Explore
Gisborne
Discover Gisborne through surf beaches, coastal walks, local food, wellness experiences and relaxed East Coast lifestyle guides curated by locals.
There’s an ease to Gisborne that most New Zealand cities lost a long time ago.
The light feels different. People move slower. Cars are dusty, surfboards permanently attached to roofs, and conversations somehow stretch comfortably longer than expected.
Lunch becomes afternoon drinks. Quick beach walks become sunset missions. Even the rivers seem in no particular hurry to get anywhere.
This is New Zealand’s eastern edge. A coastal city shaped by surf culture, sunshine, rivers, long lunches and a quiet confidence that never tries too hard to impress anyone.
Explore Gisborne through wild beaches, local food, hidden swimming spots, riverside pubs, wellness experiences and the everyday rhythms locals sometimes forget are unusual anywhere else.
Because Gisborne isn’t really a place people rush through.
And after a few days here, you may not want to either.
Explore Essential Gisborne
Explore Feature Editorial
The Captain Cook Story:
The Landing That Changed New Zealand
Few places in New Zealand offer a historical story quite as fascinating, complex and enduring as Captain Cook's arrival in Gisborne in 1769.
What happened along this stretch of coastline would become one of the defining moments in New Zealand's history, marking the first meeting between Māori and Europeans during Cook's voyage aboard the Endeavour.
More than 250 years later, visitors can still explore the landscapes where these events unfolded. From monuments and memorials to landing sites, museums, artworks and historic viewpoints, the story remains woven into the city itself.
But this is far more than a simple tale of exploration.
It is a story of discovery, conflict, navigation, cultural encounters and competing interpretations of the past. It is also one of New Zealand's most debated historical legacies.
E xplore the people, places, mysteries, controversies and forgotten details surrounding Cook's arrival at Poverty Bay and why the events of 1769 continue to shape Gisborne's identity today.
Explore Gisborne Interactive Map
Discover beaches, viewpoints, cafés, attractions, accommodation and local favourites across Gisborne using our interactive map.