A day at the races – a weekend in the Bay

Hawke’s Bay is a region of contrasts, offering plenty of reasons for you to linger here longer…

Long hot summers (over 2,200 sunshine hours annually) and mild winters provide the perfect stimulant for a wide variety of delicious fresh produce. So make sure you stay a while and savour it all.

If you’re planning a visit to Hastings for a racing event, take time to soak up the sunshine and enjoy the sights as well....

September heralds spring and in Hastings spring means New Zealand’s most popular racing event, the Hawke's Bay Spring Racing Carnival. The Carnival begins a series of events in spring that sets the town humming with the two-week Blossom Festival: concerts, celebrity artist performances and fun events.

Grab an ice cream from local icon, Rush Munro's and take a leisurely stroll through the spectacular gardens of Frimley or Cornwall Park or drive down Oak Avenue with its Oak tree-lined canopy planted in the 1860s. If you’ve got kids you’ll want to head to water theme park, Splash Planet, with its exciting, action-packed water slides and rides. 

Fancy a shopping spree for some raceday attire? Then Hastings City is the ideal place to indulge in retail therapy. Hastings City has a superb blend of historic Spanish Mission architecture and avant garde art and sculpture adorning the expansive piazzas. Bustling but never too hectic, there is always time to soak up the Hawke’s Bay sunshine and enjoy the spectacle of the City of Flowers.

Meanwhile, only twenty minutes away is Napier – the city by the sea. It’s renowned for its 1930s Art Deco architecture, events such as the Art Deco Weekend in February, stately Norfolk pines, surrounding wineries, local fresh produce and national tourist attractions. This popular city boasts a vibrant cafe culture amongst the splendour of the Art Deco buildings. Around 30 cafes are within walking distance of the central city area, while Ahuriri, just over Bluff Hill, is home to a further cluster of upmarket establishments.

Napier oozes fun and adventure and a visit to the attractions of Marine Parade is a must. Marine Parade overlooks the Pacific Ocean and out towards Cape Kidnappers, home to the world’s largest mainland gannet colony. A full day can be taken visiting Ocean Spa hot pools and swimming complex, the Hawke’s Bay Museum or the National Aquarium of New Zealand.  A landmark of Napier is Bluff Hill, which is home for many Napier residents and provides views of the town beaches of Perfume Point and Westshore, past the newly upgraded airport and out towards Whirinaki. Bluff Hill also overlooks the Port of Napier, one of New Zealand’s busiest ports, transporting timber, local fruit and meat products to worldwide destinations and where over summer, luxury cruise liners berth.

Hastings, beautiful Hastings!

Wineries galore...

You may know Hastings is home to some of New Zealand’s best know wineries, but did you know that it is home to over 65 wineries?

Hastings is also home to many gourmet food producers, superbly preserved Spanish Mission architecture, great cultural and natural attractions such as art galleries, mountain biking, bush walks, fishing, hunting and paragliding.

Imagine all that along with fantastic golf courses, abundant orchards and brilliant wine tasting along with vibrant village centres, an exciting inner city with an impressive display of public art and you have just a few of the attributes that you can enjoy when you visit Hastings.

A Golfer’s paradise

Hastings is a golfers’ paradise and the Hawke’s Bay region is home to some of the country’s most scenic golf courses, both old and new. The great local climate enables enthusiasts to go for a hit most days of the year at one of the many courses. The newest, Cape Kidnappers, is a multi million dollar course that looks out across Hawke’s Bay, providing stunning views.  There are over 20 golf clubs in the region and most clubs have a dedicated professional to offer advice and tips. Driving ranges and practice greens are available to prepare for the day ahead.

Discover Hawke’s Bay’s finest food producers

A must do in Hastings would certainly be the Hawke’s Bay Famers Market held every Sunday. This weekly event will introduce you to the finest food producers and artisans from across Hawke’s Bay. Start the day with breakfast, meet the growers and producers and talk with them about their products. See, touch, smell and taste then buy!  The Hawke’s Bay Farmers Market is on every Sunday from 8.30am – 12.30pm at the Hawke’s Bay A & P Showgrounds, Kenilworth Rd, Hastings.

 Must Do’s in Hastings

• Tee off at the renowned internationally acclaimed golf course at Cape Kidnappers
• Walk to the top of the iconic Te Mata Peak for stunning views, or paraglide from it’s summit!
• Bike between the wineries, cycle the pathways or mountain bike the many tracks and trails
• Rise early for a romantic hot air balloon ride to enjoy beautiful aerial views of the plains and vineyards
• Find serenity in award winning parks and gardens, many in the grounds of beautiful homesteads
• Visit the world largest mainland gannet colony
• Visit a cheese or honey learning centre and get the kids learning how our food is made, complete with tastings too!
• Enjoy a wet and wild adventure at the water theme park, Splash Planet
• Follow the Art Trail to over 50 art galleries and artist studios across the region
• Visit over 65 wineries in Hastings District
• Visit the Hawke’s Bay Farmers Market every Sunday in Hastings
• Shop till you drop in the chic village of Havelock North and the stunning City of Hastings

For more information on what you can do in Hawkes’ Bay see www.hastings.co.nz or call 0800 Hastings.

Location

Getting to Hawke’s Bay Wine Country is an easy drive through some of New Zealand’s most picturesque landscape. The driving journey from the north follows the Thermal Explorer Highway or the Pacific Coast Highway which brings you through the northern gate way to Hawke’s Bay and the coastal township of Mahia Peninsula and the town of Wairoa.

From Auckland the journey takes a little over five hours while from New Zealand’s capital, Wellington, it’s only about four hours passing through the southern gateway of Waipukurau to Hawke’s Bay Wine Country. Hawke’s Bay is also linked with the Classic New Zealand Wine Trail stretching 380kms from Marlborough in the South Island, through to Martinborough, and on to Hawke’s Bay. These regions are responsible for almost 70 percent of the country’s total wine production and are well known on the international wine scene.

Hawke’s Bay is on the national coach route and daily services operate from Auckland, Gisborne, Palmerston North, Rotorua, Taupo and Wellington.

New Zealand is a small compact country and domestic flights to Hawke’s Bay from main centres take approximately one hour in the air. Hawke’s Bay has one of the country’s most modern airports and is within an easy drive of Napier and Hastings.