Book This Trip
Book Cape Kidnappers gannet tours at a discount
Gannet tours sell out in peak season — book at least 1 week ahead in summer
Book & Save on Activities →Find family accommodation in Napier
Check Availability →Compare rental cars in Hawke's Bay
Compare Campervan Prices →Get travel insurance for your Hawke's Bay trip
Get Travel Insurance →Budget Breakdown
Budget is indicative. Campervan hire can reduce accommodation and food costs significantly — compare campervans.
Day-by-Day Plan
Arrive Napier — Art Deco & Marine Parade
- Art Deco Heritage Walk — collect free map from the Art Deco Trust i-SITE (1.5h self-guided walk, free)
- National Aquarium of New Zealand, Napier ($24 adult / $13 child — sharks, tuatara, stingrays)
- Marine Parade beachfront walk — long pebble beach, playgrounds, mini golf
- Ocean Spa thermal pools ($18 adult / $11 child — geothermal seawater pools on the waterfront)
- Napier was rebuilt after a 1931 earthquake — the whole city is Art Deco and it’s genuinely impressive
- Ocean Spa is a great end to Day 1 — the geothermal seawater pools are very family-friendly
- Book Cape Kidnappers gannet colony tour for Day 2 now if not already done (Gannet Safaris or Gannet Beach Adventures)
Cape Kidnappers Gannet Colony — NZ’s Best Wildlife Experience
- Gannet Beach Adventures tractor tour (3.5h, accessible for all ages — $45 adult / $22 child — departs Clifton Beach)
- Walk among 10,000 nesting gannets at the world’s most accessible mainland gannet colony
- Watch gannet courtship, chick-feeding, and diving — September to April season
- Return to Napier: Hawke’s Bay Farmers Market at Hastings (Sat/Sun morning) for local produce, bread, honey
- Gannet Beach Adventures is accessible for strollers and young kids (tractor-pulled trailer)
- The gannet colony is active August to April — nesting peaks October to January
- Hawke’s Bay Farmers Market is one of NZ’s best — Saturday 8:30am at Showgrounds, Hastings
Splash Planet + Te Mata Peak + Wineries
- Splash Planet Hastings (full morning — NZ’s best regional waterpark, $34 adult / $27 child — buy online for discount)
- Lunch at Havelock North village — excellent cafes in the village centre
- Te Mata Peak — drive to the top or hike the trail (1.5h, panoramic views of Hawke’s Bay — free)
- Craggy Range Winery — world-famous Te Mata vineyard with stunning mountain backdrop, kids welcome, excellent café
- Splash Planet is a full morning — arrive at opening (10am) to beat the queues
- Te Mata Peak is free and the views are extraordinary — you can see from Napier to the Mahia Peninsula
- Craggy Range allows kids and has mocktails for them — the vineyard setting under Te Mata Peak is stunning
Wineries, Fruit Stalls & Departure
- Church Road Winery — free museum tour of NZ’s oldest winery, excellent heritage building ($10/adult, kids free)
- Highway fruit stalls along Pakowhai Road — fresh Hawke’s Bay stone fruit, apples, and vegetables
- Bay View coast drive north of Napier — lovely coastal stretch, stop at Tangoio Beach
- Fly out from Hawke’s Bay Airport (HB) or drive to Taupo (2h) to continue north
- Hawke’s Bay produces 70% of NZ’s apples and stone fruit — the roadside stalls are excellent and cheap
- Flights from HB to Auckland take 55 minutes — often cheaper than the drive
- Taupo makes a great stopover on the way north — add it to extend this to a 5-day trip
Plan Your Trip
Before you head off, these guides will help you get the most out of your 4-day itinerary:
Packing Tips for This Trip
- Swimwear and towel — Splash Planet and Ocean Spa are highlight activities
- Sunscreen — Hawke’s Bay has very high UV in summer, second sunniest region in NZ
- Walking shoes for Te Mata Peak — the summit walk is easy but slightly rocky
- Camera with zoom — the gannet colony is extraordinary up close, but a zoom helps with birds in flight
- Reusable bag for the fruit stalls — Hawke’s Bay roadside fruit is cheap and excellent
FAQ
When is the best time to visit Cape Kidnappers with kids?
October to January is peak season — gannets are courting, nesting, and feeding chicks. The baby gannets are at their cutest in December. The tractor tour is accessible for all ages including very young children. The colony is closed from late June to mid-August.
Is Napier worth visiting with kids?
Yes — the combination of gannets, a waterpark (Splash Planet), the Marine Parade aquarium, thermal pools, and easy winery café visits makes Hawke’s Bay excellent for families. It’s also NZ’s sunniest region outside Nelson. Most families overlook it in favour of Queenstown or Rotorua — that means less crowds.
How far is Napier from Auckland and Wellington?
Napier is 5 hours from Auckland by car (or 55 minutes flying), and 3.5 hours from Wellington by car (or 40 minutes flying). Hawke’s Bay Airport (HB) has direct flights from Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch. It’s an easy add-on to a North Island road trip.
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