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STORIES
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Gisborne
Stories
Discover editorial Gisborne stories, local perspectives, coastal culture, beaches, lifestyle, opinion pieces and in-depth articles that capture the atmosphere, character and everyday life of Gisborne.
Discover Gisborne Through Local Stories
Gisborne is more than a collection of attractions. It's a place shaped by beaches, surf culture, vineyards, local characters, hidden coastal roads and a pace of life that feels different from much of New Zealand.
Browse by category to discover local guides, beach recommendations, food experiences, wellness ideas, events, accommodation and stories that capture the atmosphere of the city.
Whether you're planning your first visit or looking for inspiration for your next weekend adventure, you'll find practical advice, local insights and detailed articles designed to help you experience more of Gisborne.
BMS - Boutique on Main Street, Gisborne
BMS - Boutique on Main Street, CBD, Gisborne NZ. Location: 22 Gladstone Road, Gisborne CBD Phone: (06) 867 8424 Website: www.boutiqueonmainstreet.co.nz Opening Hours: Monday to Friday, 9am–5pm | Saturday, 9am–2pm | Public holidays, 10am–2pm Items Sold: Women’s, men’s and children’s fashion, designer clothing, casual wear, footwear, handbags, jewellery, sunglasses, hats and accessories. Best For: Discovering fashion labels, wardrobe updates, designer pieces, unexpected finds a
Evolution on Gladstone: Gisborne Style
Evolution on Gladstone, CBD, Gisborne NZ. Address: 71 Gladstone Road, Gisborne CBD Phone: (06) 867 9302 Website: www.evolutionongladstone.co.nz Opening Hours: Monday to Friday, 10am–5pm | Saturday, 10am–3pm (check before visiting) Items Sold: Women’s fashion, dresses, tops, skirts, trousers, knitwear, jackets, casualwear, handbags and fashion accessories. Best For: Boutique fashion, feminine styles, colourful dresses, wardrobe updates, affordable fashion finds and independent
Hello Petal, Gisborne: Independent Boutique Shopping
Hello Petal, Gladstone Road, Gisborne NZ Address: 24 Gladstone Road, Gisborne Phone: 027 252 4084 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hello_petal_gisborne Opening Hours: Mon & Tues 10am ~ 4pm Wed ~ Fri 10am ~ 5pm Sat 10am ~ 2pm Sunday closed. Best For: Independent boutique shopping, individual style, unexpected finds and a little Gisborne personality. Independent, individual and delightfully Gisborne There is something rather satisfying about discovering a shop you weren’t p
Muirs Bookshop: A Gisborne Original Since 1905
Muirs Bookshop, Gisborne CBD, Gladstone Road, Gisborne NZ. Muirs Bookshop, Gisborne Location: Muirs Bookshop 136B Gladstone Road, Gisborne 4010 Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm; Saturday, 10am to 2pm; Sunday closed. Phone: 06 867 9741 Website: www.muirsbookshop.co.nz Established: 1905, more than 120 years of bookselling in Gisborne Appeals to: Book lovers, independent-shop enthusiasts, history buffs, families, gift hunters, curious travellers and anyone who enjoys
The Workshop Gisborne: Anything But Ordinary
The Workshop, Carnarvon Street, Gisborne NZ Location: 73 Carnarvon Street, Gisborne 4010 Phone: 021 851 829 Website: www.theworkshopgizzy.com Opening hours: Tuesday to Friday, 10am to 4pm; Saturday, 10am to 1pm. Closed Sunday and Monday. Specialities: Furniture, vintage rugs, distinctive homewares, gifts, interior styling and coffee. Best for: Design lovers, gift hunters, independent shopping, home inspiration and visitors looking for something different in Gisborne. Some sho
Salt of Earth: Gisborne's Natural Sense of Style
