The East Coast – World Travel

Wairoa The East Coast New Zealand

WorldTravelDB.com — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 14:21:35 +0000

Poor little Wairoa is trying really hard to shirk its rough-edged reputation. A new Wairoa Township River Walkway takes in sites of interest along the main street, including the old solid kauri Portland Island Lighthouse (1877) which once stood off the Mahia Peninsula and now flashes proudly at the entry to the town centre. In retrospect, perhaps choosing a warning beacon as a landmark wasn’t such a great idea.

Read more for detail and Video tours from others.

Like many small towns, economic depression seems to have spared heritage buildings from the wrecking ball. Film buffs should consider a trip to the wonderfully restored 1931 Gaiety Theatre (06-838 3104; gaiety@xtra.co.nz; 252 Marine Pde; 2-8pm). Wairoa Museum (06-838 3108; wairoamuseum@xtra.co.nz; 142 Marine Pde; admission by donation; 10am-4pm Mon-Fri, 10am-1pm Sat) has an Italianate façade from its former life as a bank.

Related Video clips below.

We uses YouTube API Services. https://www.worldtraveldb.com/youtubes-terms-of-service/

[tubepress mode=’tag’, tagValue=’Wairoa New Zealand’]

The East Coast New Zealand

WorldTravelDB.com — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 23:21:35 +0000

New Zealand is known for its juxtaposition of wildly divergent landscapes but in this region it’s the sociological contours that are most pronounced. From the remote villages of East Cape to Havelock North’s prosperous, wine-stained streets, the East Coast condenses a wide range of authentic Kiwi experiences that anyone with a passion for culture will find fascinating.

Read more for detail and Video tours from others.

If you’re the intrepid sort, you’ll quickly lose the tourist hordes along the Pacific Coast Hwy, on the back roads and obscure beaches of Central Hawkes Bay, or in the mystical wilderness of Te Urewera National Park. When the feral urge wanes, a decent coffee and a slap-up meal is never far away in the urbane confines of Gisborne and Napier.

Related Video clips below.

We uses YouTube API Services. https://www.worldtraveldb.com/youtubes-terms-of-service/

[tubepress mode=’tag’, tagValue=’The East Coast New Zealand’]

Te Urewera National Park The East Coast New Zealand

WorldTravelDB.com — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 21:21:35 +0000

Shrouded in mist, mysticism and virgin forest, Te Urewera National Park is the North Island’s largest, encompassing 212, 673 hectares cut with lakes and rivers. The highlight is Lake Waikaremoana (Sea of Rippling Waters), a deep crucible of water encircled by the Lake Waikaremoana Track, one of NZ’s Great Walks. Rugged bluffs drop away to reedy inlets, the lake’s mirror surface disturbed only by mountain zephyrs and the occasional waterbird taking to the skies.

Read more for detail and Video tours from others.

The name Te Urewera still has the capacity to make Pakeha New Zealanders feel slightly uneasy – and not just because it translates as ‘The Burnt Penis’. There’s something primal and uncontrolled about this wild woodland, with its rich history of Maori resistance.

Related Video clips below.

We uses YouTube API Services. https://www.worldtraveldb.com/youtubes-terms-of-service/

[tubepress mode=’tag’, tagValue=’Te Urewera National Park New Zealand’]

Napier The East Coast New Zealand

WorldTravelDB.com — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 23:21:35 +0000

You don’t have to be particularly cultured to enjoy Napier but you might find its passion for architecture and fine wine surprisingly contagious. Before long you’ll be blathering on about the Chicago School, Mayan decorative devices and ‘hints of passionfruit on the palate’ with the best of them.

Read more for detail and Video tours from others.

The Napier of today is the silver lining of the dark cloud that was NZ’s worst natural disaster. Rebuilt after the deadly 1931 earthquake in the popular styles of the time, the city retains a unique concentration of Art-Deco buildings. Architecture obsessives flock here from all over the world and the town milks it for all it’s worth. Don’t expect the Chrysler Building – Napier’s Art Deco is resolutely low-rise – but you will find intact 1930s streetscapes which can provoke a Great Gatsby swagger in the least romantic soul.

Related Video clips below.

We uses YouTube API Services. https://www.worldtraveldb.com/youtubes-terms-of-service/

[tubepress mode=’tag’, tagValue=’Napier New Zealand’]

Hawkes Bay The East Coast New Zealand

WorldTravelDB.com — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 14:21:35 +0000

Hawke Bay, the name given to the body of water that stretches from the sunburnt Mahia Peninsula to Cape Kidnappers, looks like it’s been bitten out of the North Island’s eastern flank. Add an ‘s’ and you’ve got a region that stretches south and inland to include fertile farmland, surf beaches, mountainous ranges and wild forests.

