Hawke’s Bay SCALE TE MATA Te Mata Peak Park boasts seven top walking tracks, all of which are looped and include the summit track which leads to 360° views.
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THE REDWOODS A large grove of these giants has grown at the base of Te Mata. For the most direct route into the woods, follow the ‘Big Redwoods’ loop track.
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Craggy Range Winery, Havelock North © Hawke’s Bay Tourism
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ARATAKI HONEY BEE CENTRE Enjoy a free quick-fire meet and greet with the bees. You’ll learn about honey making and taste their honey. Kids can dress up as a beekeeper while adults grab factorypriced honey. WEEKLY GROWERS’ MARKET On Saturday mornings over summer at the stunning Black Barn Vineyard. BIRDWOODS Combining an art gallery, sculpture garden, café and old-fashioned sweet shop. KEIRUNGA PARK RAILWAY Set in beautiful Keirunga Gardens and rated in the world’s top five best miniature railways. Open on the first and third Sunday of the month.
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Ongaonga Historic Village For those who like to step into history, this rural village has lots of historic buildings and a museum. Central Hawke’s Bay Settlers Museum The jewel in Waipawa’s crown, the museum has a wide variety of artefacts from the past, with many items carefully restored. For $8 adult entry ($2 for children) you get a lot of bang for your buck.
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A’Deanes Bush An easy 1km loop, this 38.5ha reserve is saturated in matai and kahikatea trees. Peek inside weta boxes and, come dusk, long tailed bats come out to feed.
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Te Angiangi Marine Reserve Between Aramoana and Blackhead beaches, this stretch of ocean is protected and ideal for snorkelling and diving. At low tide, a rock platform is exposed where you can explore thriving rock pools. Forty minutes east of Waipukurau.
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Ngā Arā Tipuna Better understand pre-European Māori life in the district with this new culturally significant trail. Focusing on eight
TE MATA ESTATE WINE New Zealand’s oldest winery building has been in continuous use since 1896. Enjoy a winery tour and traditional cellar door experience. KAIRĀKAU BEACH Fifty minutes south of Havelock North, it’s tucked under staggering coastal cliffs. At low tide, stroll to ‘Waterfall Bay’ to find a secret swimming lagoon. BLACK BARN OPEN-AIR CINEMA Over summer, the vineyard’s amphitheatre screens starlit films under the night’s sky, with patrons sitting across grassed terraces. MARAETOTARA FALLS Idyllic in the summer and just a short drive from Havelock North, enjoy the waterfall and its large swimming hole. If time permits, add on the Maraetotara Historic Walk. SMITH & SHETH Join the sommelier for a two-and-a-halfhour immersive tasting experience, including samples straight from the barrel. TOP TIP: For every vineyards in the vicinity, visit www. havelocknorthnz.com/places/ category/wineries/
WAIPUKURAU The Tukituki Trails A gentle 12km limestone pathway with a Grade 2 mountain bike trail running parallel. Stretching out in both directions from Russell Park, the trails follows the Tukituki River.
CRAGGY RANGE WINERY Sitting on Te Mata Peak’s lower reaches, this architecturally profound complex comprises cellar door, upmarket restaurant and boutique accommodation.
important historical pā sites in Tamatea, each plot details ancestral history via installations, displays, carvings and digital storytelling. Historic Homesteads There are several historic homesteads in central Hawke’s Bay creaking with stories. Ashcott, Ōruawharo, Wallingford, Gwavas and Woburn Homestead are all worth discovering. All between five and 25 minutes of Waipukurau. Te Paerahi Beach Golden sand stretches for miles, providing the ideal terrain for surf casting, kite flying, swimming, fishing and diving.
Sunrise Hut Straddling the crown of the Ruahine Range in Ruahine Forest Park, it’s an easy one to three-hour hike to reach this 20bunk hut. As the name suggests, it’s one of the best places to catch the first rays of a new day. And for $15 per night for adults, it’s a five-star experience for minimal dollars. Junction Wines One for the wine and rugby lovers. This small boutique vineyard is run by former All Black John Ashworth. With a distinct rugby theme and collection of award-winning aromatic wines, combine your wine tasting with enrapturing All Blacks’ stories.
LEFT: Central Hawke’s Bay Museum, Waipawa ABOVE: Te Angiangi Marine Reserve BOTH: © Hawke’s Bay Tourism
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