Hawke’s Bay

Hawke’s Bay is a region of New Zealand’s North Island, located on its east coast. The June 2013 estimate places the population of Hawke’s Bay at 155,000; over 80% of this number live in the region’s two largest towns, Hastings and Napier. The Hawke’s Bay region surrounds the large bay of the same name, extending 100km from Mahia Peninsula in the north-east to Cape Kidnappers in the south-west. The region is a mixture of hilly coastal and inland areas, floodplains to the north, and a wide, fertile growing region in the south.

Hawke’s Bay was discovered by Capt. James Cook in 1769. Upon exploration, he named it for Sir Edward Hawke, First Lord of the Admiralty. The region is home to a hill bearing New Zealand’s and the world’s longest place name:  Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu (85 letters), which translates as ‘The summit where Tamatea, the man with the big knees, the climber of mountains, the land-swallower who travelled about, played his nose flute to his loved one.’ Apart from its exotic name, the hill is otherwise unremarkable.

In 1931, Napier and Hastings experienced an earthquake measuring 7.9 on the Richter scale. 256 people were killed, and the cities were devastated. The extensive rebuild left Napier with a distinctive Art Deco character, for which it is now world-renowned. Each February the city commemorates and celebrates its history during the Art Deco Weekend, which brings 40,000 visitors from across the globe to the modest-sized city (usual population 57,240.)

Numerous events, tours and trails are on offer to explore and celebrate the Hawke’s Bay region’s flourishing wine industry. From humble beginnings with the planting of the first vines by missionaries in the mid 19th century, the region is now home to over 100 vineyards and 80 wineries. Full-bodied red wines are a Hawke’s Bay speciality, and over 80% of the national vintage of the major red wine grape varietals are grown there. Hawke’s Bay is one of the warmest regions of New Zealand, thanks to its high sunshine hours and prevailing hot dry nor’westerly winds, and the climate combined with a diverse range of soil types allow many varieties to be grown successfully.

Along with grapes, Hawke’s Bay is New Zealand’s largest apple-, peach- and squash-growing region. The region’s major industries are horticulture & agriculture (and the resulting food & beverage production) and forestry. Access to an international container port at Napier allows a significant portion of the region’s produce to be exported.