Things to do in Gisborne
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East Coast Museum of Technology & Transport
The East Coast Museum of Technology & Transport is an improbable collation of rusty tractors, lawn mowers, engines, spanners, ploughs, ovens, chainsaws, trucks, pumps, harvesters, motorbikes and so on – a shrine to peoples’ inventive capacity or their ability to horde junk?
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USSCO Bar & Bistro
Housed in the restored Union Steam Ship Company building (hence the name), this place is all class. The talented chef-owner demonstrates silky kitchen skills through a varied and exciting menu featuring the likes of roast duck with coconut sauce, crispy polenta and braised red cabbage. Devilishly good desserts and a drinks list sporting plenty of local wines and NZ beers. Live piano Tuesday to Saturday.
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Tairawhiti Museum
The Tairawhiti Museum focuses on East Coast Maori and colonial history. Its gallery is Gisborne’s arts hub, with rotating exhibits, and the permanent display of ‘Shutterbug Jack’s’ photographs is not to be missed. There’s a tearoom-style cafe overlooking Kelvin Park, and outside is the reconstructed Wyllie Cottage (1872), Gisborne’s oldest house.
The Te Moana Maritime Museum occupies a wing of the Tairawhiti complex. When the Star of Canada foundered on a Gisborne reef in 1912, the ship’s bridge and captain’s cabin were salvaged, installed in a local home, then later moved here for restoration. Displays on waka, whaling and Cook’s Poverty Bay visit pale be…
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Eastwoodhill Arboretum
Arboreal nirvana, Eastwoodhill Arboretum is 35km northwest of Gisborne. Staggeringly beautiful, you could easily lose a day wandering around the 25km of themed tracks in this pine-scented paradise. It’s the country’s largest collection of imported trees and shrubs, but the birds love it just the same.
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Bookshop Café
Situated above Muirs Bookshop in a heritage building, this place has stripped-brick walls, exposed rafters, lovely leadlights, and a veranda over the street, along with a small but sweet selection of counter food and excellent salads. Fans of Supreme coffee and literature may need to be forcibly removed.
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Wharf Café Bar Restaurant
Overlooking the harbour, this is modern Gisborne dining at its best. Smooth tunes waft through an elegant interior; excellent fish dishes swim through the menu. The outdoor concourse is perfect for a crisp morning coffee or a balmy evening beer.
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Café 1874
The creaky old grandeur of the Poverty Bay gentleman’s club (1874) is reason enough to visit. This cafe within it certainly adds impetus: appealing counter food, all-day brunch, blackboard specials, reasonable prices and a pleasant garden.
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Fettuccine Brothers
A highly polished yet relaxed affair with separate bar (live music Wednesday to Friday). The menu runs the gamut from garlic bread and antipasto, through to pasta and mammoth steaks. We give the spaghetti marinara the big thumbs up.
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Te Poho o Rawiri Marae
Te Poho o Rawiri Marae has an elaborately carved meeting house. You can get a decent view from the gates but you’ll need to call ahead to ask for permission to view the decorated interior.
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Sunshine Brewing Company
Sunshine Brewing Company, Gisborne’s own natural brewery, offers four quality beers including the famous Gisborne Gold and its big brother Green. Free tours and tastings by arrangement.
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Zest
Zealously zesty with its lime green frontage, this popular cafe serves good coffee, and a range of sweets, sandwiches, salads and blackboard specials using seasonal and organic produce where possible.
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Café Ruba
Urbane Ruba is Gizzy’s most stylish daytime stop, offering substantial breakfasts, sandwiches to order (on homemade bread) and adventurous lunches. Finish with strong coffee or an afternoon tipple.
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Kingfisher
This relative newcomer has set up in a grand old banking chamber. Attentive staff, music that’s not too loud, pool table and proper crispy pizza served from the joint next door.
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Presbyterian Church
The historic Presbyterian Church is the only building in the village to have survived Te Kooti’s 1868 raid. It’s a sweetly simple affair with lovingly tended gardens.
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Te Tauihu Turanga Whakamana
Te Tauihu Turanga Whakamana is a large modern Maori sculpture incorporating the images of two men killed during Cook’s first interaction with the locals.
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Just Thai Cuisine
A reliable purveyor of traditional Thai classics, housed in a refreshingly simple street-corner room overlooking the Taruheru River. Worthy espresso and fine teas.
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KEW
Lovely wines across the board from this award-winning winery committed to sustainable winegrowing. Call ahead in winter or for guided tours and antipasto platters.
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Smash Palace
Get juiced at the junkyard. Iconic drinking den full to the gunwales with ephemera and its very own DC3 crash-landed in the garden bar. Live music most weekends.
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Cidery
The Cidery is the apple-hued producer of Bulmers Original, Scrumpy, Harvest and pear ciders, with free tastings and factory viewings on offer.
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Verve
A slice of bohemia, Verve dishes up traditional breakfasts, pastas, kebabs, Asian dishes, an unpredictable array of homemade muffins and decent coffee.
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Matawhero
Home of a particularly buttery chardy. Enjoy your picnic in a lovely setting, accompanied by a tasting tray ($10, redeemable against purchase).
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Soho Bar
This hip joint morphs from reputable restaurant to the place to boogie late at night. Local and occasional big-name DJs at weekends.
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Olympic Pool
Olympic Pool is a tepid 50m indoor/outdoor pool with a 98m wormlike waterslide ($3.50) and aquafitness classes ($6.50).
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Irish Rover
This Irish pub in a grand old bank building fills up on weekends, with occasional live music and inexpensive pub lunches and dinners.
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Surfing With Frank
Surfing with Frank offers lessons ($50 to $75) as well as tours of the best local (and North Island) breaks.
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