Heretaunga Plains
A wide view.
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Te Mata Peak is a 399 m summit in the Te Mata Hills of the Hawke's Bay region on New Zealand's North Island, about 9 km in a straight line south-east of the city of Hastings. The suburb of Havelock North sits at its foot, and a sealed road climbs to the popular lookout on top. The peak and its range run from north-east to south-west. Their north-western side rises gradually, with Havelock North built on the rolling hills below, while the south-eastern side has been shaped by the Tukituki River: from the summit, cliffs drop 140 m before running into the hills of the Tukituki Valley, among the highest cliffs on the North Island. From the top a wide view opens over the green Heretaunga Plains, the cities of Hastings and Napier, and Hawke Bay as far as Cape Kidnappers, with rolling grassy hills inland. From the southern edge the sharp cliffs and the valley lie below, and morning cloud often pools in the valleys beneath the peak like a white sea. Visiting is free, and the summit can be reached by car or on foot and by bike along many trails. It is windy on top and the road is narrow and winding, so drive carefully; sunrise and sunset are lovely from here.
A wide view.
Below the cliffs.
In the morning.
Havelock North, Hastings, New Zealand
Yes, on a narrow sealed road.
Yes.