Capital of chill.

Gisborne, NewZealand, a great holiday destination all for the price of a ticket to Auckland and an inventive way of transporting your self and your stuff (better include a surfboard if you want to surf!) to the opposite side of the island.

Poverty Bay

My favourite place in the world is situated on the Poverty Bay in the far north-east corner of the North Island of NZ and is renowned for sun, surf, and Chardonnay. Informally known as the Chardonnay Capital of NewZealand and recognised as the 1st city in the world to the sunrise on a new day. Gisborne retains a quaint small town vibe with a strong Maori heritage and can also claim the honer of being the first place in NewZealand that Captain Cook choose to land (although he was chased of by the local Maori tribes!). 

Within the town there are various backpacker accommodation options. Once settled into a hostel, try having a talk to your 50 (at times!) new housemates. Most days there will be a car pool to the surf, supermarket or a daytrip planned further afield. 

Wainui Beach

Within the town one will find Wainui beach, one of the best surf beaches in NZ, Makorori beach and the town beach. In town one can always find activity at the skate park or do a wine tour of the surrounding wineries. A little local knowledge can be great and you may one night find your self at Smash Palace, in the middle of an industrial estate with a small plane mounted in the beer garden! On a Sunday during the winter a great way to prepare for the new week is by enjoying a cold beverage and a $5 roast dinner.

Mahia Peninsula

The thing I really enjoy about this town is that it is so close to many budget (AKA free) activities. So long as you are willing to get outside and enjoy life, this town can offer many exciting days of action. 45 mins to the south is Mahia Peninsula, no people, guaranteed waves and a beautiful drive in the middle of nowhere. As you travel back try stopping at the Morere Hotsprings for a dip. To the west is Rere Falls and rockslide. Imagine 10 people packing a couple of cars full of bodyboards, blow up mattresses, wetsuits and inner tubes, and heading out to a spectacular 20 m long natural rockslide for an afternoon. North will find you driving through isolated farmlands and around the east cape of NZ.