Hawke’s Bay
Napier’s Art Deco streets on the Pacific, the vineyards of Havelock North under Te Mata Peak, and a sheep station on the cliffs of Cape Kidnappers.
- Arrival
- Hawke’s Bay Airport, Napier · NPE
- To the city
- About 4 km from central Napier
- Private jets
- Customs at NPE with 24 hours’ notice
- Best time
- November to April
The city
A town rebuilt in one style.
In 1931 an earthquake shook Hawke’s Bay for more than three minutes, killed nearly 260 people and levelled the centre of Napier. The town was rebuilt at once, in Stripped Classical, Spanish Mission and Art Deco, and it now holds one of the most complete Art Deco ensembles anywhere. Every February a festival fills the streets with vintage cars and period dress.
Inland, Hastings and Havelock North sit among orchards and vineyards known for syrah and pinot gris, with Te Mata Peak above them. November to April is the season: dry, with highs from 20 to 24 degrees.
- Art Deco Napier Streets of 1930s facades in the centre, and Marine Parade along the sea, with the statue of Pania on the foreshore.
- Te Mata Peak The ridge over Havelock North, seen from the terraces of the vineyards below.
- Cape Kidnappers The gannet colony on the cape, beyond the sheep station on the cliffs.
Arriving
A regional airport by the sea.
Hawke’s Bay Airport lies at Westshore, on the northern edge of Napier, about four kilometres from the centre. Havelock North and the vineyards are about half an hour away by car.
- Auckland 50 min
- Sydney 3 h 25
- Nadi 3 h 30
- Brisbane 3 h 40
- Bangkok 13 h 00 long-range jet
When to go
November to April.
Mild and fairly dry, with under 80 millimetres of rain in every month from September to May. November to April is the warm season, with highs of 20 to 24 degrees and the sea up to 19; winter days stay around 14.
- 24° J 47 19°
- 24° F 58 19°
- 23° M 79 19°
- 20° A 68 17°
- 17° M 65 16°
- 14° J 92 14°
- 14° J 86 13°
- 14° A 80 12°
- 16° S 64 13°
- 19° O 49 14°
- 21° N 45 15°
- 23° D 68 17°
Where to stay
Lodges on the cape and in the vines.
Shown for information. We have no arrangement with any of these hotels.
- Craggy Range Luxury Vineyard Retreat Seven cottages and lodges with terraces over the vines, beside the winery and its restaurant facing Te Mata Peak.
- Rosewood Cape Kidnappers Suites on a working sheep station above the bay, with a golf course by Tom Doak and two MICHELIN Keys.
- The Manse Two suites in a former private house on part of a historic sheep station, looking over the Ngaruroro River to the Ruahine and Kaweka ranges.
- Porters Boutique Hotel Forty-two rooms and suites in the village centre, many with views of Te Mata Peak.
- Scenic Hotel Te Pania A hundred and nine rooms and suites on the seafront, two minutes’ walk from the Art Deco centre.
- The Crown Hotel Thirty-nine rooms and suites in the waterfront village of Ahuriri, the heritage suites in the original hotel of 1932.
Where to dine
Tables the guides rate.
The MICHELIN Guide New Zealand 2026 lists no restaurant in Hawke’s Bay; hats are from the Cuisine Good Food Awards 2025.
- Craggy Range Restaurant Three Cuisine hats Winery restaurant Craggy Range, Havelock North
- Black Barn Bistro One Cuisine hat Bistro Havelock North
- Cellar 495 One Cuisine hat Restaurant Hastings
- Central Fire Station Bistro One Cuisine hat Bistro Napier
- Elephant Hill One Cuisine hat Restaurant Haumoana
Elsewhere in New Zealand
More reasons to come.
- Auckland Two harbours, a skyline of volcanic cones, and yachts everywhere.
- Bay of Islands Sheltered coves, dolphins and the treaty grounds of Waitangi.
- Marlborough Sauvignon blanc country at the top of the South Island.
- Queenstown Lake Wakatipu, the Remarkables, and a runway between mountains.
- Milford Sound A fiord of waterfalls, reached by road, boat or small plane.
Flying to Hawke’s Bay?
Choose how you arrive.
A Business or First Class seat on a scheduled airline, or an aircraft of your own. Tell us the date and how many are travelling, and we reply with one final price, our margin included.