NAPIER: SO MANY WAYS TO RELAX
Hawke’s Bay’s wine hub provides an idyllic getaway, writes Eveline Harvey.
You know it’s been a grand day when the difficult decision you’re facing is whether to stay in your possie overlooking the vineyards with a glass of Mission Estate cuvee, or to partake in some light exercise in the form of a cycle along Napier’s waterfront. That we opted for the latter was motivated in large part by the knowledge we would be dining at the estate’s restaurant later that night and could probably do with the exercise after a sublime weekend of eating, drinking and generally being charmed by this wonderful Hawke’s Bay city.
Just 15 minutes after floating the idea of an evening ride, my husband and I were happily peddling the coast on a couple of green hire bikes. The fact this was our first holiday without our kids since we’d become parents almost five years earlier probably had something to do with the freedom we felt, but the combination of that magic Hawke’s Bay sky streaked with high cloud, the stark cliffs leading away to Cape Kidnappers and the intense, darker blue of the Pacific, also served to lend a feeling of amazing space.
We’d been struck by the same sensation the night before as we took a dusk stroll to Perfume Point in Ahuriri, with its views over the estuary and the Port of Napier. There, wide boardwalks and striking murals are juxtaposed against the distinctive pebbly coastline, while the bars of the West Quay precinct offer the perfect spot to welcome in an evening. From our table at the popular Thirsty Whale we had front-row tickets to a cracking sunset as we enjoyed a couple of pre-dinner drinks.
All this focus on lifestyle does, however, have its downsides though — namely that the one place you are likely to encounter queues is in the scramble to secure a seat at one of the city’s outstanding restaurants. In town on a Saturday night, it was sheer good fortune that led us to nab a spot at the excellent Bistronomy.
Plumping for the Eat Menu — a six-course chef’s choice degustation with matched wines — our table’s location allowed us peeks into chef James Beck’s open kitchen, which revealed the well-oiled team behind the edible miracles that were soon to appear in front of us.
From the caprese with tomato and whey broth, to the Wakanui black beef rib, to — my favourite — a tastebud-blowing venison tartare, each dish was a memorable triumph of flavour and design.
The following day began warm and sunny, so we spent a few hours browsing the shops and galleries that dot the central city — with plenty of stops along the way for coffee and sustenance.
By afternoon, we were content to do that thing so prized by parents of young children: not much at all. Mission Estate’s wonderful Farmhouse accommodation, tucked away in a quiet corner of the vineyard, fitted the bill.
We whiled away a couple of hours on the deck facing the vines, chatting a little but mainly just enjoying the delightful peace and quiet. It was a struggle to act on my cycling notion when it came, but we were glad of it later that night as we enjoyed delicious and generously-portioned
meals under the beautiful vine-covered pergola at Mission Restaurant.
Both my salmon and my husband’s beef were cooked to perfection and the frozen nut nougat dessert with fresh fruit and praline was a visual symphony as well as being utterly delicious. The estate’s own wines beautifully complemented each course and the excellent staff were more than happy to make recommendations.
It’s clear why this place is loved not only by visitors but also by locals. More than one colleague who heard I was headed to their hometown talked fondly of The Mission, with one telling me it was a favourite venue for special family occasions.
The estate was looking its best: stark white against the blue sky, with a huge lawn stretching the length of the restored seminary building and adjoining chapel, and roses blooming within carefully manicured box hedging.
On a tour the following morning we gained further insights into what makes it so special. Founded by French missionaries in 1851, it’s the birthplace of wine in New Zealand and the mission building — which has survived both a move from lower ground and the 1931 earthquake — wears its history well.
Indeed, in one of those “New Zealand really is a small place” moments, I discovered some weeks after our trip that a distant relative of mine, Alfred John Stephenson, was one of the victims of the calamitous floods which hit Napier on Good Friday 1897. He and nine others tragically drowned when the Tutaekuri River burst its banks, swamping the land at Meeanee, where Mission Estate was located at the time, and providing the impetus for the move to where it now stands. A memorial to Stephenson and the others who perished was erected on Marine Parade in 1990.
Cellar door manager Yvonne Sharp is hugely knowledgeable about the area’s history and drew our attention to some fascinating pieces of Mission Estate’s archival legacy. There’s the pre-earthquake photo — taken from the elevated mission site — that shows how Napier’s topography changed when the land rocked and rose by almost 3m, the storey-high copper still at the entrance to the barrel room, and the pews rescued from the mission’s original stone chapel (which also collapsed in the great shake of 1931, claiming the lives of nine men).
Be sure to also seek out the wonderful photograph of an elderly priest in black cassock, cigar in hand, chatting with a younger colleague who’s been working in the vineyard. Taken by the late Marti Friedlander, it captures so much of the heart of this place, which was built from nothing on the back of old-fashioned toil and camaraderie.