HB Today - Slice of Summer 2022-23

Slice of Summer

EVENTS

Guthrie-SmithArboretum

OnSundays from OctobertoMay, theGuthrie-Smith Arboretumisopento thepublicfrom9amto 5pm. Entryisfree. 3561 StateHighway2,Tutira, 4181

Enjoythe arboretum whichisspreadover90 hectares overlooking picturesqueLakeTutira. It’s situatedonwhat remains of thehugesheep stationmade famous by naturalist,authorand farmerHerbertGuthrieSmith.Bringthe family,a picnic and walking shoes andtakeyour time to strollandenjoyover20,000specimentreesrepresentingmanycountriesofthe world. Entryisfreebutdonationsaremostwelcome.

FiestaofLights

Bookonlineor gatesales. www.fiestaoflights.co.nz

TomoanaShowgrounds, Kenilworth Rd,Hastings.

Saturday17December

2022 –Sunday8 January 2023,9pm-11pm. Thefiestaisa fairyland of 350,000sparkling lights that envelopea lakeside walkwaytoa trail surrounded by 56 light displays.Thereare diving penguins,jumpingfish, spurtingwhalesand ahost ofcolourful sea creatures amidthousands of dancing fairylightsanimated precisely to music.

TheBridge PaWine Festival2023

SevenWineriesinthe BridgePaTriangleWine District of Hawke’sBay, areonceagain coming togetheron21Januaryto runtheAnnualBridgePa Wine Festival fortheninth yearin arow.

TheBridgePawineriesare allclosetoeachotherand willbe connected by Hop On/ HopOffbuses throughout theday, allowingattendees to visitmultiplewineriesand enjoyawiderangeof wineexperiences.Each WineryhasdifferentofferingsofWine, Food,andMusic –seetheBridge Pa Triangle Facebook pageformoreinformation.The wineriesinvolvedareAbbeyEstate, Alpha Domus,AshRidgeWinery,Oak Estate, Paritua, Sileni Winesand RedMetal Vineyards. Ticketswww.bridgepatriangle.nz

WildflowerGarden Party2023

Round PondGarden,125 Rosser Road,Hastings.

Friday20January 2023

–Sunday22January 20239:00am–5:00pm. Admission$10, proceeds to CranfordHospice.

Arelaxed, family-friendly eventinthe garden. This summer we invite you to headalongandenjoy the garden, refreshments and familyfunin arelaxed atmosphere. TheGarden Partywillalsofeature an exhibitionofoutdoor ceramic workfromover 20 artists.

NewZealand’slargestannualMotocrossevent

Joinintheactionat the 2023 International Woodville NZMotocross GPonthe28& 29 of January.

WatchNew Zealand’s topriderscompetefor GPtitlesacrosstwo days.Each yearthe event attracts over500 senior, juniorand miniriders who travellong distancesto competeonapurposebuilttrackon aWoodville farmneartheManawatu Gorge. Don’tmissthe iconicRiver Race,a realcrowdpleaserwhichtakes

atwww.woodvillemx.comor

ArtDecoFestivalNapier

Setinanidylliclocation withthe stunningsurrounds of theHawke’sBay Art Deco architecture, this setsthe scenefor themostmagical immersivecelebration of the year,16-19 February2023.

The region stepsbackin timetoexperiencewhat life waslikebetween1920 and 1940aspart of theArt Deco FestivalNapier.

Whetheritsglitzy soirees, vintage cocktail evenings, world-class jazzperformances,dining

MCLConstructionTriplePeaks2023

Keith SandsGrove, HavelockNorth, Saturday25February 2023 7:00am –7:00pm

Aspectacular55 kms course.Run,walk orMTB.Choose from the OnePeakExplorer (20km), TwoPeakTiki Tour(35km)orthe UltimateThree Peak SOLO (55km).Breathtaking views. Funsingle track.Stunningprivate land. Afew heartyriver crossings. Well stocked aid stations!

