Hawke's Bay guide: Art Deco Napier, wineries and bike trails

Hawke’s Bay is the North Island’s sunny side. It has an Art Deco city rebuilt after an earthquake, a long sweep of coast, flat cycle trails that link orchards and vineyards, and one of the world’s most accessible gannet colonies. It is also an easy place to slow down for a few days between Taupō and Wellington.

This guide covers Napier, Hastings and Havelock North, wineries, bike trails, Cape Kidnappers and where to stay. Prices and times are as at November 2026 and come from the Art Deco Trust, DOC, NIWA and the operators.

Hawke’s Bay at a glance

Napier is much drier than the big North Island cities, averaging 776 mm of rain a year on NIWA’s figures, compared with 1,211 mm in Auckland and 1,215 mm in Wellington. January’s average high is 24.5°C and July’s is 14.1°C (NIWA, 1981 to 2010 averages).

Napier: Art Deco by the sea

After the devastating 1931 Hawke’s Bay earthquake, Napier was rebuilt in the Art Deco style, and the Art Deco Trust now calls it the Art Deco capital of the world. The compact city centre is full of 1930s facades, and the best way to understand them is a guided walk.

The Art Deco Trust runs walks from the Art Deco Centre in Memorial Square:

Prices are as at November 2026. You can also pick up a self-guided route at the centre and walk at your own pace.

After the walk, stroll Marine Parade, the long seafront lined with Norfolk pines and gardens. On a clear day you can see Cape Kidnappers at the far end of the bay.

If you are visiting in February, the Art Deco Festival Napier runs from 18 to 21 February 2027, with 1930s fashion, vintage cars, music and dancing across the city. Beds go early that week.

Hastings, Havelock North and Te Mata Peak

Hastings is the region’s other city, about 20 minutes south of Napier, surrounded by orchards and vineyards. Next door, Havelock North is a village of cafes sitting under Te Mata Peak.

Te Mata Park was gifted to the community in 1927 and is run by a volunteer trust. The trust describes 360° views across Hawke’s Bay from the top, and the peak holds deep significance in Māori tradition, with several names and stories. You can drive up or walk the park’s tracks, and sunset is a good time to go.

Insider tip: do Te Mata Peak in the late afternoon, then have dinner in Havelock North. The low sun makes the view across the plains glow, and you avoid the midday heat on the tracks in summer.

Getting there and getting around

Hawke’s Bay is easy to fit into a North Island loop. These are our routing estimates to Napier, without stops:

Once you are here, distances are short. Napier to Hastings is about 20 km and Napier to Havelock North about 21 km, each around 20 to 25 minutes. A car is the easiest way to link the towns, wineries and Te Mata Peak, but the flat trails mean a bike can do a lot of the work on a winery day. Never drive after tasting: book a tour, ride, or nominate a driver.

When to go

Summer is the classic time, with warm, dry days for riding and cellar door lunches. February adds the Art Deco Festival. Autumn brings the harvest and quieter roads, and winter stays mild by New Zealand standards. Here are NIWA’s averages for Napier:

Wineries

New Zealand Winegrowers lists Hawke’s Bay for red blends, Chardonnay and Syrah. The cellar doors are spread across the plains and coast around Napier, Hastings and Havelock North, so plan a route rather than trying to see them all in a day.

Hawke’s Bay Tourism promotes a Wineries Ride: a mostly flat loop on the Hawke’s Bay Trails with 10 cellar doors, which is the easiest way to taste without driving. Opening hours vary by season and some wineries open by appointment only at quieter times, so check each one before you go. Our NZ wine regions guide compares Hawke’s Bay with Marlborough, Central Otago and Martinborough.

Hawke’s Bay Trails by bike

The Hawke’s Bay Trails are one of New Zealand’s 23 Great Rides. The trails’ own site describes nearly 200 km of easy to intermediate cycling and walking trails linking the coast, river pathways, vineyards and orchards. Ngā Haerenga lists the Great Ride at 177 km, 1 to 4 days, graded Easiest, which makes it one of the gentlest Great Rides in the country.

You do not have to ride the lot. A day loop is enough for most visitors: a seafront ride from Napier, the Wineries Ride, or a coastal ride towards Clifton, about 22 km from Napier by road. The trails’ site lists bike and e-bike hire companies and guided tour operators, so you can hire locally rather than bring a bike. Our NZ cycle trails guide compares the Hawke’s Bay Trails with other easy rides.

Cape Kidnappers gannets

At the southern end of Hawke Bay, Cape Kidnappers/Te Kauwae-a-Māui is home to nesting gannet colonies. DOC manages a gannet reserve there, but the best place to see the birds, the Plateau colony, is on private land.

On foot. DOC’s beach route from Clifton is 19 km return and takes about 5 hours. It can only be attempted around low tide, and high tides and big seas block the beach. DOC is blunt about the danger: the beach is subject to landslides and rockfall, the risk is real and significant, and the track’s status can change at any time. Check DOC’s safety alert and the tide timetable before you set off.

Overland tour. DOC points to a lower-risk option through a commercial operator. Gannet Safaris has run overland trips for more than 50 years, taking 4x4 vehicles from its Te Awanga base across farmland and native bush to what it calls New Zealand’s largest privately owned nature reserve. Check its site for current times and prices.

Where to stay

Napier is the best all-round base: walkable, by the sea and full of restaurants. Havelock North is quieter and handy for Te Mata Peak and wineries. Hastings sits in between. Book well ahead for the Art Deco Festival week and summer weekends.

Driving through on a bigger loop? Hawke’s Bay is a stop on our 10-day North Island road trip, and our Auckland to Wellington drive covers the inland and east coast routes. For more on Taupō, about 141 km and 2 hours 10 minutes from Napier on our routing estimate, see things to do in Taupō.