OVERVIEW

Follow a walking trail along Te Mata Peak, which rises more than 1,100 feet above the Heretaunga Plains and toast the occasion with a delightful wine tasting. The approach to this iconic peak will offer a hint of the gorgeous scenery that lies ahead, but nothing compares to seeing the mountain up close. You may notice that Te Mata resembles a human figure lying down, the reason a Māori legend is associated with its shape. While hiking the undulating trail of about three miles, you will pass through a redwood forest and gaze out over rolling hills all the way to the distant coastline. Along the way, the guide will describe the unique natural history of the Hawke’s Bay region and indigenous wildlife such as swamp harriers, which are often seen circling high above. During the tasting that follows, you will sample exceptional wines paired with tasty snacks, all locally produced.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Ascend Te Mata Peak on a circuitous trail of about three miles.
• Pass through a forest of redwoods and behold the gorgeous valley below.
• Hear Māori legends about the peak and expert commentary describing the wildlife.
• Enjoy a sampling of wines from a leading winery in the Hawke’s Bay region.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

OVERVIEW

Enjoy tastings of delicious artisanal sweets as you travel through Hawke’s Bay, a region known for its outstanding wineries and bucolic setting. On the way out of Napier – which was completely rebuilt following the devastating earthquake and fire of 1931 – you will see several architectural gems within the world’s largest concentration of Art Deco buildings. A scenic drive into the outskirts will bring you to Silky Oaks Chocolate for a sampling of its delectable sweets, to watch how they are made and to browse the confectionery’s unique chocolate museum. Don’t miss the 2,500-year-old chocolate pot on display. You will be afforded a sweeping view of jagged Te Mata Peak once you reach the Tukituki River Valley, home to Arataki Honey. While taking in the exhibits in the visitor center and shopping for honey-based gifts, you will enjoy ice cream from Rush Munro’s Ice Cream, sourced from the oldest Ice Creamery in New Zealand.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Sample a selection of tasty sweets that are representative of the Hawke’s Bay region.
• Enjoy creamy chocolates and preservative-free, dye-free ice cream made from a 1926 recipe.
• Drive through the bucolic interior of the Hawke’s Bay region and see iconic Te Mata Peak.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing with a swimsuit underneath.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes or water shoes.

OVERVIEW

Join an enlightening tour of a gin distillery in one of Napier’s famed Art Deco buildings and enjoy a cocktail as you watch how the spirits are produced. While driving through downtown, the guide will elaborate on the 1931 earthquake and fire that destroyed the city and fueled a rebirth of construction in the popular Art Deco style of the time. You will see inspiring iconic buildings decorated with relief stucco ornaments in geometric patterns, sleek shapes and even Māori symbols. One of the most elegant of those architectural treasures is now home to the National Distillery Company. While touring, you will see how the gins are produced using native botanicals such as harakeke – more commonly known as flax – and karamu, a plant with medicinal uses. The botanicals contribute to the spirits’ unique flavor profiles. The gin in your drink may be dry, citrusy or perhaps boast an earthy sweetness.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Discover how gins are distilled using local botanicals and enjoy a gin cocktail while touring.
• Admire the elegance of the distillery, an Art Deco building that once housed a tobacco company.
• Drive through the world’s largest collection of Art Deco buildings in downtown Napier.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

OVERVIEW

As the newest member of the prestigious Great Wine Capitals of the World, Hawke’s Bay as one of the premier wine-producing areas globally. Celebrated for its exceptional vineyards and world-class wines with more than 60 prominent wineries, the Hawke’s Bay area is renowned for its Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Visit two of the top wineries of the region. At each winery, you will be treated to a tasting of some of their recent vintages with the opportunity to purchase the ones you enjoyed afterwards. Enjoy a scenic drive through the Tuki Tuki Valley, with stunning views of Te Mata Peak before returning to the wharf.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Travel from the pier by coach into the beautiful winegrowing landscape of Hawke’s Bay.
• Visit the iconic Mission Estate Winery and its Cellar Door tasting room for a sampling session and enjoy a tasting at another of the premier local vineyards.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Wear weather-appropriate clothing.
• Flat, comfortable walking shoes are recommended.
• Bring a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen as needed.

