Hawke's Bay is one of New Zealand's premier wine regions, a long curve of coastline on the east side of the North Island stretching from the Māhia Peninsula in the north to Cape Turnagain in the south. The climate is the driest and sunniest on the North Island — classically Mediterranean in feel — which is why the area has become the country's second-largest wine-producing region after Marlborough, and which explains the relaxed, orchard-and-vineyard pace of life that makes it one of the most rewarding parts of the island to wander for a few days.
The twin cities of Napier and Hastings are the main population centres and sit about 20 km apart on the coast. Napier is the region's most remarkable visitor attraction: the city was almost completely flattened by a catastrophic earthquake in 1931 and rebuilt over the following two years in the Art Deco style that was fashionable at the time. The result is one of the most concentrated Art Deco streetscapes in the world, and the city celebrates the fact with an annual Art Deco Weekend in February that sees the entire town dress up in 1930s costume. Hastings is a little less polished but is the heart of the region's agricultural economy, surrounded by apple and pear orchards, vineyards, and the famous Cape Kidnappers gannet colony just to the south.
The bay is named for British Admiral Sir Edward Hawke; the "s" in Hawke's Bay is possessive. Most travellers come for the wine (big Bordeaux-style reds, Chardonnays, and Syrahs from Gimblett Gravels), the food, the Art Deco, and the excellent cycle routes along the coast and through the vineyards on the Hawke's Bay Trails. Further south, the sparsely populated Wairarapa region has its own wine scene centred on Martinborough — worth a detour if you are driving south towards Wellington.
