Hawkes Bay
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Situated on the North Island, Hawkes Bay is one of the best known areas of food and wine in New Zealand. There are over 70 vineyards in the area and a large selection of these offer fine dining, tastings, outdoor concerts and winery tours. Although spread over a large area many of the wineries can be explored by bike and there are bike hire and bike tours companies which cater for this. There are also a wide choice of guided tours. Napier is the major hub for the region which also encompasses the towns of Havelock North and Hastings. The climate is perfect for the orchards and market gardeners who provide the local eateries with the freshest and tastiest produce Hawkes Bay has to offer. The Farmers Market at Hastings held on Sundays is the best place to find local fare. Meet the growers and enjoy the mix of local music, cheese tastings and homemade goodies on offer. Pernel Fruitworld specialises in stone and pip fruit production and runs regular tours of the orchard and pack houses.
Finish off your tour with a homemade icecream and take some seasonal fruit home. Try fishing or blo karting at Porangahau beach. Visit Arataki Honey in Havelock North to view a working bee colony in action and taste the full range of honeys available. Head to the Hawkes Bay Exhibition Centre for a comprehensive show of paintings, crafts and sculptures. The Amphitheatre at Black Barn Vineyards provides the perfect setting for outdoor concerts and events. It has been purpose built for the best acoustics and viewing possible. Some of the best artists in the world have performed here and rate it as one of the best in the country. Cape Kidnappers is home to the largest gannet colony in the world. There are a variety of tours which will get you close to the gannets in their natural habitat. Hawkes Bay has regular festivals including Blues, Brews and BBQs on the 3rd weekend in January featuring music, locally brewed beer and gourmet bbqed food. Another great event to attend is the Hawkes Bay Wine & Food festival held on the last Saturday in January. Hawkes Bay has plenty of accommodation to choose from however the most popular places are the bed and breakfast or lodge options to soak up the true atmosphere of the region. There are also a number of good camping grounds to choose from. Activities in Hawkes Bay include hot air ballooning, canoeing, fly fishing and golf.