Gisborne City Cycling

Enjoy a leisurely bike ride through downtown Gisborne and along a relatively flat cycling trail, passing the city’s key monuments, historical sites and most distinctive architecture.

After departing from the pier on a bicycle, you will head toward the long stretch of beach that hugs Poverty Bay on the south side of Gisborne or “Gizzy,” as it is affectionately known. Along the way, you will pause as your guide elaborates on the city’s history with particular attention paid to the Maori settlers and the Europeans that followed.

In the mid-14th century, the migratory Maori first landed in this area, and English explorer Captain James Cook arrived later in 1769. There is a monument commemorating the initial meeting between Cook and the Maori overlooking Poverty Bay.

Depending on your route around Gisborne, you may pass the extraordinary clock tower of the 1930s post office, the Tairawhiti Museum that is devoted to Maori artifacts and 19th-century photography, and the Taruhero River that gently flows through the city. You might also notice a number of “First to See the Light” signs that refer to Gisborne being New Zealand’s easternmost city and the world’s first to greet the rising sun each new day.

The tour isn’t all cycling though, as you will stop for a time to enjoy morning tea at a lovely Art Deco café. After approximately two and one half hours, the tour will end back at the pier.