SHORE EXCURSIONS

OVERVIEW

Take an introductory drive through easy-going “Gizzy,” where a surf beach and a bottle of locally-made wine are never far from hand. These shores are legendary for their beauty, as you will see driving along the coast and past where the great explorer, Captain James Cook, first landed and met the native Maori people in 1769. Traveling up to the top of Kaiti Hill, you’ll be treated to glorious views of beach-lined Poverty Bay and of the white bluffs sitting across the turquoise water; that’s Young Nick’s Head, the first land sighted by Cook’s crew and named for the young lad who spied it. As your coach hugs the shoreline, Wainui and Okitu appear, two showy surfing beaches known for their impressive rollers – and the photogenic sand dunes of Lysnar Reserve. A few miles further out, the scenery changes dramatically as you come into Gisborne’s idyllic rural area. Enjoy the views as you drive along roads bordered by sweet-smelling orchards and award-winning vineyards, and see lush green fields dotted with fluffy sheep and quaint farmhouses. Back in the city, you’ll spin down tree-lined Gladstone Road, where the city shops, dines and people-watches. Hop off here if you’d like to solo-explore.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Enjoy an introductory coach tour of Gisborne, a laid-back East Cape town that knows how to enjoy life.
• Pass gnarly surfing beaches, impressive dunes, New Zealand’s largest Maori meeting house, and Captain Cook’s 1769 landing spot.
• Enjoy panoramic views of Poverty Bay, Young Nicks Head and your ship from atop Kaiti Hill.
• Travel outside the city to where the vineyards and orchards flourish, and contented sheep graze.
• Hop off for independent exploring along the café-lined Gladstone Road or stay aboard back to the pier.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Wear casual, weather-appropriate clothing.
• Flat, comfortable shoes are recommended.
• Bring a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen as needed.

OVERVIEW

Take a seat for a leisurely two-wheeled spin through downtown Gisborne and out along a level cycling trail. Along the way, you’ll encounter much the city’s local color and many of its most significant sites – and even take out time for morning tea at a lovely Art Deco café. A town that knows how to appreciate life’s pleasures, Gisborne – or “Gizzy,” as it is affectionately known, has a colorful backstory that revolves around the 1769 meeting of European explorer James Cook and the local Maori who had migrated to these shores hundreds of years earlier. Your guide will elaborate on that history and show you the spot where the meet-up happened, along with other landmarks that usually include an extraordinary post office clock tower, the rustic Tairawhiti Museum nestled in the trees, and the Taruheru River that winds lazily through the city. You’ll also see plenty of “First to See the Light” signs; Gisborne is proud to be New Zealand’s easternmost city and the world’s first to greet the rising sun each new day. Your ride also carries you out of the city center and along part of a long stretch of beach that hugs the arc of Poverty Bay.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Follow your guide on a cycle though compact downtown Gisborne and out along a shoreside path.
• See the main sights and monuments, including the one marking where James Cook landed in 1769.
• Encounter the lovely river that winds through town, surfer-pleasing beaches that line the coast, and the boulevards where the city relaxes and shops.
• Stop mid-ride for a civilized morning tea break at an Art Deco café. Learn about how this town has the distinction of being “First to See the Light.”

HELPFUL HINTS

• Wear casual, weather-appropriate clothing.
• Flat, closed-toe shoes are mandatory.
• Bring a hat, a bottle of water from the ship, sunglasses and sunscreen as needed.

OVERVIEW

Taste the distinctive North Island terroir as you visit two leading Gisborne vineyards and sample their most characteristic wines. Blessed with a Mediterranean-style climate, fertile alluvial soil and low-altitude river plains, this area is fast becoming one of New Zealand’s largest wine-producing regions – renowned especially for its chardonnays and gewürztraminers. On this tour, you’ll have the delicious opportunity to find out what all the fuss is about. Traveling by coach from the pier, it’s a short but picturesque drive out into the rolling, green hills of wine country. At Bushmere Estate, where the Egan family has been growing grapes for over 40 years, you’ll sample their selections accompanied by a light antipasto platter. The tasting may include their elegant chardonnay redolent of nectarine and grapefruit, or an excellent gewürztraminer, known for its lychee flavor with a touch of honey and a lime/ginger finish. At Matawhero Wines, the offerings can be quite adventurous; founder Bill Irwin defied convention from the get-go in 1968, making wines of boutique standing and bringing acclaim to New Zealand’s prowess in the process. At one point, absolutely everyone was drinking Matawhero’s wines – even the Queen of England. You’ll sample their varietals while nibbling on complimentary cheeses.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Travel out to Gisborne wine country and sample the wares at two prominent vineyards.
• At the family-run Bushmere Estate, taste wines of standout character created for generations.
• Visit the tasting room at Matawhero Wines, known for their inventive, renegade spirit – and a gewürztraminer fit for a Queen.
• Learn about the unique growing conditions that make this region heaven for chardonnay and gewürztraminer grapes.
• Nibble light antipasto and cheese.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Wear casual, weather-appropriate clothing.
• Flat, comfortable shoes are recommended.
• Bring a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen as needed.

