Gourmet Hawke's Bay
A warm Mediterranean climate, thriving wineries and orchards, gourmet cuisine and wonderful art deco treasures mean visitors are spoilt for choice when it comes to enjoying the attractions of the sunny Hawke's Bay.
Surrounded by flourishing orchards, market gardens and vineyards, Hawke's Bay is renowned as one of New Zealand's premier wine and food regions.
Napier,
Hastings,
Te Awanga and
Havelock North boast more than 40 wineries between them – and
that means there is no shortage of prize-winning wineries to discover. Wine and food lovers can head into the surrounding countryside for a guide tour of the area's wineries and restaurants or hire a bike and enjoy the country scenery as you pedal between the vineyards. There's plenty of fresh seasonal produce to sample along the way or stop off for a gourmet meal. Nothing is nicer than dining among the vines, and wineries such as
Mission Estate,
Church Road and
Clearview have acclaimed restaurants to complement their award-winning drops. And if you
don't have time to visit all the wineries, no need to worry. Napier's newest attraction is Big Picture Wine - a virtual wine tasting adventure housed within the
New Zealand Wine Centre in the iconic AMP building. Enjoy a simulated scenic vineyard flight in a vintage Tiger Moth over the beautiful Hawke's Bay, and meet the winemakers who take you through a tasting set of six premium wines. The centre offers cellar door wine sales and you'll
find a huge range of local gourmet goods at the
Indulge Hawke's Bay Speciality Store.
Foodies can also get a tempting taste of the region's produce and artisan products on the
Hawke's Bay Food Trail. This self-drive trail is guaranteed to get your mouth watering with more than 80 stops offering everything from gourmet meats, game and seafood to olive products, honeys and handcrafted cheeses and chocolates.
It's not all about wine and food though.
Napier is a firm favourite with holidaymakers who come to enjoy its unique art deco buildings. The
Napier of today was shaped by the huge 1931 Hawke's Bay Earthquake, which all but levelled
Napier and its sister city of
Hastings. The art deco gems that arose from the ashes are now regarded as some of the finest in the world. Today the city's art deco treasures include the
County Hotel, Kidson's Building, the
Daily Telegraph Building and
The Criterion, among others. Daily
Art Deco Walks and Tours leave from the
Napier i-SITE on Marine Parade each morning at 10am, and there are deco car and bus tours as well. Scenic Marine Parade is a great place to join the locals for a seaside stroll and has several popular visitor attractions including Marineland and the National Aquarium of New Zealand.
Summer Events
Summer is a great time to visit Hawke's Bay, with several iconic festivals providing
everything from wine and food to music and art deco glamour.
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