Hawke's Bay Region

Coordinates: 39°25′S 176°49′E / 39.417°S 176.817°E / -39.417; 176.817

"Hawke's Bay" redirects here. For other uses, see Hawke's Bay (disambiguation)

Hawke's Bay Heretaunga
—  Region of New Zealand  —
Motto: Safeguarding your environment Kaitiaki tuku iho
Hawke's Bay Region within New Zealand
Country	New Zealand
Island	North Island
Established	1989
Seat	Napier
Territorial authorities	List Napier City Hastings District Wairoa District Central Hawke's Bay District Taupo District (part) Rangitikei District (part)
Government
- Chairperson	Eileen von Dadelszen
Area
- Region	14,111 km2 (5,448.3 sq mi)
Population (June 2009 estimate)[1]
- Region	153,400
- Density	10.9/km2 (28.2/sq mi)
Time zone	NZST (UTC+12)
- Summer (DST)	NZDT (UTC+13)
Website	http://www.hbrc.govt.nz/

Hawke's Bay (Māori: Heretaunga) is a region of New Zealand. Hawke's Bay is recognised on the world stage for its award-winning wines. The regional council sits in both the cities of Napier and Hastings.

Geography

The region is situated on the east coast of the North Island. The region bears the former name of what is now Hawke Bay, a large semi-circular bay which extends for 100 kilometres from northeast to southwest from Mahia Peninsula to Cape Kidnappers.

The Hawke's Bay region includes the hilly coastal land around the northern and central bay, the floodplains of the Wairoa River in the north, the wide fertile Heretaunga Plains around Hastings in the south, and a hilly interior stretching up into the Kaweka and Ruahine Ranges.

The region's boundaries vary somewhat from the former provincial boundaries of Hawke's Bay, and some towns in the Manawatu-Wanganui Region to the southwest, such as Dannevirke and Woodville have a historical association with Hawke's Bay.^{[citation needed]}

The region consists of Wairoa District, Hastings District, Napier City, and Central Hawke's Bay District, as well as the town of Taharua in Taupo District and the town of Ngamatea in Rangitikei District.

One trivial fact is that the region has a hill with the longest place name in New Zealand, and the longest in the world according to the 2009 Guinness Book of Records.Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu is an unremarkable hill in southern Hawke's Bay, not far from Waipukurau.

History

Hawke's Bay Province was founded in 1858 as a Province of New Zealand, after being separated from the Wellington Province following a meeting in Napier in February 1858. The Province was abolished in 1876 along with all other provinces in New Zealand. It was replaced with a Provincial District.

On February 3 1931, Napier and Hastings were devastated following New Zealand's worst natural disaster. An earthquake measuring 7.9 on the Richter Scale killed 256 people. Napier began re-building and now the city is world famous for its Art Deco buildings and celebrates its heritage each February with the Art Deco Weekend. An exhibition on the earthquake, its causes and impact, at the Hawke's Bay Museum and Art Gallery is a popular destination for visitors.

Population

A map showing population density in the Hawke's Bay Region at the 2006 census.

The region's population is 153,400 from the June 2009 estimate.^[1] Of these, 57,200 lived in Napier City. The main urban areas are Napier and Hastings. Smaller communities include Wairoa, Taradale, Havelock North, Tikokino, Waipawa, Waipukurau, and Takapau. The region has a significant Māori population (24% of the total population at the 2006 census). A major local Māori tribe is Ngāti Kahungunu.

Climate and agriculture

A Hawke's Bay vineyard in autumn.

Hawke's Bay's long, hot summers and cool winters offer the best weather for growing grapes. The climate is dry and temperate. Hawke's Bay is renowned for its horticulture with large orchards and vineyards on the plains. In the hilly parts of the region sheep and cattle farming predominates, with forestry blocks in the roughest areas.

Culture

The region is served by a variety of radio stations with Classic Hits 89.5 Bay City Radio, and Newstalk ZB being the most popular local stations. Hawke's Bay also has its own TV station, TVHB, which provides a mix of news and information programmes hosted by local personalities.

Hawke's Bay produces some of New Zealand's finest wines and once a year Harvest Hawke's Bay celebrates the fact by offering a three day wine and food festival. This event attracts many thousands.^{[citation needed]}

Napier is home to the annual Mission Concert held early each year. The event held at the Mission Estate Winery in Taradale has attracted big names over the year's including Kenny Rogers, Shirley Bassey, Rod Stewart, The B-52's, Belinda Carlisle, Ray Charles, and Eric Clapton. Each concert is attended by around 25,000 people. The 2009 concert attraction was to be Lionel Ritchie, but the concert was cancelled because of rain.

Medicine

Hawke's Bay has a useful and innovative approach to community-wide care of diabetes mellitus featuring shared records held in a web-based computer system.^{[citation needed]}

Wine

Missionaries in the mid 19th century first planted vines high and Hawkes Bay and it is now becoming an important place for full bodied red wines.^[2]

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Hawke's Bay

• Official Regional website
• Official Hawke's Bay Tourism Portal
• Official Newcomers Site - free information service for newcomers to Hawke's Bay
• Napier City Council Website
• "Hawke's Bay Province and Provincial District". An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand, edited by A.H. McLintock, Wellington, 1966

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