Jane’s two day Hawkes Bay food and wine break

I love all the food and wine available here in Hawkes Bay. With over 30 wineries, food markets and local producers you could easily feast here for a week!

Day 1

I would wakeup with a brisk stroll around the Ahuriri wildlife Estuary continuing on into the Ahuriri village for a hot cup of coffee.

Food and wine is another passion so the day would be filled on the food trail visiting my favourite wineries. So to The Mission Estate the oldest winery in the Bay with plenty of charm and a fantastic view over towards Napier.

I would then travel over Te Awanga to Clearview Winery, always with a wonderful menu, friendly staff and lots of rustic charm. Of course I would have to also call into Elephant Hill with its great ambiance and spectacular view of Cape Kidnappers.

A twenty minute drive would follow with a drive down the Tuki Tuki valley to the Craggy Range winery at the base of Te Mata Peak. A drive up the top of Te Mata Peak to see the most amazing view across Hawke’s Bay would complete the day.

Day 2

The following day I would love to go to the farmer’s market 40 or so food markets with products from all over Hawke’s Bay. With lots of goodies I would probably go on one of the many walks in Hawke’s Bay or take the cycle tracks and maybe bike along the coast on the cycle pathway out to Clifton café for a gourmet café lunch.

Alex's family two day Hawkes Bay trip

As Napier is a great family destination, there is plenty to do. You may even think about extending your trip just so you can see and do more!

Day 1

My son and I love going to the National Aquarium, we’ve been there a few times now and we still find it so fascinating and it’s such a fun family experience. We usually walk down the Marine parade afterwards and head to the Ice Cream shop for a yummy Munro treat.

Once back in the car, we make our way along the Marine Parade to Bluff Look Out, my son loves looking down on the Port and seeing all the big boats and machinery at work. I love the views of the ocean, the beautiful plants, birds and walks that there are to explore.

We then head back down the hill and stop at the Napier Prison. We enjoy a lovely tour around the old Napier Prison (Not too scary for the little ones – however come back at night for a thriller of an experience). Afterwards, its off into Ahuriri for a lunch stop at the Side Walk Café – always a great deal to be found!

After lunch its off to a wonderful park near by where my son can enjoy playing, as well as a nice walk way to the beach where we throw pebbles into the water. Back into the car we make our way to Anderson Park to feed the wide variety of ducks and geese, we usually take Joshua on the mini trains – it’s always a great hit with the little ones.

Dinner is at the Boardwalk along the Marine Parade, a nice friendly family Restaurant where we enjoy an early yummy meal.

Day 2

The next day we get up early, as we want make the most of the good weather here in the “Bay”. We pack a picnic lunch and head out to Haumoana, close to Hastings to the Animal Zoo. Joshua loves this Zoo and its good for all ages. They have a wide variety of very cute animals, you can purchase some food and feed them along your way. This could take up to over an hour as it’s a lovely walk and there is a lot to see!

We then we make our way to the Arataki Honey Visitors centre. This is another fantastic family excursion. We get some funny photos taken and taste the variety of different honeys and even make a few purchases.

Another good trip to do while in this area is Cape Kidnappers; you might be tempted to do a Gannet Safari but this option would be a day trip on its own as you would want to make the most of it and it really is a lovely family trip. We would usually head to Clifton Cafe for Lunch and a walk along the beach sand spend the afternoon relaxing in the sun before making our way home.