OVERVIEW

Ride an electric bike along the inspiring Hawke’s Bay Trails and through the suburb of Taradale and admire the gorgeous views throughout the journey. Traveling by e-bike couldn’t be easier because its battery-powered, whisper-quiet motor makes pedaling a breeze, allowing you to go farther with less effort. You will experience that firsthand by zipping through the urban green spaces on the flat easy-to-negotiate bike path. The route is about 11 miles long, all of it wonderfully scenic. During stops, the guide will point out and describe highlights such as Napier’s vast collection of Art Deco buildings, the photogenic Ahuriri Coast and a protected wildlife refuge that attracts a remarkable variety of wading birds in the shallows of its estuary. The cycling portion of the tour will end at the cellar door of one of the region’s premier wineries, where you will enjoy a tasting thoughtfully paired with a platter of seasonal delicacies.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Zip around Napier and its outskirts on an electric bike that will enhance your pedaling power.
• If you are tired of pedaling, let the e-bike motor take over.
• Pause for photos of attractions ranging from Art Deco buildings to a wildlife refuge.
• Sample wines paired with local specialties at a Hawke’s Bay cellar door.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

OVERVIEW

Float down the meandering Mohaka River in an inflatable raft following an incredibly scenic route through low canyons covered by native bush. While driving deep into the interior of the Hawke’s Bay region, you will get a glimpse of the wild landscape that awaits. The last leg of the drive will be through the Titiokura Saddle Pass, a trail that the indigenous Māori people and early settlers used to travel through the mountains. After easing into the raft, you will paddle off, floating along the river as it winds through the gorgeous countryside. You will pass under a soaring bridge, past waterfalls gently cascading down rocky cliffs and into a landscape rarely seen by any other means. The water in this section of the Mohaka is Grade 2, meaning it will be mostly flat but with occasional rolling rapids and small drops in pitch. You could even take a refreshing swim when the guide gives the go-ahead. Cap the day off with a light lunch on your return journey to port.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Float down the gently flowing Mohaka River as it winds through the wilderness.
• Enjoy mostly calm water with occasional rapids and drops in pitch.
• Be awed by the natural beauty as you pass through low canyons that the river has carved.
• Swim in the river at suitable sections if you wish.
• Drive through the beautiful undeveloped Hawke’s Bay region to reach the launch site.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing with a swimsuit underneath.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes or water shoes.

OVERVIEW

Drive past the marquee attractions of New Zealand’s ‘Art Deco City,’ then explore its underwater world at the National Aquarium. Considered one of the most attractive cities in New Zealand, Napier was completely rebuilt after enduring a devastating 1931 earthquake and fire. The result is what you’ll see on this leisurely drive: the world’s largest concentration of stylish Art Deco buildings, most of which still stand in their streamlined, original condition. You’ll also enjoy a spin along Marine Parade, the coastal road lined with symmetrical Norfolk Island pines that traces the gentle curve of Hawke’s Bay and showcases beaches beloved by surfers and boaters alike. The Maori-inspired Pania of the Reef bronze and graceful Spirit of Napier monument and among the sights you’ll see en route to your independent tour of the National Aquarium. Here you’ll encounter every imaginable sort of marine life, including preserved giant squid, living coral reefs, seahorses, eels and fish indigenous to New Zealand. Other tanks showcase penguins and marine oddities like the endangered pacu, a toothy Amazonian fish that feeds on fruits and berries. Even land animals like flightless kiwi birds and scaly tuatara lizards are among the attraction’s attractions.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Enjoy a coach-driven tour of the Art Deco District of Napier, a living time capsule of the 1930s.
• Drive along Marine Parade, a Norfolk Pine-lined coastal boulevard whose scenery includes sunken gardens, iconic sculptures and the beaches of Hawke’s Bay.
• Visit the National Aquarium of New Zealand, touring the diverse tanks and exhibits at your leisure.
• See everything from preserved giant squids to tiny seahorses, penguins, fruit-eating fish and even kiwi birds.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Wear layered, weather-appropriate clothing.
• Flat, comfortable walking shoes are recommended.
• Bring a hat, a bottle of water from the ship, sunglasses and sunscreen as needed.

