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You cannot miss the building
from the balcony
porkfillet rolled in proscuito
Plaque
Hi,
We've nabbed a couple of cheap flights just before Christmas and are spending 20th - 22nd December in Gisborne. Any top tips on how to be spending our time there?
Also, I'm trying to keep to a fairly tight budget at the moment, and have been looking at the YHA there as a means of keeping our accommodation costs down. If anyone has any opinions about the place I'd be glad to hear them, or any other recommendations.
Cheers :-)
Hi Allison
Some tips (from my Gisborne page):
- Kaiti Hill
- Heipipi Endeavour Park
- Tairawhiti Museum
- Marae 'Te Poho-O-Rawiri'
further away (off the beatne path); suppose you nee a car:
- Whangara: "Whale Rider" village
- Tolaga: the longest pier of New Zealand
- Mahia Peninsula
Suppose you couls also visit one of the wineries and otherwise just relx on the beach.
Enjoy sunny Gisborne.
Jaap
My top tip from Gisborne would be Mahia Peninsula - wonderful beaches, and a kind of Rio's mini sugarloaf ;-) But I do not know if there is public transport from Gisborne. Perhaps you find a cheap rental car if you book right now?
Somewhere I read that the Tolaga Wharf is rotting horribly - but I have not found any up-to-date information, if they have found sponsors to repair it, or if something has been done in the meantime.
Cheers, Sissi
Thanks for the suggestions Jaap and Sissi. I'm not sure if we will get a car or not. We have booked into the YHA to keep costs down, so we can see how the budget is looking. We have a trip to Queenstown before then where we will definitely be needing a car, so I'll check prices anyway. (been taking advantage of some cheap Air NZ Grabaseat deals!).
I understand :-)
The YHA is not too far from Kaiti Hill from where you have a great view over the city. I found Gisborne very nice and relaxing and remember a very relaxing lunch at the Marina Restaurant, sitting next to one of the three rivers that flow into the sea in Gisborne.
Yes, and as Jaap already said, you have the beaches, the famous marae, Botanic Gardens, and the wineries. (Although the latter could become more expensive than a rental car LOL)
I am sure you will not get bored ;-)
Sissi
Gisbornes main attraction has to the sweeping sandy beaches that surround the district.
Most of the city beaches provide safe swimming but the beach is also patrolled by lifeguards to be on the safe side.
Surfing is very popular here but the best surfing spots are 'up the coast', about a 10 -15 minute drive from the city.
As it is a coastal town, fashion in Gisborne is highly motivated by the beach. Cool clothing is a must - especially as it will be hot! Comfy sandals are what everyone will be wearing, and light clothing - T-shirt/shorts/skirts.
Definitely bring sunglasses, you WILL need them!
We visited Tolaga Bay Wharf on our way around the East Cape, but it is also a nice day trip from Gisborne via SH 35, the so called Pacific Coast Highway.
This is the longest pier in New Zealand with its more than 650 metres length. It was built around 1930 to allow ships to unload at al tides. But nowadays it has fallen in disrepair and everywhere we could see the decay of concrete. In a matter of fact it is more or less dangerous to walk on the pier as we did. Specially with a storm and huge waves under the pier it was quite an adventure.
In Tolaga you will find also a beach an two walking tracks (Ernest Reeve Walkway and Cooks Cove).
Gizzy is the first city in the world to see the sun - and therefore the first to say goodbye to the day. Watch the sun set before the rest of the world.
My Mum and I always used to head down to the beach after dinner and go for a walk along the sands to watch the sun go down. A perfect way to end an evening
Gisborne (Tūranga-nui-a-Kiwa), located at the northern end of Poverty Bay, is where Captain James Cook first stepped ashore in New Zealand on October 8, 1769.
The white cliff headland of Young Nick's Head is prominent at the southern end of the bay. It is believed that this headland was the first part of New Zealand sighted by a crewman of Cook's ship "Endeavour".
To quote from my copy of Cook's Log of his first voyage,"At noon the S.W. point of Poverty bay, which I have named Young Nicks head (after the boy who first saw this land) bore N.by W. distance 3 or 4 leagues".
Dominating the city between the port and the northern point of the bay, Kaiti Hill provides magnificent views of the town, the fertile hinterland and the bay itself.
Visitors to Gisborne should check out the memorials to Cook and Young Nick on the beach front and the memorials on Kaiti Hill. A visit to the "I" for Information (Tourist Bureau) will help in researching history.
Gisborne i-SITE, 209 Grey Street, Gisborne.
Ph 06 868 6139
approx Lat:Long: 38º40’20.00”S ; 178º01’13.30”E
http://www.gisbornenz.com/
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