Hawkes Bay
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Hawke’s Bay is synonymous with wine, thanks to a geographical region of high sunshine hours, relatively dry climate, warm in summer and cool in winter. Add to that some particularly “grapevine friendly” soils (such as the Gimblett Gravels) and a host of human skills in both producing and marketing some really world class red wines. Alongside the wines there are locally grown produce, and locally manufactured products, and you have a perfect recipe for gourmet wining and dining. Hawke’s Bay is conveniently located too, being some 5 hours drive south east of Auckland, only 1.5 hours from Lake Taupo in the centre of the North Island, and 4 hours north east of Wellington. So for many visitors to the country it provides a very pleasant detour on the long journey south.
Hawke’s Bay is not just about food and wine, there is also a lot of history and culture.
The early Maori arrived several hundred years ago, probably by waka (sea going canoe) from the north. They named the bay “Heretaunga” and found it to be fertile. The Maori flourished and were soon expanding along the coast, eventually colonising much of the coastal strip from Poverty Bay in the north to the Wairarapa in the south.
In October 1769 Captain James Cook sailed into the bay and re-named it after Sir Edward Hawke, the First Lord of the Admiralty. Over the next few years Europeans especially whalers and flax traders steadily visited the area and some began to settle here. By 1844 a first mission station was built, and then a few years later merino sheep were introduced and pastoral farming became the main industry of the region. As more settlers arrived a number of towns were established, Napier in 1853, Taradale in 1866, and Hastings in 1873. At first the region was fairly isolated with routes inland being very difficult across the ranges, but gradually routes southward to Wellington and west to taupo were developed.
By 1930 Napier had grown to the size of a small city, with a tram service, a theatre, and various borough council amenities. Then on the morning of 3 February 1931 disaster struck – an earthquake equivalent to 7.8 on the Richter Scale devastated downtown Napier and badly damaged Hastings and a number of other townships. Over 250 people lost their lives, the majority being from Napier itself. The city was subsequently rebuilt and uniquely for this part of the world it was built in art deco and Spanish style architecture.
Napier today is home to some 58,000 people who are able to enjoy a wonderful lifestyle. Pastoral farming is still important, as is food processing, forestry and tourism. The great modern success was in wine, and as the industry developed Hawke’s Bay Wine Country became synonymous with world class wines. Around Napier there are many good wineries to visit, and many local foods such as honey, cheese, olives, seafood, and chocolates are available either at local Farmers Market (every Saturday) or other retail outlets. Alternatively you can enjoy the gourmet cuisine at one of the many cafes and restaurants in the area. On the waterfront, Marine Parade allows lovely refreshing walks, together with many family attractions.Hastings a coastal city just down the road from Napier is now the administrative centre for the area. It is a modern town, but still retains some of the Spanish Mission style architecture adopted during the post 1931 rebuilding. Hastings is surrounded by wineries, and orchards, and is a vibrant city with lovely gardens, the Hawke’s Bay Exhibition Centre and Hawke’s Bay Splash Planet a themed water fun park.
The Hawke’s Bay region promotes Maori culture, and this can be experienced during a guided tour including a “Powhiri” or Maori welcome, as well as an explanation of Maori hunting and provisioning, and perhaps even take part in paddling a replica Maori waka (a long sea-going canoe). Other cultural items include art galleries and artists workshops.
There are many gardens and parks to wander, conservation areas at Kaweka and Ruahine to go for a longer hike, and local rivers for some great fly fishing for the celebrated brown and rainbow trout. On a more active level, there are places to sail, surf, and paraglide. You can also take to a hot air balloon and view the region from the air.
At Cape Kidnappers there is a beautiful unspoilt coastline that has a large gannet colony, and is now home to a top golf course.
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