Overview
Tairāwhiti Gisborne is a region of firsts. One of the first places in the world to see the dawn, and the first to see the stars.
It was also the landing place for Captain James Cook, and the first meeting place between Māori and Europeans.
Alongside high sunshine hours and beautiful beaches, Gisborne offers some of the world’s best surf breaks. It’s also home to New Zealand’s most awarded chardonnays and many great restaurants and cellar doors. The region also hosts natural splendours such as the sacred Mount Hikurangi and mystical Lake Waikaremoana.
Climate
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Summer
Dec—Feb24°C Avg. High13°C Avg. Low -
Winter
Jun—Aug15°C Avg. High5°C Avg. Low
Things to do
- With Waka Voyagers Tairāwhiti, your clients can learn traditional Māori sailing and wayfinding skills on the Waka Hourua Tairāwhiti (historic canoe), while enjoying stories of the region’s voyaging history and its Māori ancestors.
- Suggest your clients enjoy a unique wildlife encounter with majestic stingrays in their natural environment. Visitors can choose to either swim or snorkel with them, or put on some waders and join a reef ecology tour.
- Learn about the very first Māori settlers to Gisborne and see the spot which commemorates Captain James Cook’s arrival in New Zealand. Suggest your clients visit a local marae (meeting house) such as Te Poho O Rawiri Marae.
- As the unofficial chardonnay capital of New Zealand, Gisborne has a comprehensive wine trail leading to boutique wineries, many serving tasty artisan food platters.
Tips & Suggestions
- Mount Hikurangi – Your clients can be the first in the world to see in the new dawn by climbing to the accommodation hut the day before, staying overnight then reaching the summit before daybreak.
- Lake Waikaremoana Track – Journey into the enchanted green world that surrounds beautiful Lake Waikaremoana on this four-day hike. Book huts through the Department of Conservation and as it’s not a circuit, your clients will need a shuttle at either end.
