Mahia made for a meander
Check out the pools, pies, and Poverty on a pretty Hawke’s Bay tour, but look out for Young Nick’s Head.
Start with Captain Cook: he knew a thing or two about journeys. Standing on the bank of the Tu¯ ranganui River, he’s facing the centre of Gisborne, his back to the sea. Nearby is another statue, of Cook’s cabin boy, Nicholas Young, pointing excitedly towards a line of white cliffs across Poverty Bay.
Said to be the expedition’s first sighting of land in New Zealand in 1769, they were jokingly named Young Nick’s Head after him, and earned the boy two gallons of rum, along with crew popularity.
Those bright sandstone cliffs completing the curve of Poverty Bay will grab your attention as you drive out of town towards the Pacific Coast Highway, State Highway 2; and there’s a good view of them to be had across Te Wherowhero estuary, beyond the marshes.
It’s a spectacular peninsula, but behind it is one that’s even better.
Say goodbye to the flat land as you climb up Wharera¯ ta¯ Hill, through forests and steeply-cut farmland, then drop again to tiny Nu¯ haka, where there’s a marae with a splendidly-carved meeting house. Turn off left here towards Mahia, to wind through bare golden hills towards the huge expanse of Hawke’s Bay, where long lines of white breakers roll in on to the black sand.
Stop at O¯ poutama lookout: ahead is the little holiday settlement of Mahia Beach, tucked underneath the hills and cliffs of what was once an island but is now the Mahia Peninsula, joined to the mainland by an isthmus of sand. You can see the waves that bring the surfers. Beneath them is what brings the fishermen and divers. There’s also food and coffee, a pub, and the start of a slow but spectacular loop.
Nosing along the unsealed road that wobbles around the peninsula, enjoy the views from beaches barricaded by driftwood, back across
Hawke’s Bay to the south. Near the tip, you’ll pass the private road to Rocket Lab – the launching pad closed to the general public, unfortunately.
On the other side of the peninsula, you’ll find a series of sheltered sandy beaches divided by seasculpted rocks and reefs. In the tiny settlements there are modest homes and baches, the occasional marae, and colourful cemeteries. It’s peaceful out of season, but busy in summer with holidaymakers smug about having discovered this unspoilt seaside haven.
If you can bear to leave the lovely Mahia Peninsula, now you will retrace your route back to Nu¯ haka. But there, turn left for some more treats.
SH2 takes you through more farmland and alongside Whakakı¯ Lagoon where protected wetlands are home to many birds. After 14km is the sleepy river town of Wairoa, with its sturdy wooden lighthouse by the bridge.
It’s pretty, but across the road is the real reason to come to Wairoa: Osler’s Bakery, where they make the best pies. Lamb and mint, peppered steak and ku¯ mara, boil-up, or the classic mince and cheese – these are award winners, and the riverbank is the perfect place to eat one.
When it’s time to head back to Gisborne, be sure to stop at Mo¯ rere Hot Springs for a therapeutic wallow in ancient seawater, naturally heated in pools underneath the nikau palms.
Then pause, once more, at the Wharera¯ ta¯ summit for its long view towards Gisborne: you’ll see Young Nick’s Head but, even if you squint, you won’t see Cook from here. morerehotsprings.co.nz