Liveentertainment onthe course.Moreinformationandentry forms www.triplepeaks.co.nz

Land RoverHorseoftheYear

TomoanaShowgrounds, Kenilworth Rd,Hastings, 7–12 March 2023

Land RoverHorse ofthe Yearisanabsolute mustsee” forequestrian fansand live-actionenthusiastswho delightin watching world-class competition complemented with greathospitality, shopping and familyfun. Over 1500riders and1900horsescompetefor titlesandhigh-stakesprize moneyatLand RoverHorseof the Year.Discovertheelegance ofDressage, theadrenalinofCross Country,theperfectionofShowing,Mounted Gamesandmore. Thenot-to-be-missedShow-Jumping

out of your seat(andholding yourbreath)as

combinationsjump variousheightsupto1.60metres.

place duringSundayracing. Book

buyatthe gatecashor eftpos.Photo by Andy McGechan, BikesportNZ.com

experiences atourfinest Art Deco restaurants, fabulousfashion,classicfilms,vintage cardisplays ortakinginNapier’sincredibleArt Deco heritage, there is alot tosavourat theArt Deco Festival.artdecofestival.co.nz/

classes will have youjumping

youwatchthese talentedhorse andrider

MarineParade,Napier

PICNIC

CornwallPark, Hastings

This park, ofsome eighthectares, isthe district’soldest and mostestablished park. It’sapopular venue for familiesasitoffersa picnicareawithtables an excellentplayground, aduckpond, arose garden,plentyoftrees forshade, Chinese gardensandtheJohn HoltMemorialDisplay House. Playground

KeirungaGardens,HavelockNorth

Thislarge parkin HavelockNorthhas 17 hectaresof formal gardens, woodlandsand opengrassareas.

Offthe TannerStreet entrancethere is agrassed picnicarea with tables, withaccessto themain areaof the parkthrough ‘CrabApple Walk’.Running alongthe westernside of the gardens,following the waterway,is Arthur’s Path,aninformal walkway through oaktrees.

Thereisa playground off the Puflett Roadentrance. Playgroundequipment includesswings, climbing frames and confidencecourse.There’salso theKeirungaParkRailway,a popular846 metrelongminiature railway that’sratedinthe topfive best miniaturerailway tracks inNewZealand.Itrunsonthe1stand3rdSundayeverymonth11am-4pm (weather permitting).

AhuririForeshore,Napier

Hardinge Roadrunsparallel to the coast andis extremely popularduringsummer thankstoopportunities toswimand partakein numerous watersports. There s a boardwalk cycle trailandplentyofgrass, and sometables,to enjoy apicnic. Thereare severaleateries heretoo servingice creams andchickenandchipsthat canbeenjoyedatthe beach.

Thisis aclassicspotinwhich to enjoy apicnicasthere’splentyofgrass andbeautiful viewsof the Pacific Ocean.Thereare shade sails,seating,tablesandbbqs.Thisisalso a greatspottoenjoyfish andchipsalfresco.The Sunken Gardenssitsbelow streetlevel andis acalmspot to relax,enjoytheflowers andenjoya picnicatthe sametime.

equipmentincludesasplash pad, swings,10mhighclimbing towerwith ropebridges, mini-trampolines, slidesandmonkey bars.

Photo courtesy Hastings DistrictCouncil

Arataki Honey

Splash Planet

TheFaradayMuseumofTechnology

BirdwoodsGallery

PAR2MINIGOLF

THE FARADAYMUSEUM OFTECHNOLOGY

Fuelyourimaginationasyouexplorethis interactivehandsonmuseum. It’safascinatingplacepackedtothe rafterswithgizmosandgadgetsforthe wholefamilyto discover! faradaycentre.org.nz

MTGHAWKE’S BAY

Visitourfreeaward-winningmuseum. ExploreartefactsintheTaongaMāori Gallery. Discoverthestoryofthe region’s recoveryfollowingthe1931earthquake. mtghawkesbay.com

BAYSKATE

Letthegoodtimes rollatBaySkate, Napier’s worldclassskatepark. Bringyourownwheelsorhirefromthe huge rangeofrollersportequipmentfora rideintheparkor aleisurely roll alongMarine Parade. bayskate.nz

