One of the locals: Your insider’s guide to Gisborne

Gisborne’s more than its New Year festival – here are the local treasures you’ll want to explore next time you’re there. Photo / Neat Places
Most Kiwis are familiar with one type of Gisborne experience – you know, the one that involves jumping up and down in a vineyard to ring in the New Year with 20,000 other people. And okay, that does seem like a pretty good time but we’re here to tell you there’s a lot more to uncover along Aotearoa’s sunny East Coast.
We spent a good many days hanging out with the friendly residents of Gisborne Tairāwhiti, following them to well-loved local haunts and finding out what makes this such a special place to call home. Next time you’re in the region, here’s everything you’ll want to include on your itinerary.
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Whether it’s your first or fiftieth time visiting, the magic of Dome Cinema never wears off. Set in a sultry and low-lit space with a quirky and old-world aesthetic, it’s a chance for locals to escape their everyday lives and step into a whole other place and time. While you don’t need a movie ticket to enjoy cocktails, pizza and tapas in the dining room or twinkling courtyard, there’s nothing quite like the full cinematic experience. Cosy up with a blanket on a beanbag under the theatre ceiling of majestic stained-glass domes and wait for the movie to start rolling. Dome screens a mix of new releases, timeless classics and arthouse films, and each session has an intermission with the option to have pizza delivered to your beanbag. As well as film screenings, the theatre room hosts musicians from all over the country.
On Saturdays and Sundays, a small garage door on Salisbury Road rolls up to reveal racks and racks of vintage threads. Gabby Galletly started Salisbury Garage back in 2021, creating a fresh destination for young people to hang out and pick up some cool secondhand pieces. There’s a bit of a Y2K gender-free theme going on here, with plenty of vintage baggy denim, hoodies, graphic tees and shirts. In keeping with the nostalgic wardrobe, Gabby also offers film developing services and sends locals’ roll film down to Ferrymead Film every week.
If you want to get to know the people that make this sunny town shine extra bright, Gizzy Local is a good place to start. The organisation kicked off in 2019 with a mission to connect the community through promoting local events, providing helpful resources and sharing uplifting stories that highlight the creativity, knowledge and diversity of the people who live here. In addition to offering an online platform to connect, Gizzy Local has a physical community space on Lowe St with a lively programme of gatherings that anyone can join – from creative workshops to markets, keep an eye on the Gizzy Local calendar to see what’s happening next time you’re in town.
It doesn’t get more local than taking a sip of Gizzy Gold. Sunshine Brewery has been around since 1989, making it New Zealand’s oldest independent brewery. While that’s a brag-worthy title, there are no egos on these premises. Located around the corner from Waikanae Beach, Sunshine Brewery’s taproom is always bustling with locals and visitors sipping classic brews or testing out a seasonal creation, sharing delicious pizzas, and filling up riggers for their fridge at home. Make sure you press your nose up to the window to check out the exciting brewing action going on in the next room.
The epitome of a local institution, Smash Palace has provided the community with a place to gather, drink and enjoy live music for over 30 years. With its eclectic collection of salvaged knick-knacks and furnishings, you won’t find anything like it – unless you know of somewhere else with a DC3 suspended over its outdoor garden. Didn’t think so. There’s an event on almost every day of the week, including music gigs on one of the three stages, pub choir evenings, build-a-band and kitchen takeovers. While Smash Palace is brimming with Gisborne residents, they welcome visitors with open arms – and it has a way of making you feel like you’ve been coming for years.
Gisborne’s warm sun and salty sea breeze have a way of nourishing the mind, body, and soul – but there are plenty of places about town offering an extra boost to your wellbeing. Feeling good often starts with fueling up on nutritious food – and luckily there’s a friendly plant-based cafe in Wainui making sure your kai is as delicious as it is healthy. After watching the spectacular sunrise on Wainui Beach, head to Zephyr for an hour or so to enjoy great coffee and hoe into a hearty burrito or refreshing smoothie bowl. If you’re lucky, you may have timed your Gisborne trip with one of Zephyr’s community markets too.
For a calm mind and relaxed muscles, book a sweaty session at The Sauna Project. The hand-crafted sauna trailer parks up on the sandy shores of local beaches several times a week, inviting anyone in the community to meet up and experience the wellbeing benefits of contrast therapy. The beauty of the beachside location, not including the epic ocean views out the window, is the ability to alternate between the hot sauna and cool salty water.
At the end of Makorori Beach Rd, Yoga Coast Plus is a godsend for stiff surfer bodies and busy minds – and the studio’s ocean views are a nice bonus too. Yoga teacher Jo Franks leads Iyengar Yoga sessions throughout the week with practices available for all levels.
Head away from the main drag and towards Ballance St and live like a true Gizzy local for the day. Don’t be deceived by the size of this street – there’s a lot going on. Start your morning with the rest of the neighbourhood at Curbside Kitchen for great coffee and some of the best baked goods in town (the custard doughnuts are definitely not made for sharing).
Across the road, pop into Retro to browse a collection of vintage clothing, antique furnishings and fun homewares from another era. Next, polish up your green thumb at Touchstone Garden Centre which is brimming with healthy indoor and outdoor plants, seeds, flowers, gifts and an active coffee machine if you’re needing an extra caffeine hit. The Village Berry is famous in these parts for their real fruit ice creams, with a store bursting with seasonal produce and locally made goods to stock up on.
There’s no better place to end your day on Ballance St than in the lively courtyard of Neighbourhood Pizzeria. The place comes alive in the golden glow of summer evenings, offering the perfect spot to enjoy a slice of wood-fired pizza and their cocktail of the week.
Home to more than 25,000 species of exotic and native trees and plants, the Eastwoodhill Arboretum is a haven for not only flourishing greenery but also visitors and locals looking for a peaceful respite in nature. Founded by William Douglas Cook in the early 1900s, the arboretum was created as a way of safeguarding plant species from all over the world, especially the northern hemisphere, that were threatened by war and devastation. Today the mission remains centred on conservation, education and research, with a collection that takes visitors from Colombia to China to Canada and all the way back home again.
Eastwoodhill is made up of endless spaces and garden areas to soak in the unique surroundings. There are six different walking routes for all ages and abilities, whether you’re after a steep climb with sweeping views of the arboretum or a serene stroll along flat tree-lined paths. With dreamy picnic spots everywhere, we recommend bringing a basket of goodies to enjoy with friends and family.
This story originally featured on Neat Places