Experience the best of Hastings

Hastings sits on the flat, fertile Heretaunga Plains in Hawke's Bay, on the east coast of the North Island, surrounded by orchards and vineyards. After the earthquake of 1931 it was rebuilt, like neighbouring Napier, in the styles of the day, and its centre keeps Art Deco and Spanish Mission buildings around Heretaunga Street.

The village of Havelock North lies at the foot of Te Mata Peak, a ridge with sweeping views over the plains, and its cafés and wine shops are a short drive from the city. Cape Kidnappers, on the coast to the south-east, is home to a large mainland gannet colony. Napier's seafront and its Art Deco quarter lie close by.

Hawke's Bay is one of New Zealand's main wine regions, known for Syrah and for Merlot and Cabernet blends, and the orchards around town produce apples, pears and stone fruit. Flat cycle trails run between cellar doors and farms. Summers here are warm and dry, and the harvest in autumn is the liveliest time to visit.