Napier, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand

Daniel Beath
Daniel's New Zealand Travelogue
New Zealand Travel Guide & Vacation Planner

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Auckland 10, NEW ZEALAND
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We are a professional travel agency in the heart of New Zealand and have been catering to the needs of travellers for more than 18 years. We are based on the North Shore of New Zealand's biggest city Auckland. The aim of our team is to provide you with friendly, helpful and personal service to assist you planning and booking what we hope will be the vacation of a lifetime to the country we call home. We are all well travelled locals who can offer that inside knowledge you may not be able to obtain from your own country.

When my wine rack begins to look a little empty at home I know it is time to pay another visit to the wonderful region of Hawkes Bay and with a long weekend at the end of October it was too good an opportunity to pass by. Along with my wife and a couple of friends we picked up a United 4 berth deluxe campervan on Friday morning and headed south.

Hawkes Bay lies on the east coast of the North Island and is approximately a 5 hour drive from Auckland. It has a climate, which is the envy of most of the rest of New Zealand with lots of sunshine. For those of you with time it would make a good break point between Rotorua and Wellington.

There are two main cities in Hawkes Bay - Napier and Hastings both of which were severely damaged by an earthquake in 1931. They were both rebuilt and today the large number of buildings in Art Deco style are a major attraction for many visitors. Our first stop was the Napier Information centre on Marine Parade by the seafront which is a good source of maps and brochures to help plan the days of your stay. We chose to stay at the Arataki campground, near the smaller town of Havelock North, about 15 minutes drive from Napier.

Tucked at the foot of Te Mata Peak it is a beautiful area of orchards, gardens and vineyards. If you are travelling in a campervan without shower/toilet you will find New Zealand's campgrounds well equipped with toilet/shower facilities and including laundries and kitchens. Ours even had an indoor heated swimming pool and games room.

Our United campervan was wonderfully equipped with fridge, gas cooker, microwave and of course all the cutlery, cooking equipment and bedding as well. A real home away from home and quite comfortable even with 4 adults.

Our next two days were spent doing an Art Deco walk, visiting some of the many beautiful gardens in the area and of course visiting a few of the many fantastic vineyards to be found in the area. Many of them have cafes/restaurants attached for lunches and in some cases dinner as well and others usually have an area where you can picnic and maybe enjoy a game of petanque.

The word around the region was that 1998 was one of the best vintages for many a year so for anyone paying a visit in the near future keep that in mind. There are good guides to the vineyards available at the Visitor Information centres.

Unfortunately on Monday it was time to return to Auckland. Hawkes Bay is well worth a visit while you are in New Zealand and in the words of Arnold Schwarzenegger "I'll be back"!!

Please feel free to email me at travel@holiday.co.nz with any questions on United campervans or the Hawkes Bay area. Daniel

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Travel Books

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Rick Steves' Italy 2003 by Rick Steves Book Description: Rick Steves doesn't just list where to travel in Europe, he leads travelers through the "Back Door," and reveals how to give every journey an extra, more authentic dimension. He shows travelers how to delve into European culture, make friends with the locals, and experience each region's natural wonders -- economically and hassle free.

Colorado (Waterfall cover) by James Frank Book Description: Featuring more that 100 full-color images, Jame's Frank's Colorado presents a magnificent portrait of the Centennial State. From the quite grandeur of the Eastern Plains, to the urbane excitement of the Front Range, to the majesty of the Rocky Mountains to the incomparable scenic splendor of the Western Slope and Four Corners, Franks' gifted photographic vision shares a Colorado which is truly wondrous. .