3 minute read
Hastings Must Do's
ART DECO WALKS Street façades pay homage to handsome art deco, Spanish mission/stripped classical architecture. Uncover the best of it by grabbing a self-guided brochure from Hastings Information Centre.
HASTINGS CITY ART GALLERY A small art gallery that leaves a big impression, with captivating exhibitions and year-round workshops for all ages.
Advertisement
HAWKE’S BAY FARMERS’ MARKET Can’t get fresher than straight from the producer. Held at Tōmoana Showgrounds every Sunday.
SPLASH PLANET This park is somuch more than water slides and bumper boats; there’s a lazy river, kayaks, go-karts, miniature Jeeps, mini-golf, flying fox and indoor heated pools. Open in summer.
HASTINGS DISTILLERS A slick and sophisticated Tasting Room that celebrates the distiller’s status as a certified organic artisan of spirits and liqueurs.
HASTINGS PUBLIC ART WALKING TOUR Run sporadically, convene at the Hastings City Art Gallery for a free, 90-minute guided tour. Check the gallery’s website for dates.
HASTINGS COMMUNITY ART GALLERY The gallery showcases work by local artists, with exhibitions changing fortnightly.
THE IWAY URBAN RIDES PROJECT With over 100km of cycle paths added to the area, it’s never been easier to explore Napier and Hastings by bike. Whether you’re off to the Farmers’ Market or Splash Planet, cycle lanes get you there.
RUSH MUNRO’S ICE CREAM A Hastings icon, Frederick Rush Munro dished out his first ice cream in 1926 and opened the Heretaunga Gardens in 1931. His prized gardens are still enjoyed today, over ice cream sundaes.
HERETAUNGA STREET EAST A supremely cool pocket of venues including Ya Bon French Baker, Fun Buns, La Petite Chocolate store and The Common Room bar.
BRAVE BREWING This familyowned brewery has an on-site taproom, eatery and cellar door.
CAPE KIDNAPPERS Here, a jagged white bluff slides into the Pacific Ocean. Drive to it in 35 minutes from Hastings or walk from Clifton Motor Camp via a 10km coastal walkway.
CAPE KIDNAPPERS GOLF COURSE If golf’s your thing, this course is listed in the world’s top 50.
GANNETS Come September to April, the cliffs at Cape Kidnappers are seized by the world’s largest mainland colony of gannets.
TE AWANGA Around 20 minutes from Napier, this beachside town is home to several wineries, small shops, coastal cafés and Hawke’s Bay Farmyard Zoo.
GANNET BEACH ADVENTURES Jump in the back of a trailer and bump along the beach by tractor to the Cape Kidnappers gannet bird colony. Operating October to April.
BOUNDARY STREAM Here you’ll find impressive Shine Falls, a huge 800-year-old mataī tree and fascinating geology such as Bell Rock. Bell Rock Loop Track,with valley views, is a steep and challenging 5.3km.
MANGATUTU HOT SPRINGS Not easy to get to but well worth it! Along with soaking in the thermal springs, campers also enjoy swimming, rafting, walking and fishing for rainbow and brown trout.