Gisborne

Surf, cheese and chardonnay in Gisborne

The Gisborne lifestyle revolves around award-winning white wines, artisan foods, fresh fish and a large helping of perfectly formed waves. Inland from the surf and vines, Te Urewera National Park encloses Lake Waikaremoana and the largest untouched native forest in the North Island.

Slideshow     6 shots SUN, SAND AND SURF Dominated by the sun, surf and sand of the coastline, Eastland is a stunning region. Further inland you'll find large native forests and rolling pasture. View Slideshow

Gisborne is often called ‘The Chardonnay Capital of New Zealand’, for very good reason - it has the largest area of chardonnay vineyards in New Zealand. A local operator offers limousine tours of the wineries, including the bio-dynamic vineyard that Bender and Mark visited. Combine your wine trail with a visit to the local cheese factory to discover creamy bries and blues - you can also try the award-winning olive oil.

	In Gisborne a leisurely walk along the seafront is something of a history lesson.
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The highway that runs through Gisborne is part of an ocean-edge touring route that links the Hawke’s Bay with Auckland. Follow this road north and you’ll discover some of Eastland’s most memorable sights including the 660 metre Tolaga Bay Wharf, the East Cape Lighthouse and the intricately decorated Maori church in Tikitiki. Another unique Eastland experience is the climb up Mount Hikurangi, the first mainland place in the world to see the sunrise each day.

To get closer to the culture of Eastland, look for homestays, farmstays and B & B accommodation. Or, if time is on your side, rent a private holiday home by the beach.

Episode 3 - Gisborne

Gisborne is Mark’s home town, so it was only a matter of time before Bender found himself in front of the Gardner family photo collection checking out embarrassing childhood pictures of his mate. A little later, at a local board-shaping studio, they ran into pro surfer Maz Quinn who suggested they catch up with his dad Gary - a master surfer who makes olive oil. Bender and Mark’s Gisborne food and wine trail also led them to some great cheese and the Bio-Dynamic Millton’s winery, where wine making activities are ruled by the phases of the moon. At the beach, our chefs shared their waves with Maz, Gary and sculptor friend Elm.

BEN & MARK'S RECIPES Check out the recipes cooked in this episode and try to replicate the guy's meals at home using the best of New Zealand's produce. Read More