OVERVIEW

Experience an extraordinary collection of Northern Hemisphere trees in a surprising place: over 2,500 miles below the Equator outside Gisborne. Established in 1918 on over 300 acres of fertile North Island ground in the hills of Poverty Bay, Eastwoodhill is New Zealand’s national arboretum – and home to a diverse collection of mature trees that is breathtakingly comprehensive. Hundreds of colorful maples, oaks, ironwoods and poplars as well as fragrant flowering trees – even a towering California redwood – flourish here. On the coach drive to the reserve, a docent from the Friends of the Eastwoodhill will provide background and context on the arboretum – including how modern more-restrictive international agricultural regulations would make it completely impossible to replicate this collection today. Luckily, it’s already here for you to enjoy. And upon arrival, you can choose the manner of enjoying it that suits you best. Options include a 30-minute guided walking tour through the Homestead Garden, a broader-range guided tour in a 4WD vehicle, or the tried-and-true method of setting out on your own two feet with a detailed map and signage to guide you. Either way, you’ll have about two hours here to satisfy your arboreal cravings.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Enjoy a scenic drive through the Gisborne hills to tour New Zealand’s 100-year-old national arboretum.
• Explore parts of Eastwoodhill’s extraordinary 325-acre collection by one of several methods.
• Follow a guide on a 30-minute narrated walk, take a guided tour by 4WD vehicle, or just go old-school and wander the paths with map in hand
• See specimen maples, oaks, ironwoods and poplars too numerous to count.
• Depending on the season, many trees could be in bloom with delightful scents wafting through the air.

HELPFUL HINTS

• • Wear casual, weather-appropriate clothing.
• • Flat, comfortable walking shoes are recommended.
• • Bring a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen as needed.

OVERVIEW

Relive the golden age of steam rail travel on a scenic vintage train journey with a charming Maori cultural performance at the turnaround point. Built in 1897, “WA 165” was brought to Gisborne in 1911, faithfully working the north line until its 1942 retirement to a children’s playground. Rediscovered and lovingly restored to original working condition, it runs again in all its Victorian glory. Stroll or shuttle over from the pier, settle into an upholstered seat in a heritage carriage, and toast your good fortune with a complimentary glass of sparkling wine or juice as you watch the passing scenery in the style of travelers a century ago. Traversing the Poverty Bay Coastline, you’ll pass the Captain Cook Statue and enjoy views across the bay to the famous Young Nick’s Head bluffs. The ride to the rural Maori settlement of Muriwai takes about 40 minutes, and on arrival, you’ll alight on a grass platform where you’ll enjoy a heartwarming performance of traditional songs and dances, often performed with the help of local school children. With the train now turned around, you’ll return to Gisborne – either disembarking at a downtown station for some solo exploring or riding on to the pier.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Experience a roundtrip ride in early 20th-century style on a fully-restored heritage steam train.
• Seated in comfort, cross picturesque coastal terrain and fertile farmland en route to a rural settlement where Maori roots run deep.
• At Muriwai, enjoy an engaging performance of traditional songs and dance – often with the participation of local school children.
• On the return, opt to disembark at the Grey Street Railway Station for some independent exploring or stay onboard for the rest of the ride back to the pier.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Wear weather-appropriate clothing.
• Flat, comfortable walking shoes are recommended.
• Bring a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen as needed.

OVERVIEW

See Gisborne from a historical and cultural perspective on a leisurely walk that presents the most revealing landmarks in this city of firsts. It was here in the mid-14th century that the migratory Māori first landed and where the English explorer Captain James Cook first set foot in New Zealand in 1769. Being New Zealand’s easternmost city, Gisborne also has the distinction of being the world’s first city to greet the rising sun each new day. You will see a statue of Cook, another of his cabin boy who spotted New Zealand, the fishing pier at Wattie’s Wharf, streets lined with Art Deco buildings and an enormous pōhutakawa, a native tree that holds prominence in Māori legends. Variety is the beauty of this walking tour as you will come away with an excellent overall understanding of Gisborne’s appeal. For an even deeper look, you can opt to browse the art and artifacts in the Tairawhiti Museum.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Stop at historical and cultural landmarks on a leisurely 3-mile walk through Gisborne.
• Hear entertaining commentary about Gisborne and the city’s many firsts.
• See a statue of the famed Captain Cook, who first landed in New Zealand at Gisborne.
• Admire the city’s Art Deco architecture and learn about the influence of the Māoris.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Wear weather-appropriate clothing.
• Flat, comfortable walking shoes are recommended.

OVERVIEW

Discover the joys and challenges of rural life at the Waipura Station, whose owners will candidly share their experiences. Sprawling over 2,100 acres of rolling farmland on the outskirts of Gisborne, Waipura, which means “plentiful water” in Māori, is an idyllic spot that the fifth generation of the Maclaurin family owns. Your local hosts will happily show you around the station. After watching sheep being sheared in the woolshed, you will see a muster demonstration, in which herding dogs show off their prodigious skills by following their shepherd’s commands, whistles and body language to round up the sheep. You can’t help but be awed by their teamwork as the shepherd and dogs work in perfect sync. During tea in the century-old homestead, the family will share personal stories about farm life and how it continues to evolve. You will come away with a much deeper understanding and respect for rural living.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Visit the Waipura sheep station, whose owners will show you around the farm.
• Watch a sheep-shearing demonstration in the woolshed.
• See herding dogs masterfully round up stray sheep in the fields.
• Hear stories about farm life as you share tea and pastries with the owners.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Wear weather-appropriate clothing.
• Flat, comfortable walking shoes are recommended.