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    Hastings

    New Zealand

    Hastings

    City

    Hastings is the heart of the Heretaunga fruit and wine plains in Hawke's Bay. After the 1931 earthquake, which claimed 93 lives here, the city centre was rebuilt in Art Deco and Spanish Mission styles.

    by Felix Gillen

    1. Home
    3. Destinations
    5. New Zealand
    7. Hawke's Bay
    9. Hastings
    Hastings is the heart of the Heretaunga fruit and wine plains in Hawke's Bay. After the 1931 earthquake, which claimed 93 lives here, the city centre was rebuilt in Art Deco and Spanish Mission styles. Today, you can stroll from the Clock Tower through Heretaunga Street, visit the Farmers' Market on Sundays, and head from here to the Gimblett Gravels wineries or up Te Mata Peak near Havelock North.

    Sights in Hastings

    Discover the most important sights and attractions

    Knowledge Bank
    Museum

    1Knowledge Bank

    The Hawke's Bay Knowledge Bank is housed in Stoneycroft House on Omahu Road, a wooden house from the late 1870s that is listed as a heritage building (Heritage New Zealand, Category 2). Volunteers have been digitizing photos, letters, and documents related to regional history here since 2009. Around the house is the small Stoneycroft Park.
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    Waiaroha - Heretaunga Water Discovery Centre
    Attraction

    2Waiaroha - Heretaunga Water Discovery Centre

    The Waiaroha Education Centre downtown explains the journey of water from the mountains, through rivers and the Heretaunga aquifer, to the tap. Videos, interactive maps, and touchscreen games make it exciting for children too. It opened in October 2023 right next to a drinking water treatment plant.
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    Pask Winery
    Attraction

    3Pask Winery

    Winery with a tasting room on Omahu Road, on the edge of the Gimblett Gravels northwest of the city. Here you can taste the region's typical red wines.
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    Hawke's Bay Farmers' Market
    Market

    4Hawke's Bay Farmers' Market

    Every Sunday morning, regional producers sell fruit, vegetables, cheese, bread, wine, and coffee at the Showground on Kenilworth Road. Come early; it closes around noon.
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    Cornwall Park
    Park

    5Cornwall Park

    Large city park north of the center with old trees, walking paths, aviary, playground, and cricket field. Good for a break between market and wineries.
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    Hastings Clock Tower
    Historic Landmark

    6Hastings Clock Tower

    The Clock Tower on Russell Street South, near the intersection with Heretaunga Street, was erected in 1935 as a symbol of reconstruction after the 1931 earthquake and is listed as Category 1 heritage. Brass plaques commemorate the victims of the quake. From here, you can explore the Art Deco and Spanish Mission style buildings on foot.
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    City walks in Hastings

    Curated walking tours through the city's highlights, handpicked by experienced travel journalists.

    Hastings: Von Art Deco zu grünen Oasen – Ein Stadtrundgang

    Entdecken Sie Hastings auf diesem entspannten 2-stündigen Spaziergang. Die Tour führt Sie von der charmanten Art-Deco-Architektur im Stadtzentrum zu den ruhigen Grünflächen des Cornwall Parks. Erleben Sie Kunst, Kultur und die entspannte Atmosphäre dieser gastfreundlichen neuseeländischen Stadt.

    ~2 Std.
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    Stops (6)

    Essen & Trinken

    1

    Rosie O'Grady's Hastings

    Irish Pub offering restaurant service on Karamu Road North, with pub fare and draft beer.
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    2

    Cafe at Westermans

    Cafe with its own bakery on Russell Street South in the city center, for breakfast, brunch, and lunch.
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    3

    Black Betty BBQ

    American-style barbecue restaurant on Warren Street North, northeast of downtown.
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    4

    Craft and Social

    Restaurant on Heretaunga Street East, right in the city center, perfect for dinner after a city stroll.
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    5

    OTT In The City

    Asian fusion restaurant on Heretaunga Street East in the city center.
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    Food and Drink

    In Hastings, you'll find a diverse culinary scene, benefiting from Hawke's Bay's rich agriculture. Enjoy fresh local produce in cozy cafés like Cafe at Westermans or explore the emerging craft beer scene at Brave Brewing Co.

    Red wine from the Gimblett Gravels

    Syrah and Bordeaux varieties grow on the gravel soils west of the city. Many wineries offer tastings at the Cellar Door.

    Heretaunga Fruit

    Apples, pears, and stone fruit come directly from plantations around Hastings. Many farms sell at roadside stalls in summer.