Read more for detail and Video tours from others.

The southern edge of the bay is a cable TV lifestyle channel come to life – food, wine and architecture are the shared obsessions. It’s smugly comfortable but thoroughly appealing, and is best viewed through a rosé-tinted wine glass. If the weather’s putting a dampener on your beach holiday plans, it’s a great place to head.

Related Video clips below.

We uses YouTube API Services. https://www.worldtraveldb.com/youtubes-terms-of-service/

[tubepress mode=’tag’, tagValue=’Hawkes Bay New Zealand’]

Hastings And Around The East Coast New Zealand

WorldTravelDB.com — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 11:21:35 +0000

Positioned at the centre of the Hawkes Bay fruit bowl, Hastings is the commercial hub of the region. It means business, unlike its sister Napier, just 20km north. Similarly devastated by the 1931 earthquake its fine collation of Art Deco and Spanish Mission buildings also emerged in the aftermath. But apart from the architecture, Hastings itself isn’t especially interesting. It’s in the surrounding district that epicurean dreams come true.

Read more for detail and Video tours from others.

A few kilometres of orchards still separate Havelock North from Hastings, although these days it’s effectively Hastings’ ritziest suburb. Range Rovers and BMWs cruise the streets as bleached-blonde 50-something wine wives sip lattes in a prosperous village atmosphere. The towering backdrop of Te Mata Peak keeps egos in check.

Related Video clips below.

We uses YouTube API Services. https://www.worldtraveldb.com/youtubes-terms-of-service/

[tubepress mode=’tag’, tagValue=’Hastings And Around New Zealand’]

Gisborne The East Coast New Zealand

WorldTravelDB.com — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 01:21:35 +0000

Gizzy to her friends, Gisborne’s a pretty thing and increasingly self-confident. Squeezed between surf beaches and a sea of chardonnay, most Kiwis would describe the lifestyle here as ‘not bad’ – meaning, of course, bloody brilliant.

Read more for detail and Video tours from others.

It proudly claims to be the first city on earth to see the sun and once it does it hogs it; Gisborne claims more fine days than any city in NZ and enjoys them at the beach. Poverty Bay starts here, hooking south to Young Nick’s Head.

Related Video clips below.

We uses YouTube API Services. https://www.worldtraveldb.com/youtubes-terms-of-service/

[tubepress mode=’tag’, tagValue=’Gisborne New Zealand’]

East Cape The East Coast New Zealand

WorldTravelDB.com — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 19:21:35 +0000

Nowhere else in NZ is remotely like the gorgeous, detached East Cape. Maori community life is at the forefront here, with each stunning bay hiding a remote marae and village. It’s a fascinating illustration of what might have been if the Maori weren’t so vigorously divested of their land in the 19th century and the flood of British settlers had been moderated.

Read more for detail and Video tours from others.

The pace of life is markedly slower here – everyone seems to know everyone else and life is rurally wound-down. It’s not unusual to see horses tethered by the roadside as their owners go about their daily affairs. The interior remains wild, with the Raukumara Range forming the Cape’s jagged spine.

Related Video clips below.

We uses YouTube API Services. https://www.worldtraveldb.com/youtubes-terms-of-service/

[tubepress mode=’tag’, tagValue=’East Cape New Zealand’]

Central Hawkes Bay The East Coast New Zealand

WorldTravelDB.com — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 03:21:35 +0000

Grassy farmland stretches south from Hastings, dotted with the grand homesteads of Victorian pastoralists. It’s an untouristed area, rich in history and deserted beaches. Waipukurau (aka ‘Wai-puk’), the main town, isn’t exactly thrilling but it’s worth calling in to the extremely helpful Central Hawkes Bay i-SITE (06-858 6488; www.centralhawkesbay.co.nz; Railway Esp; 9am-5pm Mon-Fri, 9am-1pm Sat) in the old railway station. They can sort you out with the comprehensive Central Hawkes Bay: Unwind Country brochure and pamphlets outlining heritage trails and DOC reserves and walkways.

Read more for detail and Video tours from others.

Related Video clips below.

We uses YouTube API Services. https://www.worldtraveldb.com/youtubes-terms-of-service/

[tubepress mode=’tag’, tagValue=’Central Hawkes Bay New Zealand’]