An unhurried journey through Hawke’s Bay’s estuaries, river valleys, coastline and some of New Zealand’s most celebrated wine country.
With over 200 kilometres of interconnected, flat cycle trails, Hawke’s Bay is one of those rare destinations where cycling feels less like exercise and more like indulgence.
With the assistance of Takaro Trails, we planned our three-day cycle trip. It unfolded exactly as it should… slow, beautiful, with plenty of reasons to stop along the way.
Day One: Napier → Bay View → Puketapu → Coastal Return
Estuaries, wetlands and quiet country roads.
We began our Hawke’s Bay biking trip from Napier, where Art Deco elegance meets the Pacific Ocean. The morning light here was something special, soft, golden.
We rolled out of Napier, found the trailhead, and headed toward the Ahuriri Estuary. It winds through wetlands, rich with birdlife. The gradient is easy, and the scenery is ever-changing.
As our ride was self-guided, we were on our own, using the ‘Ride With GPS: Bike Navigation’ app.
During our briefing with Takaro Trails, they uploaded our three-day itinerary. Our e-bikes had great iPhone holders on the handlebars so we could see the map and also hear the audio queues to keep us on the trail.
However, sadly, a lack of tuition from Takaro Trails left us floundering for the better part of the first day, missing turns and biking 20 kilometres further than necessary.
Nevertheless, once we got the hang of the app and could keep the map on the iPhone screen, things were plain sailing.
We rode as far north as Bay View before looping back and heading inland toward Taradale, where the landscape shifted from coastal to vines.
We stopped for a delicious lunch at Mission Estate Winery Restaurant, New Zealand’s oldest winery, and quite possibly one of the most picturesque. Riding up the long driveway, the building is large and imposing, from a bygone era.
Lunch at Mission Estate Winery is not to be rushed. Think long tables, in a beautiful garden setting, refined seasonal plates, and a glass of something local, with views stretching across the vines.
Well-fed and lubricated, we followed the Puketapu River as far as the Puketapu Hotel (pub). Stopping briefly, the pub is full of the area’s interesting history. The quieter roads, lined with farmland and trees, stretched far into the distance.
The return loop brought us back toward the coast, past the port, and into Napier along the boardwalk.
We stayed at the Crown Hotel and had a delicious dinner at Madame Social, minutes from the hotel. The Crown Hotel sits in one of Napier’s nicest pockets, Ahuriri. The area is very much about location and atmosphere. The hotel overlooks the Ahuriri waterfront, which is part of the inner harbour connected to the sea. The once-working port village has a great vibe, with boardwalks, a marina, fishing boats, old wharf buildings, and many great eateries.
Distance: ~60km
Ride: Easy–moderate
Day Two: Napier → Coastal Boardwalk → Clive → Gimblett Gravels →Hastings → Havelock North
Where the ride becomes about texture—gravel under tyre, bold reds in the glass.
Day two began right on the edge of the Pacific, two minutes from our hotel. We retrace our steps on the coastal boardwalk as we head south, with the ocean rolling beside us.
As we reached Clive, our ride turned inland, weaving through fertile farmland and into the heart of Hawke’s Bay’s growing region. The orchard country oozed rows of fruit trees, seasonal colour, and the unmistakable scent of sun-warmed earth. Apples were being harvested, with teams of pickers working around the clock to get them to market.
Moving on from Clive, the terrain opened up into the famed Gimblett Gravel area. It’s a small but very special wine-growing area in the Hawkes Bay. It’s unique because it’s an old riverbed, the soil is very gravelly, and the warm microclimate means the stones absorb the heat during the day and release it at night, helping the grapes fully ripen.
We did a wine tasting at Trinity Hill before heading to Oak Estate for lunch. In the heart of the Bridge Pa Triangle, Oak Estate is a small family-owned vineyard founded in 2017 by Nadine and Stefan Loetscher.
Embracing organic growing and sustainable practices, Oak Estate is as much about living in harmony with the land as it is about producing exceptional wines.
Sitting outside on unpretentious wooden tables with bench seats, we were blown away by the quality of the food. The freshly baked bread with the estate’s famous burnt butter and a generous portion of lamb. It was our best meal in three days. Varun and Tom, both chefs from Craggy Range, had clearly brought their amazing chefs’ skills to the Oak Estate.
Passing through the quiet pockets of Fernhill and Pakipaki, we made our way through Hastings to Havelock North.
We stayed at Porter Boutique Hotel in Havelock North. Boutique. Stores and leafy streets make this a delightful town. We ate at Mora, a great restaurant next door to Porter’s, but we didn’t do the menu justice after our lunch at Oak Estate.
Distance: ~60km
Feel: Flowing, coastal to countryside, effortlessly connected
Day Three: Havelock North → Tukituki River Loop → Te Awanga
River trails, vineyards and a grand coastal finale.
On our final day, we left Havelock North and headed toward the Tukituki Valley, one of the region’s most beautiful areas.
Following the Tukituki River, where limestone trails trace the water’s edge, the ride was smooth and gentle, with wide open views. Then, we left the calm of the river and were back riding adjacent to the coast as we headed towards Te Awanga, home to two of Hawke’s Bay’s most loved wineries:
- Elephant Hill Winery, sleek, architectural, ocean-facing
- Clearview Estate Winery, relaxed, sun-soaked, effortlessly charming
We finished our ride at Elephant Hill as the forecasted rain started. We parked up our bikes and settled in for a long and decadent lunch to finish what had been a great ride.
Distance: ~50–60km
Feel: Scenic, soulful, quietly spectacular
Final Thoughts
Hawke’s Bay isn’t about pushing limits. It’s about leaning into the moment.
Over the three days, it felt like we had completed three different rides, coast, countryside, and river, all seamlessly connected, and all effortlessly rideable. Between the estuaries, the gravel, and the long vineyard lunches, you realise this isn’t just a cycling trip, it’s a way of slowing down, of noticing more, and travelling as it should be.
Other great New Zealand bike rides: