Gisborne

Get in

thumb|right|View of Gisborne from Kaiti Hill

Get around

GizzyBus is the local bus service and operates M–F 7:10am–5:40pm, not on public holidays or weekends.

There is a taxi service and several rental car firms. A car is handy, especially if going out of town, say to Wainui Beach (7 km north of the central business district), Rere Falls, or the outlying wineries.

The CBD is small enough to be walked easily. It's an easy 10-15 min walk from the CBD to Waikanae Beach.

Do

Gisborne is a great summertime destination. Waikanae Beach is a nice beach right near the middle of town and continues into Midway Beach. If you have a car, it's worth venturing a little further out to Wainui, Makarori or any of the bays that you find if you drive north up the coast. Surfing, swimming and fishing are all big parts of local culture, so give these a go.

Eat

Dining in Gisborne is fairly casual. Daytime cafes and evening takeaways, including fish and chips, dominate, and a local speciality is the "all sauces," or a scoop of chips with tomato sauce, mayo, and garlic butter.

Many restaurants mark their hours as "til late," meaning when their last customer of the night has finished. Eating out after about 21:00 can limit your options.

Go next

Go south to Morere (hot pools), Wairoa and Napier. Go north-west on State Highway 2 to the inland settlement of Matawai, on the Waioeka Gorge route to Opotiki. Head north-east to East Cape and round to Opotiki on coastal State Highway 35. This trip will take a full day and features spectacular coastal views and contains some of the most remote settlements in New Zealand.