Hawke's Bay
(Redirected from Hawkes Bay)
- This article is about the local government region; the article Hawke Bay relates to the bay itself.
- See also Hawke's Bay located in Karachi, Pakistan
Hawke's Bay 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.
Contents |
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 region is frequently referred to with a definite article, as "The Hawkes Bay", and the use of the apostrophe in the name is now officially regarded as incorrect.[1]
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 regard themselves as still part of Hawke's Bay.
The region consists of Wairoa District, Hastings District, Napier City, and Central Hawke's Bay District, as well as a small part of Taupo District.
History
Between 1858 and 1876 the Hawkes Bay formed the Hawke's Bay Province as a Province of New Zealand, after being separated from the Wellington Province following a meeting in Napier in February
1858.
Population
The region's population at the 2006 census was 151,000 . Of these, over 57,000 lived in the city of Napier. The main urban areas are Napier and Hastings. Smaller communities include Wairoa, Havelock North, Tikokino, Waipawa, Waipukurau, and Takapau. The region has a significant Māori population (22% of the total population at the 2001 census). A major local Māori tribe is Ngāti Kahungunu.
Climate and agriculture
Hawke's Bay's long, hot summer and cool winters are the best weather for of typical climate for growing grapesThe 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.
Other information
Hawke's Bay also has a useful and innovative approach to community-wide care of diabetes mellitus featuring shared records held in a web-based computer system.
The Region is served by a variety of radio stations with Classic Hits 89.5 Bay City Radio, Newstalk ZB, and The Rock being the most popular stations according to official statistics from the Research International Radio Survey October 2006.
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.
Napier is home to the annual Mission Concert held early each year. The event held at the Mission Estate Winery in Greenmeadows has attracted big names over the year's including Kenny Rogers, Shirley Bassey, Rod Stewart, B52's, Belinda Carlisle, Ray Charles, and in 2007 will feature Eric Clapton. Each concert is attended by around 25,000 people.
On February 3rd 1931, Napier and Hastings were destroyed following New Zealand's worst natural disaster. An earthquake measuring 7.9 on the Richter Scale killed 256 people. Napier re-built immediately and now the city is world famous for its Art Deco buildings and celebrates its heritage each February with the Art Deco Weekend.
One trivial fact is that the region has a hill with the longest place name in New Zealand, and one of the longest in the world. Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu is an unremarkable hill in southern Hawke's Bay, not far from Waipukurau.
External links
- Links to local councils Hawke's Bay EDA
- Hawkes Bay portal
- Rulers.org
- Napier City Council Website
- Hawke's Bay Province and Provincial District" An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand, edited by A. H. McLintoc , Welligton, 1966
 | |
|---|---|
| North Island: | Northland | Auckland | Waikato | Bay of Plenty | Gisborne¹ | Hawke's Bay | Taranaki | Manawatu-Wanganui | Wellington |
| South Island: | Tasman¹ | Marlborough¹ | Nelson¹ | West Coast | Canterbury | Otago | Southland | Fiordland² |
| ¹ Unitary authorities ² Informal only; not an officially-recognised entity |
Categories
Hawke's Bay | Wine regions of New Zealand | Territorial Authorities of New Zealand