Australasian Gannet at
Cape Kidnappers
Hawke's Bay
New Zealand’s sunniest region on the Pacific east coast of North Island offers everything you may expect from New Zealand and a few surprises as well.
With a Mediterranean climate, the lifestyle here is relaxed, the food is great and the wine even better. A wide variety of local food specialists are dedicated to producing high quality products from gourmet cheeses and meats to olives, lemons and oranges. It goes without saying that the seafood here is exceptional although the same could be said for the whole country!
Many people throughout the world know of the world class award winning wines of Hawke’s Bay and the climate and geography produces excellent examples of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.
There are also less indulgent pleasures to be enjoyed in the area. Time is well spent on any of the beautiful beaches in the region which offer excellent surfing, boogie boarding and kayaking and equally good sunbathing! A stunning wildlife experience is on offer at Cape Kidnappers at the southern boundary of the bay. Here it is possible to visit the largest and most accessible mainland gannet colony in the world which is home to about 17,000 birds.
Art deco architecture in Napier, Hawkes Bay
The surprise of Hawke’s Bay comes in the architecture. On 3rd February 1931 a magnitude 7.9 earthquake hit the region and nearly levelled Napier and its twin town Hastings which is 20 kilometres to the south. Looking at the rubble and searching for inspiration for the planned rebuilding of the towns, the architects decided to go for a modern and innovative look and feel and adopted Art Deco, Stripped Classical and Spanish Mission. There is nowhere else in New Zealand that looks quite like this.
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