North Island
Gisborne & East Cape
The first light of the day, and a coast that keeps to itself.
North Island · Culture & history · Wine lovers · Nature lovers
Gisborne is the first city on earth to see the sun each day, a fact that carries genuine weight in a region where Māori culture, the Pacific, and an unhurried pace of life define everything. The East Cape stretches north from the city in a long, barely-touched arc of coastline: pohutukawa-lined beaches, a lighthouse at the cape itself, and communities where te reo Māori is the first language and hospitality the natural mode.
Gisborne's wine scene is modest in scale and extraordinary in quality. Chardonnay grown here, from Millton Vineyard and a handful of others, is among New Zealand's finest, biodynamically produced and barely known outside the region. Tairāwhiti Māori cultural experiences, led by local iwi, have a depth that comes from being made for the guest in front of them, not for a crowd. For travellers who want to arrive somewhere real, the East Cape is among New Zealand's greatest rewards.
Among its moments
- East Cape Lighthouse, first sunrise on earth
- Millton Vineyard, biodynamic chardonnay cellar door
- Te Poho-o-Rāwiri, one of the country's largest meeting houses
- East Cape coastal drive, pohutukawa in bloom (December)
- Tolaga Bay Wharf, New Zealand's longest
- Tairāwhiti Museum, Māori and colonial history
Gisborne & East Cape in photographs
Near here
All thirty regions, on the map