NAPIER AQUATICCENTRE

Developyourwaterbasedskills,improve yourwellbeingorjusthavefunwithfamily andfriends.Withpools, hydro-slides, spraypark,BBQandoutdoorplayarea there’ssomethingforeveryone. napieraquatic.co.nz

NATIONAL AQUARIUMOF NEWZEALAND

Discoveranexcitingworldaboveand belowthewater!Visit PenguinCove,see sharksandstingraysswimoveryouinthe oceanariumandspotkiwiandtuatara. Book aguidedtour,orspecialencounter! nationalaquarium.co.nz

THEBEACH

Hawke’sBay hasmorethanits fair shareofgreatbeachesrangingfromthe sandy expanseofWaimarama to the beautyofCentralHawke’sBay beaches.

WaipatikiBeach 20ks north of Napier is asmallbutbeautiful sandybeach. TravelnorthonSH2thentakeabeautiful 11kdrivethrough acommercial forest tothesmall coastal community. The beachis wonderfully sandyandthereare alsosome good walksnearby. There’s a beachholidayparkwith arangeof accommodationoptions.

ClosertoNapier ispopular Westshore Beachwhichis patrolled by members ofthe WestshoreSurf Life SavingClub betweenLabour weekendandlateMarch.

Ahuriri,in particularHardinge Roadbeach,attractsplentyofvisitors andthebeachis especially good for families. There’s aboardwalk, cycleway, playground, cafes, shopsandan interesting selection of shipsentering andleavingNapier Port. Fromthis year lifeguards,previously basedatNapier,will now be stationedhere.

Althoughonly ashortdrivefrom Hastingsthebeachfront settlementsof Haumoanaand Te Awangaoffer arelaxed lifestyle by the sea.Botharepopular fishingandsurfingdestinations.

OceanBeach, asmall communityon the eastcoast,is agolden sandbeachwith manybachesandholidayhomes. It’sa fairlyisolatedspotwithnoshopsbutdoes have surf patrolsinsummer.There’sa strongripcurrentthatattractssurfers.

Further southispopular Waimarama Beach,about40minutes-drivefrom Hastings, withitslong, sandybeachand viewstoBareIsland(Motuokura).Thisis undoubtedlythemost popularlocalbeach insummer.

In CentralHawke’sBay thereare some magnificent,largelydeserted,beaches to enjoy:traveltimesfromHastings toKairakauareaboutanhourand Porangahau couldbeup to 1½hours.

KairakauBeach offers swimming, fishing, and surfing. Mangakuri has a sandybeachand rockyshore,whereyou canswim, fish,snorkelbutthere’sno

camping. At PourereBeach youcan fish, swim,surfandlaunch boatsfromthe beach.Campingmustbepre-booked, see www.chbdc.govt.nz/our-district/beaches/

At AramoanaBeach, campingis prohibitedbutthere’s beachaccess with public facilities.

There’saparkclosetothebeachwith opportunitiesfordiving, swimmingand surfing.

BlackheadBeachwithitsTeAngiangi Marine Reserveisgreat forexploring rock pools,swimming, fishing,anddiving. You cansnorkeland swimatnearbyShellyBay andStingray Bay.

Te Paerahi(PorangahauBeach) offers opportunitiesforsurf casting,ridingblow carts, fishinganddiving. Accommodation is availableand canbefoundonline. Campingisallowed,thereare cabinsand freedom camping.

Take thefirst splashofsummerfunin aregionwhere thelocalswill tell youit’s anendless summer.Fromtheland of the first light,kiaora, welcome.Weinviteyou to discoverour unique corner of Aotearoa –New Zealand.

Lookingback to thearrival of great Polynesian voyagers, CaptainJames Cook’slandingandthe veryfirst encounter betweenMa¯oriand European, Taira¯whitiis asignificantregionsteepedin NewZealandcultureandhistory.

