While you're here
Hawke's Bay and Napier: Art Deco, wine and the long sunny east coast
Rebuilt-in-the-1930s Napier, the Te Mata Peak view, the gannet colony and one of the country's oldest wine regions.
7 min read · updated 2026-09
Hawke's Bay is on the east coast of the North Island, and it is dry, sunny and agricultural in a way that surprises people who arrive expecting rainforest. It grows a large share of New Zealand's apples and a good deal of its red wine, and its main town looks like nowhere else in the country.
Why Napier looks like that
A major earthquake struck Hawke's Bay in February 1931 and destroyed central Napier. The town was rebuilt over the following few years in the styles of the moment — Art Deco and Spanish Mission — which is why the centre is now one of the most concentrated collections of 1930s architecture anywhere. The earthquake also lifted the seabed, creating the flat land the airport now sits on.
- Walk the central streets: Tennyson Street, Emerson Street and Marine Parade cover most of the best facades.
- The Art Deco Festival, held annually in February, fills the streets with period cars and dress. Accommodation books out well ahead.
- The National Aquarium of New Zealand sits on Marine Parade.
- Napier's beach is shingle, not sand, and the surf is not safe for casual swimming — locals swim at Waimārama or Ocean Beach instead.
Beyond the city
- Te Mata Peak — a short drive up from Havelock North for a view over the whole plain to the ranges, and one of the best sunset spots in the North Island.
- Cape Kidnappers — home to a large mainland gannet colony. The birds are present from roughly spring to early autumn and largely gone by late autumn, so timing matters.
- Havelock North and Hastings — the village-and-town pair inland, with the region's food scene and farmers' markets.
- The Hawke's Bay Trails — a flat, well-signposted cycle network linking the coast, the city and the wineries.
The wine
Hawke's Bay is one of New Zealand's oldest wine regions and is best known for Bordeaux-style reds, syrah and chardonnay. The Gimblett Gravels area inland is the name you will see most often on labels. Cellar doors are spread across the plains between Napier, Hastings and Havelock North, which is convenient for a tasting circuit and inconvenient for whoever is driving.
New Zealand's drink-drive limits are low, and enforcement on rural roads is normal. If a tasting day is the plan, book a driver — this is the single most common reason people call us in this region.
Getting there
| Route | Approximate driving time one way |
|---|---|
| Taupō to Napier | About 2 hours 15 minutes |
| Wellington to Napier | About 4 hours 15 minutes |
| Auckland to Napier | About 5 hours 30 minutes |
| Napier to Hastings | About 25 minutes |
Common questions
- When is the best time to see the gannets at Cape Kidnappers?
- The colony is generally occupied from around September to late March, with chicks visible over summer. Most birds have left by the end of autumn.
- How many days do I need in Hawke's Bay?
- Two nights works well: one day for Napier's Art Deco centre and the coast, one for Te Mata Peak, the wineries and Havelock North.
- Can I swim at Napier beach?
- It is a steep shingle beach with a strong undertow and is not a safe swimming beach. Waimārama and Ocean Beach south of the city are the usual alternatives.
Make it a private day out
Your own local driver-guide for the day: you choose the stops, we handle the driving, the timing and the road knowledge. Add or drop places on the day as long as the finish time still works.
Browse private day tours