Salt of Earth, Grey Street, Gisborne NZ Salt • Of Earth, Gisborne Address: 93 Grey Street, Gisborne 4010 Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 10am to 4pm; Saturday, 10am to 2pm. Closed Sundays and public holidays. Phone: 027 244 7742 Website: www.saltofearth.co.nz Specialities: Handmade ceramics, natural skincare, independent fashion labels, homewares, accessories, children's clothing and gifts. Appeals to: Lovers of natural materials, independent shops, thoughtful gifts, slow fa
MV Takitimu: Historic Gisborne Boat Cruise
An historic boat cruise experience on the MV Takitumu, pictured with Young Nick's Head in the background. Gisborne NZ. Location: Pier 1, Inner Harbour, Gisborne Season: Public sailings are generally in the warmer months from October Cruise duration: Approximately 1¼ hours Indicative public cruise price: Adults/college age $25, younger passengers $15 Phone: 027 539 3303 Bookings: Recommended, with sailings weather-dependent Website: MV Takitimu Facebook Page There are easier w
Koco Boutique: Big Style, Gisborne Pace
Koco Boutique. A delightful curated range of woman's fashion and homeware on Gladstone Road, Gisborne NZ Address: 126 Gladstone Road, Gisborne 4010 Phone: 021 320 883 Website: kocoboutique.co.nz Hours: Mon - Fri 10:00am - 5pm Sat 10:00am - 2:00pm Sun Closed Koco Boutique is the sort of shop that makes you stop halfway down Gladstone Road and remember you meant to buy a birthday present. Twenty minutes later, you’re trying on a jacket and wondering whether your lounge needs a
Tairawhiti Aviation Museum, Gisborne
Tairawhiti Aviation Museum, Gisborne NZ Location: 7 Aerodrome Road, Elgin, Gisborne 4071 Phone: 0275366505 Website: www.gam.org.nz Hours: Tuesday & Sunday 9:00am - 3:00pm Admission: Adults $8, Under 13 $2, Under 5 Free Airports are usually places people hurry through. There are bags to check, boarding announcements to misunderstand and that familiar moment when everyone stands up despite the aircraft being nowhere near ready. At Gisborne Airport, however, there is another rea
East Coast Museum of Technology, Gisborne
East Coast Museum of Technology, Gisborne NZ Location: 67 Main Road, Makaraka, Gisborne 4010 Phone: 06 927 7080 Website: https://ecmot.org.nz Hours: Saturdays, 9:00am - 4:00pm Entry: Adults: $10, Student/Gold Card: $5, School Children: $2, Under 5: Free Some museums display a carefully selected collection of objects beneath flattering lights, accompanied by plaques explaining why each item is important. The East Coast Museum of Technology takes a slightly different approach.
Places That Give Gisborne Its Personality
Gisborne CBD, Gisborne NZ Some cities feel interchangeable. Gisborne does not. This place has personality. Not the carefully engineered kind created in branding workshops involving phrases like “destination activation” and “urban vibrancy.” Real personality. The weathered coastal kind. The slightly eccentric kind. The kind built slowly over decades by surfers, farmers, café owners, artists, fishermen, winemakers and independent businesses that stubbornly continue doing things
Gisborne Library: Hours, Location & Visitor Guide
HB Williams Memorial Library, Bright Street Entrance, Gisborne NZ HB Williams Memorial Library, Gisborne Location: 34 Bright Street, Gisborne Website: www.gpl.govt.nz Hours: Mon, Wed - Fri 9:00am - 5:30pm Tues 9:00am - 8:00pm Sat 9:30am - 1:00pm Sun Closed Admission: Free Facilities: Free WiFi Public computers Children's spaces Reading areas Local history collections Community information Accessible facilities Best For: Families History enthusiasts Digital nomads Business tra
Tairāwhiti Museum: Gisborne’s Best Indoor Activity
Tairāwhiti Museum, Gisborne NZ Where: 10 Stout Street, Gisborne Website: www.tairawhitimuseum.org.nz Opening Hours Monday – Saturday 10am – 4pm Sunday and Public Holidays 1:30pm – 4:00pm Closed – Easter Friday, Christmas Day and Boxing Day Admission Adults $5 12 years and under and Friends of the Museum free entry Free entry for local residents There comes a point in every Gisborne holiday when someone says, “Should we do something cultural?” This usually happens after the b
