6 Best Sights in East Coast and the Volcanic Zone, New Zealand

This complex, also known as the Hawke's Bay Museum, is home to a museum, a theater, and an art gallery. The museum component's curatorial team is engaged, and the exhibitions ponder a range of local and international issues, so you might see a temporary display devoted to an exploration of memory alongside a cutting-edge digital presentation. There's also a significant collection of newspaper reports, photographs, and audiovisuals that re-create the suffering caused by the 1931 earthquake, plus a unique collection of artifacts—including vessels, decorative work, and statues—relating to the Ngāti Kahungunu Māori people of the East Coast.

This outstanding spot is believed to be the only mainland gannet sanctuary in existence. It was named by Captain James Cook after local Māori tried to kidnap the servant of his Tahitian interpreter, Tupaia. Gannets—large white seabirds with black-tipped flight feathers, a golden crown, and a wingspan that can reach 6 feet—generally nest only on remote islands. But between October and April, thousands of them build their nests here, hatch their young, and prepare them for their long migratory flight. Watching them dive for their dinner is particularly impressive: when the birds find a shoal of fish, they fold their wings and plunge straight into the sea at tremendous speed. You can walk to the sanctuary along the beach from Clifton, but check with the i-Site first—from time to time rock fall makes the walk dangerous, and you can't go at high tide. Clifton is about 24 km (15 miles) south of Napier. The 8-km (5-mile) walk must begin no earlier than three hours after the high-tide mark, and the return journey must begin no later than four hours before the next high tide. Tidal information is available at area i-SITE Visitor Information Centres. A rest hut with refreshments is near the colony.

This place has deep historical significance and contestation for New Zealanders. A statue of Captain James Cook, who first landed here on October 9, 1769, stands on Kaiti Beach, across the river southeast of the city center. It is both a site of protest and commemoration. The beach itself attracts interesting birdlife at low tide.

The Waikato River thunders through a narrow chasm and over a 35-foot rock ledge at Huka Falls. The fast-flowing river produces almost 50% of the North Island's required power, and its force is extraordinary, with the falls dropping into a seething, milky-white pool 200 feet across. The view from the footbridge is superb; for an even more impressive look, both the Maid of the Falls and vessels operated by Hukafalls Jet get close to the maelstrom. The falls are 3 km (2 miles) north of town; to reach them, turn right off Highway 1 onto Huka Falls Road.

This public park is a local hot spot—literally. Mud pools and hot springs sit alongside the flower beds, which at times are almost hidden by floating clouds of steam. You can wander around or join the locals soaking their weary feet in shallow warm pools. Because this thermally active place can change overnight, keep to the paths.

It's possible to gaze across the plains to Napier and the rumpled hills beyond from this famed local viewpoint. The summit is a 15-minute (signposted) drive along Te Mata Peak Road from the village of Havelock North.