautiful daughter.  In an attempt to dissuade his daughter's suitor from the romance, the father set a series of difficult tasks that Te Mata o Rongokako accomplished one by one.  On the final task - eating his way through a hill - he choked on a rock and fell dead on the spot.		Hawke's Bay - Te Mata Peak  Visitors' Guide
Food and Wine A premier New Zealand food and wine region, Hawke’s Bay is a foodie’s heaven, stocked with fine wine, fresh produce and gourmet dining destinations. The Hawke's Bay wine region covers several sub regions, each known for particular wine styles including Gimblett Road, the Triangle, Te Mata, Ngatarawa, Esk River and Maraekakaho. Hawke’s Bay is best known for award-winning reds (merlot and cabernet sauvignon), but white varieties such as chardonnay are also receiving recognition. With 42 of 70-plus vineyards offering cellar door experiences, there are many opportunities to enjoy Hawke’s Bay wine in either heritage or ultra-modern surroundings. Many wineries have restaurants or alfresco dining, while vineyard cycle tours take advantage of a relatively flat landscape and pleasant climate. Regional food highlights - a wide variety of fresh produce and artisan products - feature on the food trail. The easily navigated gate-to-gate trail takes visitors to meet producers and sample local flavours. Hawke’s Bay farmers' markets sell local food and produce. On Saturdays in Napier and Sundays in Hastings, shoppers can buy fresh produce and delicacies direct from growers and producers.		Hawke's Bay - vineyard  Visitors Guide
Luxury A reputation for fine wine, gourmet food and high sunshine hours makes the Hawke’s Bay region a luxury getaway destination. The Farm at Cape Kidnappers - an award-winning luxury lodge with a world-class golf course on a 6000-acre sheep and cattle farm - was voted "world’s best" by the Daily Telegraph (UK) readers in 2008. Some vineyards offer private boutique accommodation in the vines and there’s a growing list of private lodges and boutique cottages for rent. Early morning hot air balloon flights cross the patchwork fields of orchards, vineyards, farms and wide open spaces fringed by mountains and sea. Private helicopters fly to vineyards for exclusive lunch and wine-tasting sessions, or into remote spots for wilderness adventures like trout fishing and rafting.		Hawke's Bay - Waimarama Beach  Visitors Guide
Art and Culture Napier - Art Deco capital of the southern hemisphere - has the most Art Deco architecture outside of Miami.  Rebuilt following the devastating 1931 earthquake and in the height of the Art Deco era, Napier has a huge variety and concentration of Art Deco buildings. Each February, thousands of people converge on Napier for Art Deco Weekend - a lively celebration of Art Deco architecture and culture. Year-round daily Art Deco walking tours in the city centre show visitors the unique 1930s architecture and tell Napier’s story.  Vintage car tours visit other famous Art Deco landmarks beyond the city centre. Hawke’s Bay has a community of internationally and nationally-recognised artists who display their work in home studios and galleries.  An art guide covers 50 galleries and studios where visitors can meet artists in their creative environment and discover New Zealand art.		Hawke's Bay - Rothmans building  Visitors Guide
DID YOU KNOW ...  Hawke’s Bay has the world's second longest place name: Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukaka-pikimaungahoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu. Napier has one of the world's highest concentrations of Art Deco architecture. Napier boasts one of only two McDeco McDonald’s in the world. Dinosaur remains discovered in Hawke’s Bay in 1975 proved that land dinosaurs had lived in New Zealand.