Gisborne Riverbank & Town Beach Walkway
Early morning walk on the Riverbank & Town Beach Walkway Every town has a walk that locals take when they need fresh air, exercise, a coffee excuse, or simply somewhere to think. In Gisborne, that walk is the Riverbank & Town Beach Walkway. It's not a wilderness adventure. There are no mountain peaks, suspension bridges, or warning signs about surviving the next 48 hours. What it does offer is something arguably better: an easy, scenic stroll that showcases the rivers, beache
Unique Gisborne Steam Train Experience
Where: Gisborne City Vintage Railway, Awapuni Road When: Check website for details Official website: www.gcvr.org.nz Gisborne's Wa165, the only surviving locomotive of its class in the world There are tourist attractions that feel manufactured. Then there are attractions that somehow survived history. The Gisborne City Vintage Railway belongs firmly in the second category. On selected weekends throughout the warmer months, a beautifully restored vintage train leaves Gisborne
Gisborne Railbike Adventure: Book Gisborne’s Most Unexpected Experience
Gisborne Railbike Adventure, Gisborne NZ Gisborne Railbike Adventure Phone: 021 525 700 Website: www.railbikes.nz Experience: Guided rides on side-by-side tandem railbikes along historic railway lines. Tours: Waipaoa Bridge, one hour; Beach Loop and Mahia Coast to Viaduct, half-day adventures. Prices: From $52 per person for Waipaoa Bridge; half-day tours listed from $130 per person, with electric options from $155 Bookings: Book online below (Riders must be 18 or older, with
Mōrere Hot Springs: Hours, Prices & Visitor Guide
Morere Hot Springs, State Highway 2, Morere, Gisborne NZ Mōrere Hot Springs: Hot Springs Hidden in a Rainforest Location: State Highway 2, Mōrere 4078 Phone: 06 837 8856 Website: www.doc.govt.nz Hours: Mon 10:00 - 5:00pm Tue - Wed Closed Thu - Sun 10:00 - 5:00pm Drive time: Roughly 45-50 minutes Adult entry: $20 Child 5-18: $12 Senior: $14 Pools: Public and private mineral pools Setting: Native rainforest Best for: Relaxation, couples, families and short forest walks Mōrere H
Explore a Day With Touchwood Fishing Charters
Touchwood Fishing Charters, Gisborne NZ Location: Esplanade Pier 2 Berth 22/Esplanade, Kaiti, Gisborne 4010 Phone: 0274 305 701 Website: www.touchwoodfishing.co.nz Hours: Mon - Sun 6:30am - 5:00pm There’s something deeply reassuring about the fact that in Gisborne, you can still wake up before sunrise, walk down to the marina half asleep holding a takeaway coffee, and spend the day chasing snapper, kingfish and whatever else decides your dignity is negotiable that morning. To
Let's go Surfing with Sarah
Surfing with Sarah, Gisborne NZ Surfing with Sarah Location: Salisbury Road, Awapuni, Gisborne 4010 Phone: 022 073 9383 Website: www.surfingwithsarah.co.nz Hours: 7:00am - 7:00pm Gisborne surf lifestyle with beginner-friendly lessons, local knowledge, and some of New Zealand’s best waves. There are places in New Zealand where surfing feels intensely serious. People speak in abbreviations. Boards cost more than small vehicles. Everybody somehow appears both extremely relaxed a
Experience The Motu Trails, Gisborne
Another day in paradise on the Motu Trails, Gisborne NZ Website: www.motutrails.co.nz Motu Trails is not one trail. It is more like a polite invitation from Gisborne to see how honest your fitness tracker really is. From town, riders can choose easy coastal paths, sealed country roads, hill circuits, mountain bike tracks and longer adventure routes that connect into the wider Motu Trails network. Gisborne offers everything from a flat coastal ride beside Waikanae Beach to the
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