Your Labour Weekend in Gisborne sorted!

Where to stay and what to do when visiting for the First Light Wine & Food Festival…

Domestic travel has never been more appealing and with the next long weekend hosting Gisborne’s First Light Wine and Food Festival, it makes sense to make the trip to our region this October.

Gisborne is well known for its amazing weather and sunshine hours - let’s be honest, the sun is probably shining there now!

We have had incredible weather, boasting 25 degrees the last few Labour Weekends so it’s def the place to be to kick off your summer travels.

Stunning afternoon at TW Wines for the 2019 Festival, 25+ degree weather and lots of sunshine!

Bridge Estate, one of the three venues of Gisborne’s Wine & Food Festival.

If you are driving to the Gisborne region you’re likely to zip past stunning scenery from all directions, and if you’re flying from either Wellington or Auckland (50min trip) you will be treated with stunning views of the celebrated Poverty Bay Flats- Gisborne's thriving horticulture hub. 

Eventually you’ll hit one of the many beaches of the region and depending on the winds you’ll be able to spend some time watching surfers enjoying our world class waves, kite surfing or just enjoying the sea. Or if surfing is your thing, jump right in and join the locals in the waves before checking into your accommodation.

The Manutuke Glamping retreat is a unique accommodation option, or if you’re looking for an ocean side accommodation experience, Tatapouri Bay offers glamping, camping and cabins. 

There's plenty of other unique stays in Gisborne like the Hinterland Retreat. For those who prefer hotel/motel accommodation we have various lovely motels run by our welcoming locals,  all situated on the doorstep of Gisborne town where you will find plenty of options for a morning coffee.

Hinterland Retreat, Gisborne, New Zealand.

But first it’s time to eat! You might head to the Sunshine Brewer, our local brewery producing the famous Gissy Gold beers, to kick off the evening. If you’re more wine inclined Crawford Road Kitchen hosts the Gisborne Wine Centre and offers a large selection of Gisborne wines in case you want to familiarise yourself with local drops before the Wine & Food Festival on Sunday!

It’s Saturday morning and what do you know, the sun is shining again! 

Walkers rejoice- head to the main beach to stroll down the boardwalk. If you’re on a roll with the beaches take a short drive up the coast to Makorori and explore the sheltered bay. Over the next bay you’ll find Tatapouri and if you’re not already staying there, check it out for yourself with a morning coffee made with beans from our local roastery Far East Coffee.

Kaiti Hill offers an easy incline walk with great views at the top (accessible from town) and a nice segway into a visit to the local farmers market if you’re staying in town. For the rest of your sunny Saturday, Gisborne has an activity for everyone. If you’ve planned and booked in advance, the Rail Trail is a fantastic way to see more of Gisborne from a unique perspective.

Those who prefer exploring by foot will fancy a trip to Eastwoodhill to explore. Only half an hour from town, this arboretum boasts 25km of walking trails and the largest collection of Northern Hemisphere trees in the Southern Hemisphere. Not to be missed, the breathtaking trees and walks will impress any visitor.

Finally if exercise isn’t on the agenda, Neat Places has all the foodies and shoppers sorted with this list of their recommendations for 12 Hours in Gisborne, a complete day to relax in the City before the main Wine and Food event the following day!

On Sunday, fuel for the day ahead with brunch at one of Gisborne’s great cafes. Before you know it, it will be time to head to the i-site and jump on one of the complimentary buses headed out to one of the three winery locations. We’ll take care of the rest of the afternoon from there. Plenty of wine, food and music in the gizzy sun.

See you there!

3 things you probably didn't know about the Gisborne Wine and Food festival

With this years festival just around the corner we put together a few interesting facts to get all our punters warmed up for another year of excellent wine, food and music! Get your tickets here.

1: Gisborne has been hosting a Wine and Food festival for 20 years!

The first wine and food event for the Gisborne region took place in 1999. Since then, the festival has tried many different formats and showcased just about every local winegrower in the region.

From an all in one location, to over 5000 people being bussed between different destinations the festival is rich in history both in terms of local wine and foodies involvement and the many memories patrons have created over the years.

2: TW Wines has been a part of the festival since Day 1.

Paul Tietjen and Geordie Witters began the TW business in 1998, since then they have been involved in the festival every year be it welcoming patrons onto the vineyard to try their award winning wine or an outstanding set up at the show grounds during that format.

This year your ticket takes you onsite to the O.G vineyard of the Gisborne Wine and Food festival at TW Wines.

3: The first light wine and food festival is one of the first wine and food festivals of the summer season in NZ

The Bay of Islands kicks off the season of great wine and food on October 5th.

Just a few short weeks later it’s Gisborne’s turn.

Gisborne is able to host the event on a Sunday with Monday being Labour day- a public holiday.

Labour weekend often signifies the start of the New Zealand summer (even though we are still in Spring).

As the first place in the world to see the sun- and lots of it, Gisborne kicks off as one of the first wine and food festivals leading into summer.

Wanting to see what this year has in store? Click here to grab your tickets today, be quick they are selling out fast!