OVERVIEW

Take in the sights of downtown Napier from aboard a unique sightseeing train that travels through the streets rather than along rails. After a devastating earthquake and fire of 1931, Napier was completely rebuilt in the then-modern style that was sweeping the U.S. and Europe. The happy result is a city boasting the world’s largest concentration of Art Deco buildings, most of them today restored to the peak of their period beauty. Riding through the streets on a modern road train styled like a vintage steam railroad, you’ll pass a dazzling parade of stucco relief facades, ornamentation in geometric patterns, streamlined silhouettes and even some Maori symbols thrown in for a regional twist. Of the 164 Art Deco, Spanish Mission and Stripped Classical buildings constructed in Napier in the 1930s, some 140 of them still stand – creating a living time capsule of the Deco era. From the wide, comfortable seats of the Hawke’s Bay Express, you can relax and see it all through the train’s large windows. You’ll also get a look at Bluff Hill, where the early settlers lived, and the old port village of Ahuriri, where their ships came in.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Enjoy a 1.5hrs long, slow-motion speed date with a beautiful Art Deco city you’re bound to love.
• Travel through downtown Napier on a sightseeing train that rides the streets, not the rails.
• Sit back in romantic, old-fashioned comfort and see the city through modern big picture windows.
• Learn about the circumstances that led to the Napier’s world-class collection of Art Deco landmarks.
• Enjoy a short tour stop is at the Customs house with pictorial stories of the region over time.
• Catch the views from Bluff Hill and along the old Ahuriri wharf, as well.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Wear casual, weather-appropriate clothing.
• Flat, comfortable walking shoes are recommended.
• Bring a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen as needed.

OVERVIEW

Take a drive and walk through Napier’s famous Art Deco districts and see the results of the city’s remarkable 1931 rebuild. Art Deco was all the rage in the U.S. and Europe in 1931 when a severe earthquake struck here, leveling much of the town. With an entire metropolis to rebuild, Napier embraced this whimsically streamlined architectural style and went to work. Today, the heritage sections of the city feel like a 1930s-era film set – except real. You’ll travel by coach to Ahuriri, the character-filled port district where Napier began, stopping by the landmark National Tobacco Company building for photos, and spin along the streets of Marewa, Napier’s charming Art Deco residential neighborhood. A drive down Marine Parade, lined with rows of Norfolk Pines leads to the Art Deco Shop, where you’ll learn more about Napier’s history with a brief film presentation, then set off on a leisurely guided half-mile stroll through the official Art Deco Quarter. You’ll marvel at its eclectic mix of period buildings in the Spanish Mission, Stripped Classical and, of course, streamlined Art Deco styles – and step inside the old AMP Building and ASB Bank for interior inspections.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Sit back for a drive through several Napier neighborhoods that showcase its unique Art Deco heritage.
• Tour Ahuriri, the old wharf district, and stop for photos at the magnificently detailed 1932 National Tobacco Company building.
• Leave the coach behind for a while, as you take a leisurely guided walk in the central Art Deco District.
• Enjoy close-up views of Spanish Mission, Stripped Classical and streamline-Deco landmarks, with some interior visits included.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Wear casual, weather-appropriate clothing.
• Flat, comfortable walking shoes are recommended.
• Bring a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen as needed.

OVERVIEW

Board a safari vehicle for a scenic drive down the coast to observe thousands of breeding gannets and catch amazing views across Hawke’s Bay. This unique excursion carries you out to a dramatic promontory where the 4,500-acre private farm known as Cape Kidnappers Station borders on the world’s largest and most-accessible mainland nesting place for gannets. These handsome, quirky members of the booby family nest high on the sea cliffs and are famous for the ritualized recognition dance performed by mating partners who pair up for life. Skilled anglers, they swoop and dive for fish in the water below, preen on the rocks, and generally make themselves fascinating to watch – especially in these large numbers. To reach their remote domain, you’ll be driven across the farm’s river beds, rolling pastures, steep gullies and breathtaking inclines to within a few feet of the Cape Kidnappers sanctuary. Your guide will provide the background commentary on this habitat, and the gannets will provide the entertainment. From this cliff 328 feet up straight from the beach, you’ll also see the entire rugged sweep of the Hawke’s Bay coastline – all the way north to Mahia Peninsula. Afternoon tea will also be served.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Travel from the pier by off-road vehicle to Cape Kidnappers Station, a vast private farm adjacent to a vast gannet sanctuary.
• Traverse farm terrain to the tip of a dramatic promontory, within feet of the world's largest mainland gannet colony.
• Observe these acrobatic birds fishing, preening, and performing their famous recognition dance with their life-long mates.
• Enjoy complimentary tea, jaw-dropping views from a 328-foot sea cliff, and top Napier sights like Marine Parade and Tom Parker Fountain on the return drive.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Wear casual, weather-appropriate clothing.
• Flat, comfortable walking shoes are recommended.
• Bring a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen as needed.