Scenic East Cape
From $1290.00 per person
Journey with us to the easternmost point of New Zealand, the East Cape. On our Scenic East Cape and Mahia Peninsula tour enjoy wonderful views of beautiful beaches, rugged cliffs and wild bush land. We will visit numerous historical sites and learn about our unique and interesting cultural heritage including the landing site of the Arawa Canoe, Hicks Bay, Mahia Peninsula and much more..
Friday 11 May - Tuesday 15 May 2018
Day 1 - Friday 11 May 2018 HOME CITIES / WHAKATANE (D) Departing our home cities we cross the Kaimai Ranges to the Bay of Plenty so named by Captain James Cook in 1769 because of the abundance of water and food as it is today. Our first stop will be Mount Maunganui where you will have a chance to purchase your lunch and stretch your legs. Continuing on we visit Maketu to view the landing site of the Arawa canoe and marked now with a stone cairn and plaque depicting the event. Rejoining the coastal road through Matata where good views can sometimes be had over to the active volcano, White Island, we travel to Whakatane. The district is steeped in history and culture. The Mataatua canoe landed here and Pa sites from early settlement are identifiable along the coast. The Maori language and culture is strong and viable with over 40% of the population being of Maori Heritage. Predominant Iwi in the region include Ngati Awa, Tuhoe, and Te Whakatohea. The region is rich in forestry resources along with dairy farming, fruit growing and market gardening. Barrington’s Motel, Whakatane
Day 2 - Saturday 12 May 2018 WHAKATANE / HICKS BAY (BD) This morning before we depart Whakatane we give you the opportunity to purchase your lunch to enjoy at a nice stop along the way. We follow the shore line of the Ohiwa Harbour to Opotiki following “The Pathway to the Sunrise” marked by two large magnificent carved poles. Opotiki is situated on a harbour inlet formed by the junction of two rivers, the Waioeka and the Otara on three sides. The region from Ohiwa Harbour in the south and Cape Runaway in the North has a sparse population of only 9200 people. We follow the coastline following S.H.35 passing numerous bays and beaches to Te Kaha. This area is developing with its micro climate and is now a prosperous kiwifruit growing area which in turn creates more employment for the locals. We then move on through Waihau Bay before Whangaparoa and crossing Cape Runaway to Hicks Bay and our overnight stop. Hicks Bay Motel, Hicks Bay
Day 3 - Sunday 13 May 2018 HICKS BAY / GISBORNE (BLD)
Leaving Hicks Bay from the top of the hill, views generally can be had of East Cape beyond Te Araroa. Here we visit the world’s largest standing Pohutakawa tree (Te Waha o Rerekohu). We visit the township of Ruatoria, the largest town since leaving Opotiki. Ruatoria offers facilities not found in other coastal towns so far and is a service town for many outlying valleys. Ruatoria is the centre for the Ngati Porou tribe. Sir Apirana Ngata lived here and his memory is perpetuated in the Ngata Memorial College (he also appears on our $50 notes). As we leave Ruatoria good views can generally be seen of Mt Hikurangi, which at 1754 metres is the highest non-volcanic peak in North Island and the first place to see the sun in New Zealand each day. We pass the turnoff to Waipiro Bay and arrive in Te Puia. Here there is a local hospital and a small but active settlement with a well stocked store and historic hotel. We visit Tokomaru Bay where the remains of the old freezing works which closed down in 1952. The NZ Shipping Company buildings portray some of the early history of when transport along the coast was by sea. It is here we enjoy lunch at the Te Puka Tavern. Next we visit Anaura Bay before arriving at Tologa Bay and the old Wharf area. Walking out along this historic wharf reminds us of the days gone by and the way this was constructed without all the mod cons of today. We continue along this sandy coastline to Gisborne. The Gisborne region has been settled for over 1000 years, although Europeans did not arrive until the late 19th Century when the first whaling station was established in the area. It was Gisborne however, that Captain Cook made his first landfall on New Zealand soil in 1769 naming it Poverty Bay after deciding it had nothing to offer. We visit Cook’s monument and the monument for Nicholas Young the cabin boy and first member of Captain Cook’s ship the Endeavour to sight land. We continue with Gisborne City Sights before checking into our overnight accommodation. Quality Emerald Hotel, Gisborne
Day 4 - Monday 14 May 2018 GISBORNE / NAPIER (BLD) We commence our day with a visit to see the Eastwood Hill Arboretum in all its autumn splendour. We then continue on our way traversing the Whararata range to Mahia Peninsula. This is a diamond shaped isthmus 5 kilometres long with its crescent shaped beach to the south and sheltered beach on the north side. Backtracking out to Nuhaka and then onto Wairoa, which is the northern most town of the Hawkes Bay region with a population of 9000 for the region. The town is split by the vast Wairoa River and the old Portland Island lighthouse from Mahia, which has been restored and now sits alongside the town’s third bridge. Early settlement in the area included a whaling station and trading post dealing largely in flax. Today Wairoa is a manufacturing and farming service town. Departing Wairoa we continue our journey through Northern Hawkes Bay passing by Lake Tutira. On this route, when approaching Bay View, we pass the Whirinaki pulp and paper mill where Pan Pac was established in 1971 commencing operations in 1973. In 2007 Pan Pac became wholly owned by Oji Paper, one of the largest pulp and paper producers in Japan. From its inception Pan Pac's main purpose was to provide wood fibre for paper making operations in Japan. Over 220,000 tonnes of thermo-mechanical wood pulp is produced annually and shipped to Japan's northern island of Hokkaido, where Oji Paper has a large paper manufacturing plant. Chip exports through the Port of Napier provide wood fibre for Oji Paper' kraft pulp and paper operations in Japan. We then continue to our accommodation on Marine Parade in Napier. Quality Hotel Napier
Day 5 - Tuesday 15 May 2018 NAPIER / HOME CITIES (B) After a quick city tour we depart Napier and travel north through the Esk Valley and over the Titiokura Saddle at about 2,200ft. It then climbs 1,000ft over the Turangakumu Range, and through the southern end of the huge Kaiangaroa Forest to cross the wide pumice plateau of the Kaiangaroa Plains on our way to Taupo, where we have our lunch stop, before continuing our homeward journey.
