East Cape
By Bachchat staff
Photo: Felipe Skroski
It was on Gisborne’s foreshore that Captain Cook made his first landing on New Zealand soil in 1769, dubbing the region Poverty Bay. A short hike up Kaiti Hill, an obelisk marks Cook’s landing place and there are superb views of Young Nick’s Head.
Further afield, adventurers will discover trout fishing on backcountry rivers, the exotic botanical delights of Eastwood Arboretum and the natural rock slide at Rere Falls. Here, kids of all ages arm themselves with old boogie boards and tyre inner tubes before hurtling some 60 metres or so down a slippery tract of rock.
And then, let’s not forget what you’re really here for: the fine wine. There are tastings to be had among the vines at Tietjen Witters; organic wines to try at Millton; and the boutique styles of Tiri Tiri - all renowned for their distinctive fruit flavours and full-bodied roundness, thanks to Gisborne’s deeply fertile, clay loam soils and abundant sunshine
Where to stay
What to do
- Be the first to see the new day, from Mt Hikurangi
- Walk the Cook’s Cove Walkway
- Take a winery tour
- Climb to the East Cape lighthouse
- Kayak at full moon on the Ohiwa Harbour
More info
Getting there
- From Napier by road: 215km
- From Rotorua by road: 286km
