Places
Napier and Hawke’s Bay: art deco, gannets and old vines
On 3 February 1931 an earthquake flattened Napier and lifted new land out of the sea; the town rebuilt fast, cheap and all at once, which by accident produced the most complete art deco city on Earth. That story, plus the southern hemisphere’s largest mainland gannet colony and the country’s oldest wine region, makes Hawke’s Bay the best two day detour on the North Island’s east side.
The short list
- Walk the deco: Emerson Street and the surrounding blocks are the show. The guided walks from the Art Deco Trust are led by people who love the buildings personally; the vintage car option is pure Gatsby.
- Cape Kidnappers gannets: up to 20,000 birds on sculpted cliffs, September to April, reached by tractor-trailer along the beach at low tide or by guided drive through the station above. Go; it outperforms every photo of it.
- The wineries: Mission Estate has made wine since 1851, which makes Hawke’s Bay the country’s oldest region, and its syrah and chardonnay are the current argument for it being the best. Cellar doors cluster within twenty minutes of town.
- Cycle the vines: flat, purpose-built trails link wineries, the coast and Havelock North. This is the easiest wine-by-bike day in New Zealand: see our cycle trails guide.
- Te Mata Peak: a ten minute drive to a 399 metre summit over the whole bay. Sunrise here, coffee in Havelock North after.
- The National Aquarium on Marine Parade, the reliable wet-day option, with kiwi and little penguins.
Fitting it in
Hawke’s Bay sits off the main tourist spine, which is exactly why people who make it here rate it so highly. The natural fit is the Napier night on an Auckland to Wellington run via Taupo (two easy hours away), or a dedicated food-and-wine loop: our Taste of the North Island itinerary does precisely that. February brings the Art Deco Festival, a full-dress 1930s weekend that books the town out a year ahead; either target it or dodge it, but do not stumble into it without a bed.
Two days, timed
- Day one: arrive from Taupo by lunch, two hours. The deco walk at two, Marine Parade at dusk, dinner in Ahuriri.
- Day two, morning: Cape Kidnappers by tractor at low tide, or by the station road. Afternoon: two cellar doors by bike on the flat trails, and Te Mata Peak at sunset.
- Day three: the road south to Wellington, four hours, or back over the ranges to Taupo.
Hawke’s Bay is the best two day detour on the North Island because everything in it is twenty minutes from everything else. It sits off the main spine, which is why the people who reach it rate it above the places on the spine.
Hawke’s Bay by season
| When | What is on | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| February | Art Deco weekend, the gannets with chicks, the harvest starting | The best week and the fullest; book by November |
| March to April | Harvest, warm days, the vines turning | The pick for wine |
| May to August | Quiet cellar doors, crisp clear days, the sunniest winter in the country | For the town and the food |
| September to November | The gannets back on the cliffs, blossom in the orchards | For Cape Kidnappers without the crowd |
Hawke’s Bay has more sunshine hours than almost anywhere else in the country, which is why the region reads as Mediterranean in a country that mostly is not. Any month works here; only February needs a plan.
Quick answers
Trips that fit
A Taste of the North Island
10 days across the North Island, Auckland away to Wellington, driving yourself, with the route planned for you. Strong on classic driving tours.
Accessible Aotearoa: Wellington to Hawkes Bay Explorer
5 days across the North Island, a loop from Wellington, at your own pace behind the wheel. Strong on classic driving tours.
Aotearoa on a Plate: Auckland to Wellington
12 days across the North Island, Auckland to Wellington, at your own pace behind the wheel. Strong on food & wine.