Taira¯whitiGisborneisrichinhistory, culture,cuisineandadventure. Taira¯whiti means“the coastuponwhichthesun shinesacross the water”.Whichisapt sinceisthefirst in theworld toseethe sun.

The Taira¯whitiregion extendsfrom east ofOpo¯tikiinthenorth to theMohaka River inthe south.Hereisanalmost untouched paradiseofspectacularsurfbeaches, inlandwilderness,fertilevineyardsand farms,maraeand settlements, gorgeous

lakes andrivers. Surrounded by three rivers, beautifulbeachesandaninner harbourGisborneistheheart of stunning EastCoast region.

Onofferare wineries,eateries, boutiques, heritagetrailsandauthentic Ma¯oricultureinaddition to agreat,sunny outdoorlife.

JustlikeHawke’s BayGisborneisa mecca forwinelovers.The warm,sunny climateand very fertile soilshave helped makeitasignificantwineproducingarea inNewZealand.

FromChardonnaytoCheninBlanc, Riesling, Viognier,Gewürztraminer,Pinot Gris andMalbec,there’sagreat selection of wine to enticeevery palette.

TheMatawheroareaishome to severalvineyardssuchasBridge Estatevineyard,MatawheroWinesand BushmereEstateVineyard.Thisdistrictis home to Chardonnaygrapesandsmaller plantingsofMerlot,Malbec,PinotGris, Montepulcianoand Sangiovese grapes.

InGisborne centreitself,and setinthe beautifulinnerharbour,istheGisborne Wine Centreofferingtastingsandthere’s anonsiterestaurant,CrawfordRoad Kitchen.

Beyondthevineyardsliesan exceptional rangeofeateriesfeaturingthe bestofseasonalproduce, alongwithlocal wines. Dinewithviewsoftheinnerharbour oratone ofseveralpopular restaurants offering European andNewZealand style meals.Thereare alsoanumber of ethnic eateriesincludingIndian,Japanese, ThaiandChinesecuisine.Pizzaandfish andchipsare agreatgotowhen you’re onholidaywiththekids andthere’sno shortageofchoice.

PhotoscreditTairawhitiGisborneImage Library

Spaciousselfcontained suiteswith aprivatebalcony overlookingGisborne’s picturesqueinnerharbour. Twominute walktocity centre,restaurants/cafesand citybeaches. Freewifi,off-streetparking, SkyTV, aircon/heatingand comfortablebeds.

DELUXE TOUR

ArtAlbumofNew ZealandFlorabySarahand Edward Featon of Gisborne

Taira¯whitiMuseumandArtGallery alwayshasan excitingrangeof exhibitions,alongwith collections to view thatincludephotographs,art,taonga Ma¯ori,naturaland socialhistoryobjects.

Some exhibitionsare permanentwhile othersare fora finite period. Onesuch temporary exhibitionthathasjustopened isColoursDeluxewhichrunsuntil25 June 2023.ColoursDeluxecelebrates the achievement ofSarahand Edward Featon ofGisborne,whointhe1880sundertook anambitiousproject to describeand paint New Zealand’sfloweringplants. Their workTheArt of NewZealandFlorawas publishedin1889and wasthefirst full colourartalbumprintedandpublishedin New Zealand.

The FeatonsarrivedinGisbornein1875 andthe couple workedfromtheirmodest homeduringtheirleisuretime,with Sarah

paintingthe watercoloursandsurveyor Edward writingthe text forthebook. They correspondedwitheminentbotanistsof thetimeandprocured over 300botanical specimensfromaroundNewZealand to workfrom.

The exhibitionalsoincludesbeautiful work by otherNewZealand womenwho paintedbotanical watercolours, including GeorginaBurneHetleywhose bookThe NativeFlowers of NewZealandIllustrated in Colourswaspublishedin1888.

Anew illustratedhistory of their endeavours, written by Gisbornehistorian JeanJohnston,accompaniesthe exhibition,and copiesare forsaleatthe museumshopandonline.

Entry to themuseumisfree for Gisborne residentsand$5 forvisitors outsidethe region.Childrenunder12are free.

