Take an introductory drive through Gisborne, an easy-going beach-blessed city that revolves around life’s pleasures such as surfing, dining and wine production.

After departing from the pier, you'll set off on a journey of discovery. Gisborne is home to approximately 44,000 people and is the birth place of a diverse variety of New Zealand notables, including pro surfer Maz Quinn, opera star Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, several Olympic medalists, and Footrot Flats comic book creator Murray Ball.

The shores of Gisborne are legendary for their beauty and history. Your tour will take you past the spot where Captain Cook, the English explorer who discovered the area, first landed and met the native Maori people.

Then, travel up Titirangi (Kaiti) Hill for a photo opportunity, passing a stately Marae, a Maori meeting house, considered to be the largest in New Zealand. When you reach the top of the hill, you’ll be treated to spectacular views of Poverty Bay, Young Nicks Head, the first piece of land sighted by James Cook’s crew and named for the young lad who spied it—and your anchored ship.

Continue along the shoreline to admire two of the area’s premier beaches. Wainui and Okitu are known for their impressive waves, which draw top surfers to their sands. Keep your camera ready for a stop at the sand dunes of Lysnar Reserve.

In just a few miles, the scenery changes dramatically, and you’ll find yourself in Gisborne’s idyllic rural area. Thirty percent of all wines produced in New Zealand come from this region. Enjoy the view as you drive along roads bordered by sweet-smelling orchards, award-winning vineyards, and lush, fertile plains. You’ll also see fields dotted with adorable fluffy sheep happily grazing beside quaint farmhouses.

On your return to the city, you’ll travel down the main shopping street, the tree-lined Gladstone Road. Named after former British Prime Minister William Ewart Gladstone, the boulevard houses boutiques, souvenir stores brimming with handcrafted gifts, surf shops and colorful outdoor cafes perfect for a bite to eat and people watching. You will have the option of disembarking to explore independently, making your own way back to port, or simply remaining on the motorcoach and returning to the ship.

Enjoy a leisurely bike ride through downtown Gisborne and along a relatively flat cycling trail, passing the city’s key monuments, historical sites and most distinctive architecture.

After departing from the pier on a bicycle, you will head toward the long stretch of beach that hugs Poverty Bay on the south side of Gisborne or “Gizzy,” as it is affectionately known. Along the way, you will pause as your guide elaborates on the city’s history with particular attention paid to the Maori settlers and the Europeans that followed.

In the mid-14th century, the migratory Maori first landed in this area, and English explorer Captain James Cook arrived later in 1769. There is a monument commemorating the initial meeting between Cook and the Maori overlooking Poverty Bay.

Depending on your route around Gisborne, you may pass the extraordinary clock tower of the 1930s post office, the Tairawhiti Museum that is devoted to Maori artifacts and 19th-century photography, and the Taruhero River that gently flows through the city. You might also notice a number of “First to See the Light” signs that refer to Gisborne being New Zealand’s easternmost city and the world’s first to greet the rising sun each new day.

The tour isn’t all cycling though, as you will stop for a time to enjoy morning tea at a lovely Art Deco café. After approximately two and one half hours, the tour will end back at the pier.

After departing from the pier, you will enjoy a short but picturesque drive into the rolling countryside on the outskirts of Gisborne. This area is fast becoming one of the largest wine-producing regions in New Zealand, thanks to its Mediterranean-style climate, fertile alluvial soil and low-altitude river plains. While Chardonnay is the most popular wine here, Gewürztraminer is becoming a favorite as well.

You will have the opportunity to sample several of the area’s most renowned wines while visiting two wineries. At Bushmere Estate, a small winery where the Egan family has been growing grapes for more than 40 years, you will enjoy a wine tasting accompanied by a light antipasto platter. The wines may include an elegant Chardonnay with hints of nectarine and grapefruit. Bushmere Estate’s excellent Gewürztraminer may also be a selection, and it typically features lychee flavors with a touch of honey and a lime and ginger finish.

