Hawke's Bay is a region on the east coast of New Zealand's North Island. The region is named for Hawke Bay, which was named in honour of Edward Hawke. The region's main centres are the cities of Napier and Hastings, while the more rural parts of the region are served by the towns of Waipukurau, Waipawa, and Wairoa.
Napier is a city on the eastern coast of the North Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Hawke's Bay region. It is a beachside city with a seaport, known for its sunny climate, esplanade lined with Norfolk pines, and extensive Art Deco architecture. Napier is sometimes referred to as the "Nice of the Pacific", although that is largely outdated and a more common nickname is 'The Art Deco Capital of the world'.
Hastings is an inland city of New Zealand and is one of the two major urban areas in Hawke's Bay, on the east coast of the North Island. The population of Hastings is 51,500, with a further 15,200 people in Havelock North and 2,090 in Clive. Hastings is about 18 kilometres inland of the coastal city of Napier. These two neighbouring cities are often called "The Bay Cities" or "The Twin Cities".
Havelock North is a town in the Hawke's Bay region of the North Island of New Zealand, situated less than 2 km south-east of the city of Hastings. It was a borough for many years until the 1989 reorganisation of local government saw it merged into the new Hastings District, and it is now administered by the Hastings District Council.
The Heretaunga Plains is a 300 square kilometres (120 sq mi) alluvial plain at the southern end of Hawke Bay on the east coast of the North Island of New Zealand. The towns of Napier, Hastings and Havelock North are on the plain.
The Kaweka Range of mountains is located in inland Hawke's Bay in the eastern North Island of New Zealand. It forms part of the mountainous spine of the North Island which extends from Wellington to East Cape, including the Tararua and Ruahine ranges.
Taradale is a suburb of the City of Napier, in the Hawke's Bay Region of the North Island of New Zealand. It is a predominantly middle-upper class residential suburb, located 10 kilometres southwest of the centre of Napier. The Taradale ward, which includes Greenmeadows, Meeanee, and Poraiti, had a population of 22,809 in the 2018 New Zealand census.
The Napier-Hastings Urban Area was defined by Statistics New Zealand as a main urban area of New Zealand that was based around the twin cities of Napier and Hastings in the Hawke's Bay Region. It was defined under the New Zealand Standard Areas Classification 1992 (NZSAC92), which has since been superseded by the Statistical Standard for Geographic Areas 2018 (SSGA18).
Bridge Pa is a rural Māori settlement and surrounding area in Hawke's Bay, New Zealand, located approximately 10 kilometres inland from Hastings. The pā itself comprises a school, a meetinghouse of the LDS Church, two marae, a cemetery, a disused quarry, and the 140-year-old historical Homestead of the Kamau family.
The Tutaekuri River flows eastward for 99.9 kilometres through the Hawke's Bay Region of the eastern North Island of New Zealand into the Pacific Ocean. It starts in the Kaweka Range roughly 50 kilometres north-east of Taihape, and reaches the sea just to the south of Napier, where the Ngaruroro and Clive Rivers join it.
State Highway 2 runs north–south through eastern parts of the North Island of New Zealand from the outskirts of Auckland to Wellington. It runs through Tauranga, Gisborne, Napier, Hastings and Masterton. It is the second-longest highway in the North Island, after State Highway 1, which runs the length of both of the country's main islands.
Te Awa o Mokotūāraro, formerly known as the Clive River, is a river in Hawke's Bay, New Zealand. At 33 kilometres (21 mi) long, it is the shortest of the main rivers flowing through the Heretaunga Plains.
The Donald River is a river in the Hawke's Bay region of New Zealand. It flows southeast from the Kaweka Ranges in the Kaweka Forest Park, reaching the Tutaekuri River 20 kilometres (12 mi) west of Napier.
Awatoto is a coastal suburb area within the city of Napier, Hawke's Bay, New Zealand. It stretches along the coast south of Te Awa and the central city. The northern part of Awatoto is residential, while the southern part is industrial, including heavy industry.
Ahuriri Lagoon was a large tidal lagoon at Napier, on the east coast of New Zealand's North Island, that largely drained when the area was raised by the 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake.
Waiohiki is a rural community in the Hastings District and Hawke's Bay Region of New Zealand's North Island. It is located between the Ngaruroro and Tutaekuri Rivers, south of Taradale and north of Hastings on State Highway 50. Napier Golf Club is located at Waiohiki.
Pakowhai is a small settlement in the Hastings District and Hawke's Bay Region of New Zealand's North Island. It is a located between Napier and Hastings, north of the Ngaruroro River.
State Highway 51 is a New Zealand state highway that runs between Napier and Hastings via Clive. Known locally as the Coastal Route, it was the main route between the two cities prior to the completion of the Hawke's Bay Expressway.
Rissington is a farming settlement 15 km (9.3 mi) north west of Napier, New Zealand. It lies in Hawke's Bay Region, between Sherenden and Napier, in the Mangaone River valley, on the road to Patoka and Puketitiri. A fire station, cemetery and a war memorial are the only remaining public structures, but it once had several more and was home to the country's first Women's Institute, co-founded by Amy Hutchinson and Bessie Spencer.
In late June 2024, torrential rain led to flooding in the North Island's East Coast regions of Hawke's Bay and the Gisborne District. This flooding led to evacuations and local states of emergency being declared in Hastings and Wairoa. 400 properties were flooded in Wairoa. In response, Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced that the New Zealand Government would contribute $300,000 to mayoral relief funds in Hastings, Wairoa and the Gisborne District. According to Mayor of Wairoa Craig Little, Wairoa sustained NZ$40 million worth of flood damage.
