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THE NORTH ISLAND'S
PRINCIPAL WINE REGION IS KNOWN WORLDWIDE FOR QUALITY WINES. VISITORS
DISCOVER HAWKE'S BAY'S EXCELLENT BEACHES, A REBORN ART DECO CITY, AND
WORLD-CLASS GOLF, TOO.
PHOTO CREDITS: VENTURE HAWKE'S BAY (TOURING wine country BY AUTO; WINE
TASTING IN THE VINEYARD; acting out in ART DECO NAPIER; BALLOON OVER
HAWKE'S BAY vineyards; CAPE KIDNAPPERS' GANNET COLONY; VISITING A WINE
CELLAR;
HORSEBACK ON THE BEACH); NZ Tourism (TE MATA PEAK; SHOPPING TO DIXIELAND
IN NAPIER).
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Wine may be the big
attraction here in Hawke's Bay, but this sunny,
prosperous corner of the North Island profits from multiple
personalities.
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Attractions in
the Hawke's Bay Region:
Shaped by its geography, geology, and climate, Hawke's Bay is a region
distinct and separate from neighboring regions to the north, west, and
south. Walled in by rugged, if not supremely high, mountains, Hawke's
Bay evolved in relative isolation from the Rotorua and Taupo region to
the west, Gisborne and the Eastland region to the north, and the
Wairarapa region and Wellington to the south. |
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HAWKE'S BAY WINERIES:
The relatively dry, warm,
coastal climate of Hawke's Bay with plentiful
water for irrigation provided by its border
mountains is ideal for
agriculture, and especially
for the production of grapes and other
fruit.
Hawke's Bay has become the principal wine
region of the North
Island, producing export
quality wines in sufficient quantities to
become
recognized internationally as a major white
wine (Chardonnay,
Sauvignon Blanc) exporter.
In recent years the region has expanded into
red wine production with some international
success. With more than 70
wineries Hawke's
Bay's Wine Trail is both compact and dense, |
Te Mata Winery produces
some of the finest
wines of the Hawke's Bay region from
its winery southeast of Hastings.
Photo
credit - 'Venture Hawke's Bay' |
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making it easy to visit several wineries on a day tour of
the region. The annual
Harvest Hawke's Bay food and wine festival draws thousands to
wineries-turned-
festival venues throughout the region each February.
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Napier celebrates its
Art Deco architectural
heritage with an extravagant Art Deco
Weekend festival each February.
Photo
credit "Venture Hawke's Bay" |
TWIN CITIES WITH DIFFERENT PERSONALITIES:
The
Hawke's Bay region has two principal population
centers, Napier and
Hastings, located just
twelve miles apart in the alluvial plain near the
coast at Hawke Bay. Napierwith about
58,000 residents slightly
smaller than its twin
is flashy and gregarious, offering a seafront
with
miles of sandy beaches, and a lively
cultural calendar that welcomes
visitors. After
major earthquake leveled Napier in 1931, the
city
rebuilt itself in the dominant, dressy Art
Deco style of the period. The
popular, showy
architectural style has been carefully
maintained and
today acts as living set for |
Napier's Art Deco Weekend each February. Neighboring Hastings
is inland from
Napier and surrounded by agriculture. Lacking the lively seafront
and the stylish Art
Deco style of Napier, Hastings is the lesser visited of the twin
cities. However, it is
the larger of the two (about 65,000 residents) and more important
as a commercial
and governmental center. Hastings has the region's biggest
amusement park, a fun
day out for families, and hosts two important annual events: the
Hawke's Bay
Showthe region's principal country faireach October, and the
Horse of the Year
ShowNew Zealand's most important equestrian meeteach March.
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CAPE KIDNAPPERS:
Named for the failed
abduction of a Tahitian servant of
Captain Cook's
Endeavour voyage in
1769 by local Maori, and once principally
known only for its great mainland colony
of gannet seabirds, Cape
Kidnappers has
in recent years become a destination for
international
golfers. Spectacular cliff
and headland formations of the narrow
peninsular extend into the South Pacific,
making a unique, dramatic
location for a |
The dramatic landscape
of Cape Kidnappers headland
includes 600' high cliffs and sharks' teeth "haystacks". |
golf course. The Tom Doak-designed (2004)
Cape
Kidnappers Golf Course quickly
gained an international reputation
and is currently New Zealand's top-ranked course,
rated #13 in the world
(outside of the USA) by
golfdigest.com. |
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Lodgings: Top quality bed and breakfast lodgings in
and near Napier close to all central city attractions, beaches, and
convenient for hopping on and off the Hawke's Bay Wine Trail.
Home At First's Hawke's Bay
region lodgings provide creature
comforts with convenient access to
Napier, Hastings, beaches, and the
Hawke's Bay Wine Trail.
Photo
credit - 'Venture Hawke's Bay' |
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Getting around
Hawke's Bay: Use of a rental car is essential here. Expect
congested traffic on city streets only. State Highway 50/50A is
the fast Napier-Hastings Motorway connecting the twin cities' centers.
State Highway 2 also connects Hastings and Napier, but takes a slower
route that follows the coast. Away from Napier and Hastings,
roads throughout Hawke's Bay are usually
lightly traveled.
Getting lost on the back
roads of Hawke's Bay
guarantees the serendipity of discovering
an off-the-beaten-track winery with
some superb bottles for sale.
Photo
credit "Venture Hawke's Bay" |
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Getting to/from
Hawke's Bay:
Home At First guests arrive in
Hawke's Bay by
rental car, normally coming east from the
Rotorua/Taupo
region in 2-4 hours. Most depart Hawke's Bay southwest for
Wellington in
about 5-7 scenic hours via the impressive Manawatu Gorge.
Once you are in Hawke's
Bay, all
roads lead to quality food and wine.
Photo
credit: "Venture Hawke's Bay" |
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HOME AT FIRST IS
A DESIGNATED "KIWI SPECIALIST"
TOUR OPERATOR BY THE NEW ZEALAND TOURISM
BOARD.
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