A long weekend in Gisborne

My husband and I decided to go on a long weekend to somewhere we had not been in NZ and decided on the historic city of Gisborne.

We chose our hotel through TripAdvisor and were not disappointed with the Emerald Hotel. It was centrally located, staff were friendly, and the room was massive.  The price was competitive ($150/night), and the only other hotel we would have liked to stay at was the Portside – a more modern hotel on the waterfront - maybe next time!

Activities:
As avid wine lovers we wanted to visit some wineries. Be aware, everything shuts down in Gisborne after summer! We were there in April, and there was only one winery open. However, it was a real gem of a place.  Stone Bridge, located 10km from the city centre, is a family owned boutique winery. We were privileged to have the sole attention of Mairead and left with a couple of lovely bottles of their Gewurztraminer and a bag of fresh grapes straight off the vines. Mairead sells the grapes at the Farmers market and they are delicious.

Cook’s Cove Walkway. Take a drive to Tolaga Bay as there is the famous 660m long wharf to check out first, and the carpark for the walk is a minute away.  The guide states it takes 2-3 hours, but this is hugely exaggerated for anyone with reasonable fitness. The walkway is named after the sheltered cove where James Cook spent several days in 1769. The side trip to the hole in the wall is a must see. As it covers farmland, make sure you check out that the track is open, but it is definitely worth a visit for the beautiful views.

Beaches: The Wainui Beach is spectacular. A long surf beach where in the summer must be the place to be.

Restaurants:
On our first night we went to the Fettuccine Brothers. (12 Peel Street, 06 868 5700). I have to admit I was pretty disappointed in their attempts at Italian. But, they redeemed themselves with the sticky date pudding dessert and the coffee was the best we had in Gisborne. The restaurant was full and as long as you go with not high expectations, I’m sure you will not be disappointed.

Our second dinner was at The Works. It is set in part of Gisborne’s old freezing works building and has a lovely feel to it.  However, the food has got to be the worst meal I have had in a very long time.   They need to keep to the simple stuff and try and master that before trying to offer food that is way out of their league to be able to produce. I suggest you stick to the cheese platter as it is your safest bet.

For breakfast or lunch try Zest (great) or Cafe Ruba.

Gisborne is a picturesque city and well worth a visit. We will be back some time in the summer when this sleepy city is in full swing.