    Rush Munro's Ice Cream

    Founded in 1926, the ice cream parlor is New Zealand's oldest still-operating ice creamery. Since 2022, it has sold its ice cream at Albert Square.

    Farmers' Market Products

    Regional cheese, bread, honey, juice, and coffee are available every Sunday morning at the Showground on Kenilworth Road.

    Culture and History

    Hastings lies on the Heretaunga plains, the heartland of the Ngāti Kahungunu. The Māori name appears everywhere, from the district to the Waiaroha Heretaunga Water Discovery Centre, which opened in October 2023 with a dawn blessing and a Pōwhiri.The earthquake of February 3, 1931, destroyed large parts of the city centre; 93 people died in Hastings. During reconstruction, commercial buildings in Art Deco and Spanish Mission styles were built, which you can discover on a walk through Heretaunga Street and Russell Street.If you want to delve deeper into local history, you'll find a digital archive with photos and documents from the region at the Hawke's Bay Knowledge Bank in Stoneycroft House (late 1870s).

    Nightlife

    1

    Brave Brewing Co

    Brewery pub on Queen Street East with its own craft beers on tap.
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    2

    Cellar 495

    Wine bar on Heretaunga Street East with a selection of wines from Hawke's Bay.
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    3

    Decibel Wines

    Wine bar and tasting room of a small winemaker on Warren Street South in the city center.
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    Getting around Hastings

    The centre is flat and compact: the Clock Tower, the Arts Centre, restaurants and bars are all within walking distance.goBay buses connect Hastings with Havelock North and Napier. You pay cash or with the Bee Card, which gives cheaper fares; contactless cards are not accepted. Timetables are on gobay.co.nz.The wineries and the coast are easiest to reach by rental car or bike: the flat Hawke's Bay Trails run through orchards and vineyards. The nearest airport is Hawke's Bay Airport near Napier. Before longer drives, check the latest road information from NZTA.

    Accommodations in Hastings

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      • 2Waiaroha - Heretaunga Water Discovery Centre4 days
      • 3Pask Winery5 days
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    Nearby

    Havelock North

    Havelock North

    Havelock North lies southeast of Hastings at the foot of Te Mata Peak. Locals simply call the village centre “the village”: a few streets with cafés, restaurants, and shops, surrounded by orchards and vineyards. From here, drive or hike up Te Mata Peak and visit local wineries.
    Hawke's Bay

    Hawke's Bay

    Hawke's Bay on the East Coast of the North Island is both orchard and wine country. Around Napier, Hastings and Havelock North, apple orchards, vineyards, and gravel soils alternate; the coast features long beaches and the gannet colony at Cape Kidnappers. The 1931 earthquake still shapes the cityscape: Napier and Hastings were rebuilt in Art Deco and Spanish Mission styles afterwards.
    Napier

    Napier

    Napier is located on Hawke Bay on the east coast of the North Island and is primarily known for its Art Deco centre. The earthquake of February 3, 1931, destroyed large parts of the city, after which the centre was rebuilt in the style of the era. Today, you can stroll among pastel-coloured facades, walk along the Marine Parade by the sea, and view the harbour from Bluff Hill. The Hawke's Bay wineries are just a short drive away.
    Tongariro Nationalpark Gebiet

    Tongariro Nationalpark Gebiet

    Three active volcanoes dominate the Tongariro National Park: Tongariro, Ngāuruhoe, and Ruapehu. The park was established in 1894 as New Zealand's first national park, and in 1993 it became the first site listed under the new criteria for cultural landscapes on the World Heritage List, making it both a natural and cultural heritage site. The most famous trail is the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, which climbs from 1120 meters at the Mangatepopo car park to 1886 meters at Red Crater and descends to 760 meters at Ketetahi Road. Additionally, shorter trails from Whakapapa Village to Taranaki Falls, to the Tama Lakes, and through the beech forest along Whakapapanui Stream are also rewarding.The volcanoes are active. Before every tour, check the current status with DOC and GeoNet and read the travel and safety advice from the Auswärtiges Amt, which is linked on our country page.
    Taupō

    Taupō

    Taupō is located on the northeastern shore of Lake Taupō, New Zealand's largest lake. The lake fills a caldera formed by massive volcanic eruptions; the last major eruption occurred around 232 AD.The town is a base for water sports, trout fishing, skydiving, and excursions to Huka Falls, Craters of the Moon, and Tongariro National Park, whose volcanoes you can see from the shore on clear days.

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