Day 2 - Saturday 12 May 2018 WHAKATANE / HICKS BAY (BD) This morning before we depart Whakatane we give you the opportunity to purchase your lunch to enjoy at a nice stop along the way. We follow the shore line of the Ohiwa Harbour to Opotiki following “The Pathway to the Sunrise” marked by two large magnificent carved poles. Opotiki is situated on a harbour inlet formed by the junction of two rivers, the Waioeka and the Otara on three sides. The region from Ohiwa Harbour in the south and Cape Runaway in the North has a sparse population of only 9200 people. We follow the coastline following S.H.35 passing numerous bays and beaches to Te Kaha. This area is developing with its micro climate and is now a prosperous kiwifruit growing area which in turn creates more employment for the locals. We then move on through Waihau Bay before Whangaparoa and crossing Cape Runaway to Hicks Bay and our overnight stop. Hicks Bay Motel, Hicks Bay
Day 3 - Sunday 13 May 2018 HICKS BAY / GISBORNE (BLD)
Leaving Hicks Bay from the top of the hill, views generally can be had of East Cape beyond Te Araroa. Here we visit the world’s largest standing Pohutakawa tree (Te Waha o Rerekohu). We visit the township of Ruatoria, the largest town since leaving Opotiki. Ruatoria offers facilities not found in other coastal towns so far and is a service town for many outlying valleys. Ruatoria is the centre for the Ngati Porou tribe. Sir Apirana Ngata lived here and his memory is perpetuated in the Ngata Memorial College (he also appears on our $50 notes). As we leave Ruatoria good views can generally be seen of Mt Hikurangi, which at 1754 metres is the highest non-volcanic peak in North Island and the first place to see the sun in New Zealand each day. We pass the turnoff to Waipiro Bay and arrive in Te Puia. Here there is a local hospital and a small but active settlement with a well stocked store and historic hotel. We visit Tokomaru Bay where the remains of the old freezing works which closed down in 1952. The NZ Shipping Company buildings portray some of the early history of when transport along the coast was by sea. It is here we enjoy lunch at the Te Puka Tavern. Next we visit Anaura Bay before arriving at Tologa Bay and the old Wharf area. Walking out along this historic wharf reminds us of the days gone by and the way this was constructed without all the mod cons of today. We continue along this sandy coastline to Gisborne. The Gisborne region has been settled for over 1000 years, although Europeans did not arrive until the late 19th Century when the first whaling station was established in the area. It was Gisborne however, that Captain Cook made his first landfall on New Zealand soil in 1769 naming it Poverty Bay after deciding it had nothing to offer. We visit Cook’s monument and the monument for Nicholas Young the cabin boy and first member of Captain Cook’s ship the Endeavour to sight land. We continue with Gisborne City Sights before checking into our overnight accommodation. Quality Emerald Hotel, Gisborne
Day 4 - Monday 14 May 2018 GISBORNE / NAPIER (BLD) We commence our day with a visit to see the Eastwood Hill Arboretum in all its autumn splendour. We then continue on our way traversing the Whararata range to Mahia Peninsula. This is a diamond shaped isthmus 5 kilometres long with its crescent shaped beach to the south and sheltered beach on the north side. Backtracking out to Nuhaka and then onto Wairoa, which is the northern most town of the Hawkes Bay region with a population of 9000 for the region. The town is split by the vast Wairoa River and the old Portland Island lighthouse from Mahia, which has been restored and now sits alongside the town’s third bridge. Early settlement in the area included a whaling station and trading post dealing largely in flax. Today Wairoa is a manufacturing and farming service town. Departing Wairoa we continue our journey through Northern Hawkes Bay passing by Lake Tutira. On this route, when approaching Bay View, we pass the Whirinaki pulp and paper mill where Pan Pac was established in 1971 commencing operations in 1973. In 2007 Pan Pac became wholly owned by Oji Paper, one of the largest pulp and paper producers in Japan. From its inception Pan Pac's main purpose was to provide wood fibre for paper making operations in Japan. Over 220,000 tonnes of thermo-mechanical wood pulp is produced annually and shipped to Japan's northern island of Hokkaido, where Oji Paper has a large paper manufacturing plant. Chip exports through the Port of Napier provide wood fibre for Oji Paper' kraft pulp and paper operations in Japan. We then continue to our accommodation on Marine Parade in Napier. Quality Hotel Napier
Day 5 - Tuesday 15 May 2018 NAPIER / HOME CITIES (B) After a quick city tour we depart Napier and travel north through the Esk Valley and over the Titiokura Saddle at about 2,200ft. It then climbs 1,000ft over the Turangakumu Range, and through the southern end of the huge Kaiangaroa Forest to cross the wide pumice plateau of the Kaiangaroa Plains on our way to Taupo, where we have our lunch stop, before continuing our homeward journey.
