Napier, Hawke's Bay, New Zealand - Local Attractions and Events

Just five minutes drive from Napier’s central business district you can discover an area steeped in history, but with a contemporary edge.

Cape Kidnappers safari experience takes you to Hawke's Bay Cape Kidnappers Gannet Colony - the world's largest, most accessible Gannet nesting place. It's the only way of being taken right to within a few feet of these remarkable birds - there is no walking required!

Once again this Summer the Amphitheatre is playing host to a string of local and international acts, including The Hollies, The Winery Tour featuring Bic Runga, Brooke Fraser & Benny Tipene, and The Shades with Oriana Kershaw

Splash Planet is Hawke's Bay's number one family attraction. Stay dry with plenty of fun activities, or get wet and wild in our awesome water theme park.

Welcome to Napier, the friendly Art Deco capital, where history comes alive and dreams come true!

The Hawke’s Bay Trails comprise three fully completed ‘Great Rides’ being the Water Ride, the Wineries Ride and the Landscapes Ride. Together they total 200kms of mostly off-road trails that crisscross the region and link most of the attractions in Napier, Hastings and Havelock North

Waka Experience has been developed to offer a unique cultural and sailing experience across Hawke's Bay. Waka Experience is suitable for organisations including schools, youth, iwi, community, corporate groups and visitors to the Hawke's Bay.

Napier Prison is the oldest penal complex in New Zealand, having opened in 1862. The Prison finally closed its doors in 1993. However in 2002 it was bought by the Waaka family, restored to its present state and used as a backpackers. Currently Napier Prison is open to the public for both guided day and night tours as well as daily self­guided audio tours.

The prison has had many former uses besides housing criminals, such as a psychiatric unit, a lighthouse, a meeting venue for Alcoholics Anonynous and a set for television series. Napier Prison housed such inmates as Te Koote, Terry Clark, John Yelash, Makoare Te Waata, Roland Edward, Haira Te Piri, all of which you can hear more about on any of the tours. Whilst taking a tour you can hear about the different buildings in the gounds of the prison, such as The Pound, originally housing unstable patients, can you guess the origins of its name? Learn why the toilets doors had to be shortened, about the graffiti and gang propoganda scrawled in the cells, the many uses for the Cages originally used for immigrants arriving at the port, why the prisoners in the Graveyard were buried in a strange position and how in the Hanging Yard the executioner was often also an inmate of the prison! You can even see the original path of the 1931 Hawkes Bay earthquake, and read all about it.