Havelock North, NZ

Three-hat Cuisine Good Food winery restaurant at Craggy Range, repeatedly named Winery Restaurant of the Year, with a terrace facing Te Mata Peak and a seasonal menu of Hawke's Bay produce paired with the winery's portfolio. The region's destination lunch.

Craggy Range's village sister restaurant on Joll Road, a relaxed neighbourhood bistro with a tight seasonal menu and a strong wine list. Casual, polished, the easier walk-in to the same family of cooking.

Bistro at Black Barn Vineyard with one of the prettiest courtyards in the region and a menu that delivers consistently. The casual long-lunch destination, with the vineyard concert lawn next door in summer.

Striking modernist restaurant at Elephant Hill winery on Clifton Road, with a tight chef-driven menu and a tasting menu format for serious dining. The architectural showpiece of the wine country.

Village wine bar and bistro on Napier Road with a deep wine-by-the-glass list and a seasonal small-plates menu. The grown-up evening option in the village centre.

A long-running pizza-and-pasta restaurant on Joll Road known nationally for its wood-fired pizzas and the pink retro interior. Family-friendly, generous portions, and the casual dinner that always works.

A rural cafe and sweet shop on Middle Road with an old-fashioned lolly counter, sculpture garden and the prettiest cafe setting in Hawke's Bay. Family-friendly, daytime only.

Bright corner cafe on Te Aute Road with the village's strongest cabinet baking and a tight brunch menu. The locals' weekday breakfast and lunch stop.

Family-owned neighbourhood brewery in the heart of Hastings, ten minutes from the village, with a taproom pouring its own beers (the Tigermilk IPA is the one to ask for) and a menu of hot dogs, wings and burgers. The casual non-wine answer for a group.

A long-running winery restaurant with a polished seasonal menu and a serious red-wine cellar. Quieter than Craggy Range or Elephant Hill; the under-the-radar lunch destination.

Casual bar and grill in the heart of Havelock North on Treachers Lane, with a pub menu of snacks, sharing plates and mains and a rotating tap list. A reliable non-wine group option.

A bar and restaurant on Heretaunga Street in central Hastings with a modern Asian-influenced menu, art gallery, music stage and garden. The under-the-radar dinner if you want to step outside the bistro circuit.

Steep summit walk on the razor-back ridge above the village, with a road-up option for the easy version and a 90-minute climb from the lower carpark for the earned one. The view spans Hawke's Bay and Cape Kidnappers.

A network of forest and ridge tracks below the Te Mata summit, ranging from 30 minutes to three hours. The Peak Trail loop (90 min) is the best general-purpose option for a bush walk rather than a road-up summit.

A flat 14km shared path along the Tukituki River from Havelock North to Patangata, with picnic spots and swimming holes at intervals. Pram-friendly and bike-friendly. The local easy walk.

12km one-way beach walk from Clifton to the world's largest mainland gannet colony. Tide-dependent; closed July-October. A long day's effort but the wildlife at the end is the country's most accessible major colony.

A flat shared-path network connecting most of the region's wineries, with rentals from Bike Hawke's Bay and Takaro Trails in Havelock North. The best way to do the wine country without a designated driver.

A flat 5km loop along the Karamu Stream through Hastings and the suburbs, with picnic spots and a small lookout. Pram-friendly; the local daily walk for the Hastings end.

A network of forestry-block tracks in the Te Mata Hills behind the Peak, with longer walks of 2 to 4 hours through native bush and pine. Quieter than the main Peak tracks; the local Sunday option.

Summer concert series in a 2000-seat amphitheatre at Black Barn Vineyard, with NZ and international acts on the lawn. The most distinctive evening in Hawke's Bay; locals plan their summers around it.

Summer Sunday morning growers market at Black Barn Vineyard with local producers, baking, coffee carts and live music. The local Sunday plan; closed in winter.

Self-guided cycle tours from Havelock North via Takaro Trails or Bike Hawke's Bay to a selection of cellar doors. eBikes available. The under-the-radar best way to do the wine country.

Tractor-trailer tour along the beach to the Cape Kidnappers gannet colony, from Te Awanga 20 minutes from the village. Family-friendly, tide-dependent. The easy version of the colony walk.

The winery's open-air concert lawn 25 minutes from the village has hosted some of the world's biggest headliners. Check the Mission Estate website for the current season's lineup, as concerts are not held every year.

Sunday morning market at the Hastings A&P showgrounds, the original Hawke's Bay farmers market and still the country's most respected. Ten minutes from Havelock North.

Outdoor family water park in Hastings 15 minutes away, with slides, lazy river and pool complex. Summer only. Family-friendly day with kids.

Boutique three-screen cinema in the heart of Havelock North on Joll Road, with a licensed cafe-bar, mainstream and independent film programme. The village rainy-day plan and evening tradition.

An artist's sculpture garden, cafe and sweet shop on Middle Road, with a working glass-blowing studio and a cabinet of vintage lollies that turns kids into customers. Free to wander the garden.

The 399m razor-edge ridge directly above Havelock North, with a road most of the way up and a paragliding launch on the western face. The panoramic view across Hawke's Bay to Cape Kidnappers is the defining one of the region. Free.

Family-owned winery established in 1896 on the lower flanks of Te Mata Peak, with a tasting room set in the country's first official wine appellation. The Coleraine red is the country's most-collected Cabernet blend. Cellar door open daily.

Architecturally striking family-owned winery in the shadow of Te Mata Peak, with a three-hat Cuisine restaurant, lake-and-mountain views, and a cellar door that locals describe as the prettiest in the country.

A vineyard on the north-facing Havelock Hills with a 2000-seat amphitheatre concert series in summer, a cellar door, an award-winning bistro and a Sunday-morning growers market in season. The most active winery in the region.

The compact central village around Joll Road and Te Aute Road, with the densest cluster of cafes, wine bars and boutiques in Hawke's Bay outside Napier. Walkable, leafy, and the natural base for the region's wine tour.

Striking modernist winery on Clifton Road, with a tasting room and a respected restaurant. Architecture, view and the wine quality all match. Twenty minutes from the village.

World's largest mainland gannet colony, on the cliffs at the southern end of Hawke's Bay, 25 minutes from the village. Tractor tour or low-tide beach walk. October-March is the active window.

The river that runs along the southern edge of Havelock North, with multiple swimming holes, picnic spots, and the flat Tukituki Trail bike path along its length. The locals' summer-evening waterway.

A pebble beach 20 minutes from the village with Elephant Hill winery within walking distance and views east to Cape Kidnappers. The local beach.