It’s easy to discover Gisborne’s Māori culture with the kids in your Thrifty rental car. From museums to walking trails, native plants to scenic sunrises, exciting adventures are awaiting you all over the region.

Begin Your Journey at Tairāwhiti Museum

Pay a visit to Gisborne’s Tairāwhiti Museum and discover why it’s become famous for being one of the best innovative regional museums in New Zealand/Aotearoa. Situated right in the centre of the city, this museum and art gallery provides the perfect opportunity for the whole family to learn, embrace and enjoy Gisborne’s rich history of hundreds of years of Māori stories and culture. Not only does Tairāwhiti Museum offer a museum and gallery space of rotating exhibitions from regional, local and national artists, but there’s even the historic Wyllie Cottage to explore—one of the region’s oldest wooden buildings. Discover ancient artefacts from a time of Gisborne’s past and step back through history as you make your way through the museum that details the history of the area and the cultural importance it still proudly holds to this day. There’s even an Exhibit Cafe, so you can take a break or grab a bite to eat if the little ones get tired.

Discover Tupapa Heritage Trail on Foot

There’s nothing quite like a serene walk around a city as beautiful as Gisborne as a means to discovering more about the area you’re passing through. The Tupapa Heritage Trail takes the idea of a casual tree-lined stroll to a new level, delivering a history lesson as you traverse Gisborne’s coastline. The four kilometre self-guided walking tour is a great way to get out and about and have the kids interacting with the environment as it reflects the history it holds along the trail. The best place to begin is at Waikanae Beach (just a few minutes drive from the centre of the city) and head toward the mouth of the Turanganui River, along the Oneroa walkway. Stunning seaside landscapes combine with a collection of monuments and sculptures that honour the rich history of this landing place where great navigators once arrived on Gisborne’s shores. Elevate this exciting experience by downloading the Tupapa app and learn more about the stories of tangata whenua (indigenous peoples). 

Connect to Culture Through the Environment

Embrace Gisborne’s Māori history by connecting to the environment and plants that have adorned this land for hundreds of years. A great place to learn more about how important environments are within Gisborne’s history is at the Eastwoodhill Arboretum. The arboretum is the perfect place for kids to both learn and play as the whole family explores the world of trees housed in this pocket of Gisborne. A half hour drive from Gisborne’s centre, Eastwoodhill Arboretum is a slice of nature’s playground, boasting exotic plants and, of course, significant native species. Observe these special plant species and take the chance to learn more about rongoā Māori (traditional Māori medicine) and the role of native flora in Māori culture.

Be the First in the World to Watch the Sunrise

You can’t visit Gisborne without experiencing one of the region’s epic sunrises. As one of the very first places in the entire world to witness the sun rising up and over the ocean, you can bet that this is an activity that the entire family will remember forever. Kaiti Hill/Titirangi, right in Gisborne’s city centre, makes for an ideal spot to settle down with the fam in the earliest hours of the morning. This hill boasts panoramic views of Gisborne, along with its three rivers and outlooks of the ocean. While you can walk up the hill, it might be best to drive up to the lookout in the early hours, so you can save all your energy for watching in awe as the sun lifts up over the horizon of the ocean and paints the city with golden light. While this is a beautiful activity to enjoy, it’s also a culturally significant one. Titirangi is an ancestral site of the Ngati Oneone tribe. Take some time after the sunrise to explore the reserve and soak up the history embedded into its environment.

Whether you’re watching the sunrise or walking the coast, there are plenty of exciting activities for the whole family to enjoy to learn more about Gisborne’s Māori history as you travel around the region in your Thrifty rental car.