You will also enjoy a tasting at Matawhero Wines. Established in 1968 by Bill Irwin, it defied convention and made wines of boutique standing and international acclaim and in doing so, changed the face of New Zealand winemaking forever. Since its first vintage in 1975, Matawhero has produced many excellent and often adventurous wines. Following in Bill’s pioneering footsteps, son Denis imparted his colorful style and won fame for his Gewürztraminer – everyone was drinking it, even the Queen of England. Today, revived by the Searle family, Matawhero is true to the founders’ determination, producing individualistic wines of world class standard. Learn more about the family’s commitment to sustainable wine producing as you sample their varietals while nibbling on complimentary cheeses. Following your visit at Matawhero, you will return to the pier.

Stroll on foot and drive through New Zealand’s extraordinary National Arboretum, a diverse collection of mature trees, some of which were planted nearly 100 years ago. After departing from the pier, you will settle in for drive through the hills of Poverty Bay until reaching Eastwoodhill, the National Arboretum of New Zealand. Along the way, a guide from the Friends of the Eastwoodhill Arboretum Trust will explain the distinctive qualities of the flora that awaits you.

Enjoy a 30-minute guided walking tour through the Homestead Garden and a guided tour in a four-wheel-drive vehicle.

Eastwoodhill is distinguished for having the largest and most comprehensive collection of Northern Hemisphere trees south of the equator. The first plantings were put into the fertile ground here in 1918, and today the collection numbers in the thousands. Highlights include a scarlet oak that was one of the very first plantings, a towering redwood from California, and a mountain ash that is the arboretum’s tallest specimen.

The collection is especially significant considering that it could never be replicated due to stringent international regulations with regard to importing plants. Many the trees should be in bloom and their delightful scents will waft through the air. After approximately two hours in the arboretum, you will rejoin your coach and return to the pier.

Wade out to a rock shelf off Tatapouri and watch the abundant marine life such as stingrays, fish and octopuses swimming around the reef.

After departing from the pier, you will enjoy a scenic coastal drive past the surfing mecca of Wainui Beach and up the Pacific Coast Highway to Tatapouri. After an enlightening orientation and then donning wading gear, you will walk with your guide out to a rocky reef shelf. Marine life is abundant here, and chances are you will see Down Under’s most iconic sea creatures.

Your guide will bring food along to entice the stingrays and as a result, the water is usually teeming with short-tail rays, which look particularly graceful as they glide along the shallow reef. Eagle rays are also common and can easily be distinguished from stingrays by their long, whip-like tails. Both species feed on fish, so you can also expect to see yellowtail kingfish, which in turn feed on trevally.

These beautiful silvery and blue-green fish are highly sought by fishermen, as they are strong fighters. Trevally are also known as “blurters” for the odd grunt they make when caught. The Maori call the trevally by various other names including the arara.

less

Take a ride on a vintage steam train through a scenic landscape that includes coastal views and fertile fields. A Maori cultural performance done by the local school children and photo opportunities await at Muriwai before retracing your route back to Gisborne.

The Golden Age of rail travel is celebrated on one of the last steam trains in New Zealand—the sole surviving WA Class locomotive. After a short walk from the pier, you’ll be welcomed on board the train for the forty minute ride to Muriwai.

Take your seat in one of several lovingly restored heritage carriages and set off on a picturesque ride along the Poverty Bay Coastline, past the Captain Cook Statue, and fertile areas where local produce is grown. You will also have views across the bay to the ship and Young Nick’s Head.

Built in 1897 in the Dunedin railway workshops, WA 165 was brought to Gisborne in 1911. It faithfully worked the north line until 1942, when it was retired to a children’s playground. In 1986, this beautiful piece of equipment was rediscovered and fully restored by local railway enthusiasts. Today you’ll settle into upholstered seats and toast to your good fortune with a complimentary glass of sparkling wine or fruit juice as you sit back and enjoy the passing scenery which is further enhanced by informative commentary during your ride.

Your destination is Muriwai, a small settlement 15 miles south of Gisborne. Here, you’ll alight on a rural grass platform and enjoy several photo opportunities as well as a charming Maori cultural performance performed by the local school children.

Maori is very much a living culture in this area, and while you wait for the train to be turned around for your return trip, you’ll be entertained by a lively performance, featuring the songs and dances of the local Maori people. This performance is locally produced and often includes school children who bring a special sweetness to the ceremony.

On your return journey, enjoy the company of your fellow travelers as you travel back to Gisborne.