Hastings is one of the major cities located in the Hawke's Bay Region of New Zealand. The port city of Napier is located about 20 kilometers from Hastings, and that is why they are also referred to as the ‘Twin Cities’ or ‘Bay Cities’ of New Zealand. Hastings is a historical city and attracts tourists from all over; majority of the tourists to this city are domestic travelers. Hastings tourist attractions are varied and many, so a tour to this city will be enjoyable for all types of travelers.
Given below in brief is information about some of the tourist attractions in Hastings. Taking a look at this will definitely help you in planning your Hastings trips in a better way. The attractions are:
This exhibition center has a huge collection of art work of the Maoris. Here, you can also see the Ebbett Collection, an art collection which was assembled by a mayor of Hastings during the beginning of the 20th century. This exhibition center is open everyday and the timings are from 10:00 to 16:00.
This Edwardian mansion built in 1879 is a grand attraction in Hastings. You can take a tour and explore the huge surroundings of this amazing house, which is surrounded with old trees and croquet lawn. The homestead is privately owned and visitors can take a tour of this place, with prior arrangements.
This museum is the part of a building, which was built in 1858. Originally, it was used as a pioneer shop and this is reflected in the building’s look. Inside the museum, guests can see a display of Maori art and a collection of historical clothes and provisions. These historical stuffs are said to be more than 140 years old. The museum is open everyday and the timings are from 9am to 4pm.
The shape of this mountain looks like the form of a gigantic man lying on his back. Legends suggest that a giant chocked and died on this spot, after taking a bite from the hill. The name Te Meta means ‘The Sleeping Giant’ in Maori. This popular tourist attraction in Hastings offers biking and walking trails, along with majestic views of the surrounding areas like Havelock North and Napier.
This sanctuary houses the largest gannet population in Australasian, comprising of more than 13,000 birds. Visitors can see and observe the activities of these long – necked white birds at this place. The park has some exciting rock formations, which make it a favorite place for geologists. There are several tour companies that offer visitors a guided trip of this place.
Head over to this lavender farm, if you want to enjoy some peaceful moments on your trip. The lovely purple flowers, along with the lingering soft aroma of the lavender flowers will be a pleasant company, while you are taking a tour of the garden.
This is a must-visit place in Hastings, if you are traveling during the summer season. The park has many types of rides and waterslides to make you enjoy a cool day. Apart from the 16 rides there are several other attractions in this park, which will make your visit here worthwhile. The park is open everyday; for summer the timing is from 10am to 6pm and in winter it is from 10am to 5pm.
This estate has built up a quite a reputed name for itself, when it comes to wine tours in Hastings. It is renowned for making flavored fruit wine; Reserve Chardonnay is most popular produce of this winery. There is a popular restaurant as well in this place, and you must not forget to take a bite from here on this tour. Clearview Winery is open daily from 10am to 5pm.
This winery is the winner of the Air New Zealand Trophy for Champion Wine for the year 2000. They had won this prize for Reserve Merlot 98. C.J Winery exports wine all over and their style of wine includes among others - pinot noir, sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, and syrah. You will have to make advanced reservations for wine tasting and tour of the winery.
This park features a mini-operational steam train where both children and adults can take a ride. The park is operated by Havelock North Live Steamers, a group of steam train aficionados. The train travels on a solitary track and along the way crosses loops, wooden trestle and tunnels on a half mile track. It is open to visitors on first and third Sunday of each month from 11am to 4pm.
Hastings is renowned for the number of wine tours that travelers here can enjoy. Apart from the wine tours, there are many other activities that can be experienced here. Horse of the Year show is a popular event in Hastings, so try to time your visit around the time when the show is organized. Considered as the biggest sporting event the southern hemisphere, this event attracts over 2500 horses and riders, every year.
Biking, hiking, mountaineering, wine tours, walking trails and simply strolling down the streets of the city are some of the things that you can do while visiting this place. There are some good hotels where you can stay during the trip.
