Things to do in Central Hawkes Bay
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Misty River Café
A little bit of continental chic on the functional high street, this darling little cafe makes a lip-smacking waldorf salad as well fresh ham, pasta, nachos and other global favourites. Drop-dead-gorgeous baking. All made from scratch, and to order (enquire about the chicken-salad sandwich).
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Te Aute College
The prestigious Te Aute College schooled many Maori leaders including James Carroll and Apirana Ngata. Call ahead if you want to visit the wonderful carved meeting house and church.
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Central Hawke’s Bay Settler’s Museum
The Central Hawke’s Bay Settler’s Museum has pioneer artefacts, informative ‘homestead’ displays and a good specimen of a river waka (canoe).
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Paper Mulberry Café
Directly opposite Te Aute College, this hip cafe hands out fluffy toys instead of table numbers and serves excellent Havana coffee and great home-style food.
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Oruawharo
One of the area’s rural mansions, Oruawharo (1879) is a grand setting for high tea or lunch served on fine bone china. Call ahead for sittings.
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Tikokino
Tikokino was once a timber town but is now known for its lovely private gardens, open to visitors during spring and early summer. The information centre can help you with details.
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Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu
It’s a nondescript hill in the middle of nowhere, but the place with the world’s longest name is good for a photo op. Believe it or not, Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu is the abbreviated form of ‘The Brow of a Hill Where Tamatea, the Man with the Big Knees, Who Slid, Climbed, and Swallowed Mountains, Known as Land Eater, Played his Flute to his Brother’. Tamatea Pokaiwhenua (Land Eater) was so famous for his epic North Island travels, people said he consumed the land with his strides. After his brother’s demise in the Matanui battle, Tamatea sat on this hill with his flute and played a lament to his fallen sibling. To…
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Ongaonga
is a historic village 16km west of Waipawa with interesting Victorian and Edwardian buildings. Pick up a pamphlet for a self-guided walking tour from the information centre in Waipukurau.
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Christ Church
Across the road next to a marae is little Christ Church (1859), the district’s oldest.
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