DiveTatapouri’sreeftouris amustdoactivityforanyone visiting Taira¯whiti Gisborne,New Zealand. Located15 minutes fromGisborneonStateHighway 35,DiveTatapouri offersaworld famous interactivemarineexperiencewith stingraysandother sea life.Visitorsget to discoverthe Tamariki (Children)of Tangaroa (theMa¯oriGod of the Sea), whilstimmersingthemselves inthelocal cultureandmagical marinesurroundings wherethefirst lighttouchestheshoresof TatapouriBay.

Withourknowledgeableguidesvisitors willinteractwithwildshorttail stingrays, eagle rays andother reef dwellersintheir naturalhabitatonthe reef atlowtide. Let Pancakeand Waffletwo of ourShort Tail stingrayssiton your feetand wait fora

gentle stroke. It’shardtoimaginethat stingraysare perceived to bedangerous. The Reef Ecology Touris atruly unforgettable experienceforindividuals and families.

Thisfunand fascinatingadventureto meetthe stingraysisalsoaneducational experiencethatwillhavevisitorswalking away appreciating stingraysandoceanlife.

Bookingsare essential forthe Reef Ecology TourwithStingraysasthey arerunonthelowtides daily,with limitedspaces andareweatherand sea dependent to providetheoptimum conditions formeetingtheStingrays.

Bookingscanbemadeonlineatwww. divetatapouri.com

VotedTripAdvisor TravellersChoice Bestof theBestawardin2022forthe3rd yearin arow.

AroadtripfromGisborne to Opotiki offers untouched coastalbeaches, glorious countryviews and some interestingplacesto explore. Thisisa challenging road covering336kmwhich without stoppingwilltakealmost five hours.Doingthedrivewithout stopping somewhatdefeatsthepurposeso takinga couple of days,atleast,is recommended. Youwillneed to planthetripandalsobook accommodationbeforeyoustart.

Highlights

StartinginGisbornenearbyWainui Beachis amust. Here youcanviewa sunriseand undertakea reef ecology tour withDiveTatapourijustpastMakarori.

TolagaBay,at54kmfromGisborne,has NZslongest wharf,a HeritageNew Zealand site, enjoywatchingthekidsjumpinginto theaquamarine wateror takeawalkon the Cook’sCove walkway-2.5hoursreturn.

TokamaruBayisasmallbeachside communityabout91kmnorth of Gisborne. Here’sanotherwharf to view. There’s 8km of pristinebeachesperfect for swimming,fishingandsurfing.There’s apub,a supermarketand acouple of accommodationoptions.

At Te PuiaSprings, about 12kms away there’sahotel,a hospitaland generalstore. Guests atthehotel canenjoythehot mineral pools The hotel has a café, restaurantandbush walks. about55kmfrom Ba Mary’ Nearb minut summerfishinganddiving. furth

AROADIE!

withbasicshopsand services. It’salso home to apohutakawatreereputed to be 600years old.

Lottin PointBayat30kmbeyond Te Araroa istheperfectplacetobreak your journeyfor aday or two, especially for those whoarekeenonfishinganddiving. HereisLottin PointMotelwhichis set amongst beautiful sceneryand offers fabulousviewsof the Pacific Ocean. For decadesLottin Pointhasbeenthe secret fishingspot to go to.Onofferis arangeof motelunitsideal forcouples, groups and familiesaswellasanonsitedining room and bar. It’saremote, tranquiland relaxing retreat.

Theareaoffers excellentfishing. For daytrippersthepublic baynearbyoffers fishing, swimmingorpicnickingunder themagnificent pohutakawatrees. Land basedfishingand coastalchartersare available.Hunting expeditions canalsobe organised.

Fromhereit’sabout atwo hourjourney toOpo¯tikiwheretravellerscan go onto Whakata¯neorhead back southviathe inland routeSH2 back to Gisborne.This routeisshorterat 142km.

StMary’sChurchatTikitiki wasbuilt in 1924.