![]() |
![]() |
||||
|
|
Destination Guides > New Zealand > Gisborne & East Cape
Gisborne & East CapeNew Zealand's remote East Cape is one of the first places in the world to see the sun rise. It is one of the country's least visited places and it offers a spectacular rugged coastline and is a great place for travellers who want to get off the beaten track. GisborneApart from being the first city west of the International Date Line, Gisborne is a sunny place with palm tree lined streets and some good beaches and vineyards nearby. Not many travellers make it here and most people who visit Gisborne are driving up to the East Cape. Practical InformationVisitor Information Centre209 Grey Street, GisborneTel (06) 868 6139 Website www.gisbornenz.com Open Mon-Fri 8.30am-5.30pm, Sat-Sun 10am-5pm Department of Conservation63 Carnarvon Street, GisborneTel (06) 869 0460 Open Mon-Fri 8am-4.30pm Coming & GoingInterCity have daily coaches to Auckland, Napier and Rotorua that stop outside the information centre on Grey Street. AccommodationChalet Surf Lodge62 Moana Road (State Highway 35), OkituTel (06) 868 9612 Flying Nun Backpackers147 Roebuck Road, GisborneTel (06) 868 0461 Gisborne YHA32 Harris Street, GisborneTel (06) 867 3269 Sycamore Lodge690 Gladstone Road, GisborneTel (06) 868 1000 SightsTairawhiti MuseumThis excellent museum complex features exhibits on local history with a fine collection of Māori artefacts. Stout Street, GisborneTel (06) 867 3832 Admission free Open Mon-Fri 10am-4pm, Sat-Sun 1.30pm-4pm Te Moana Maritime MuseumNext door to the Tairawhiti Museum is the Te Moana Maritime Museum, which has displays of shipwrecks including the bridge house of the Star of Canada, which ran aground on Kaiti Beach in 1912. It also has an exhibit of historic surfboards. Stout Street, GisborneTel (06) 867 3832 Admission free Open Mon-Fri 10am-4pm, Sat-Sun 1.30pm-4pm East CapeThis remote and seldom visited region boasts a beautiful rugged coastline and sleepy towns with a rich Māori culture. It is sparsely populated with very few facilities and it's a good idea to stock up on groceries and use the ATM in Gisborne or Opotiki before venturing out here. Local TransportThere isn't much local transport around the East Cape, but Kiwi Experience's East As bus does a good job of getting you around. East As travels along State Highway 35 from Gisborne to Rotorua via the East Cape. It also includes stops in Taupo and Napier. AccommodationTOKOMARU BAYThis small seaside town is most travellers' first (or last) stop on the road around the cape. It is a laid back place with a couple of shops. Brian's PlacePotae Street, Tokomaru BayTel (06) 864 5870 Footprints in the Sand Backpackers13 Potae Street, Tokomaru BayTel (06) 864 5858 House of the Rising SunPotae Street, Tokomaru BayTel (06) 864 5858 TE ARAROA & HICK'S BAYTe Araroa is the closest town with road access to East Cape and Hick's Bay is just a few minutes up the road. Mel's PlaceOnepoto Beach Road, Hicks BayTel (06) 864 4694 Saddle & Stay Backpackers Farm StayState Highway 35, Hicks BayTel (06) 864 4634 Sunrise LodgeState Highway 35, Te AraroaTel (06) 864 4854 WHANARUA BAYThis beautiful seaside setting near the Opotiki end of the coastal highway is home to what may travellers describe as the best situated of the hostels in the East Cape region. Maraehako Bay RetreatState Highway 35, Te Kaha, Whanarua BayTel (07) 325 2648 Te Urewera National ParkThis remote national park is comprised of a large swathe of rugged wilderness and is home to two beautiful lakes Lake Waikaremoana and the smaller Lake Waikareiti. It is the country's fourth largest national park and the largest in the North Island. The park has several good walking tracks that range from short walks to Lake Waikareiti to the brilliant Lake Waikaremoana Track (see below). Practical InformationAniwaniwa Visitor CentreState Highway 38, AniwaniwaTel (06) 837 3900 Open 8am-4.45pm daily Coming & GoingBig Bush Holiday Park (tel (06) 837 3777; website www.lakewaikaremoana.co.nz) run a shuttle bus to the park from Rotorua and Wairoa. The one-way fare to/from Rotorua is $60 and it costs $25 from Wairoa. Local TransportBig Bush Water Taxi (tel (06) 837 3777; website www.lakewaikaremoana.co.nz) run a drop off and pick up service to the trailheads of the Lake Waikaremoana Track. The return trip costs $25. HikingLake Waikaremoana TrackLake Waikaremoana Track (48km, 3-5days) is one of DOC's Great Walks. It is a varied trek through the wilderness surrounding Lake Waikaremoana that allows you to see many of New Zealand's unique birds. The track offers splendid views over the lake. There are five huts on the track. Each cost $14 per night and must be booked in advanced through the Aniwaniwa Visitor Centre (tel (06) 837 3900). The track can be hiked in either direction and the last three sections can be combined in one day. The challenging first section of the track, from Onepoto to Panekiri Hut (8.8km, 5hrs), involves a steep 600m climb to the top of the Panekiri Bluff where you are rewarded by breathtaking views. The track then follows the ridge to Panekiri Hut. The second day, Panekiri Hut to Waiopaoa Hut (7.6km, 3-4hrs), is mostly downhill through beech and kamahi forest. The third section of the track passes through kanuka forest by the lakeshore and there is a short detour to the dazzling Korokoro Falls. This section runs between Waiopaoa Hut and Marauiti Hut (12.1km, 4½hrs). The section from Marauiti Hut to Waiharuru Hut (6.2km, 2hrs) is an easy walk along the lakeshore. The area is home to kiwi and it is common to hear them at night if you're staying at either the Marauiti or Waiharuru Huts. The stretch between Waiharuru Hut and Whanganui Hut (5.3km, 2½hrs) crosses the neck of the Puketukutuku Peninsula and then follows the lake shore. The final stretch of the track, from Whanganui Hut to Hopuruahine Bridge (5.2km, 1½hrs), takes in lovely views of the Huiarau Inlet before crossing the Hopuruahine suspension bridge. |
|
|||

