Napier - Cruise Overview

Hawke’s Bay’s destiny was shaped by a devastating 1931 earthquake and the remarkable result was the birth of the dazzling Art Deco and Spanish Mission architectural styles of Napier and Hastings. The region is renowned for its award-winning red wines, its fresh local produce and artisan food producers. Hawke’s Bay is also home to one of the world’s largest mainland gannet colonies at Cape Kidnappers/Te Kauwae-a-Māui.

Popular onshore activities in Napier

• Take a tour of the gannet colony – home to more than 15,000 of these amazing seabirds. Alternatively, play a round of golf at the Cape Kidnappers Golf Course, ranked among the best courses in the world by Golf Magazine.
• Take a walking tour(opens in new window) around Napier to see some of the city’s best Art Deco buildings and architecture.
• Take a wine tour or visit a café to enjoy one of the Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon or Syrah wines the Hawke’s Bay is famous for.
• Hawke’s Bay has over 133km of dedicated off road cycle pathways. The cycling experience takes you through stunning scenery including orchards, coastline, vineyards as well as visiting wineries, local cafes and much more.

Getting around

Cruise ships arriving in Napier berth at the Port of Napier, 1km north of the city centre.

It is a working port with no pedestrian access so you will need to catch the port shuttle to get to the city. Check with your cruise ship for shuttle services from the pier into Napier city centre. Your drop off point is the i-SITE Visitor Information Centre located on Marine Parade in the middle of Napier.

The Napier i-SITE Visitor Information Centre is a good place to obtain maps of the city and find out important information such as where to find money changing facilities.

On foot

The Port of Napier is a working port with no pedestrian access, so passengers are shuttled into the centre of the city by the port shuttle. Once in the city, shopping, dining and most city attractions are within easy walking distance.

Public buses

It’s easy to get around Napier on its goBay public bus network. Most buses within the Napier central city cost approximately NZ$3 per trip, while buses to the surrounding area will cost approximately NZ$4.50 one-way. Take route 12 for the Napier to Hastings bus and route 13 to access Taradale, where many of the local wineries are located.

Phone (06) 833 8032 for goBay timetable information.

Taxis

Taxis are easy to find in Napier. Hawke’s Bay Combined Taxis can be contacted on (06) 835 7777. Hawke’s Bay Combined Taxis accept New Zealand dollars and major credit cards.

Car rental

It’s a good idea to book rental cars in advance. Find a rental car in Napier.