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KILOMETRES FROM ŌPŌTIKI KILOMETRES FROM GISBORNE
279km Welcome to Gisborne - Tairāwhiti 55km

he Gisborne district covers a total of 8386 square kilometres. The region has GISBORNE
total population of 43,653 and is also referred to as the East Coast, Eastland
Tand Tairāwhiti.
Te Tairāwhiti translated means “the coast on which the sun shines,” and true to the
name, in summer the district is the first place in the world to see the sunlight each
day.
The region has a rich culture and navigational heritage. The area was first
inhabited by Māori who sailed here in some of the first waka (canoes) that included
Horouta, Takitimu, Nukutere, Tereanini and others.
Captain James Cook first arrived here on 9 October 1769. He landed on Kaiti
beach, Turanganui-a-kiwa (Gisborne City). No stores were traded so he named the
area 'Poverty Bay'.
Titirangi (Kaiti Hill) overlooks the city and you can view Poverty Bay and the
surrounding rural areas. The white cliff headland of Young Nick's Head is visible
from the city. The Māori name for the cliffs is Te Kurī-ā-Paoa, meaning The Dog
of Paoa.
Local industry includes agriculture, horticulture, fishing, farming and forestry.
The Poverty Bay Flats are highly fertile, producing some of the country’s
exports in veges, citrus and kiwifruit. Wine production is also valuable to the
local economy, find a good wine while you’re here, Gisborne is known as the
Chardonnay capital of the world!

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