Active Pursuits

Beaches

Gisborne has three major swimming beaches, Midway, Waikanae, and Wainui. Lifeguards patrol all three in season. Kaiaua Beach, 60km (37 miles) north of Gisborne and 6km (3 3/4 miles) off State Highway 35, is good for fishing, swimming, and picnics. Anaura Bay, 77km (48 miles) north of Gisborne and 6km (3 3/4 miles) off State Highway 35, was Captain Cook's second landing spot in New Zealand. It has a beautiful beach of unspoiled golden sand, offering safe swimming and good fishing. A 3.5km (2-mile) bush walk gives wonderful scenic views; allow 2 1/2 hours. You can make marae visits here; there is a motor camp as well.

Fishing

In this area, you can do anything from freshwater fly-fishing for brown trout to game fishing for marlin in the Pacific. For the independent angler, the Pacific Coast Highway is the ultimate route for surf-casting, game fishing, and diving. Local knowledge is plentiful, and visitors can take a shortcut to success by contacting local fishing clubs or taking advantage of guides and charter services. Saltwater fishing does not require a license. For wilderness brown and rainbow trout fishing, call Safari Adventures, Taumata Road, Rere, Gisborne (tel. 06/867-0872; www.nzsafari.co.nz), which also offers accommodations and saltwater game fishing.

The Motu, Waioweka, Hangaroa, and Ruakituri rivers offer some of the finest freshwater fishing. Licenses are required for all freshwater fisheries. Call Fish & Game New Zealand's Trout Line (tel. 0800/876-885 in NZ; www.fishandgame.org.nz). For the Gisborne Fishery Office, call tel. 06/868-7160, or check out www.fish.govt.nz.

Golf

Poverty Bay Golf Club, Awapuni and Lytton roads, Gisborne (tel. 06/867-4402; www.gisbornegolf.co.nz), is one of the top-10 18-hole courses in the country. Fees are NZ$35 (US$25/£13) for 18 holes and there is a pro shop on site.

Horse Trekking -- One of the best horse-trekking operations around is Waimoana Horse Treks, Lysnar Street, Wainui Beach (tel./fax 06/868-8218; waimoana@ihug.co.nz). Just 5km (3 miles) north of Gisborne, the treks take you over beaches and through native bush and farmland. One- and 2-hour rides run daily between 10am and 2pm.

Hunting

New Zealand Safari Adventures, Tangihau Station, Rere (tel. 06/867-0872; www.nzsafari.co.nz), is an outdoor playground 30 minutes from the city where you can hunt trophy red deer, elk, mountain goat, or Hokonui ram with experienced guides.

Snorkeling with Sharks

Get face to face with mako sharks -- from the safety of a cage, of course. Surfit Shark Cage Experience, 48 Awapuni Rd., Gisborne (tel. 06/867-2970; www.surfit.co.nz or www.sharks.co.nz), will take you out into reef waters teeming with the marine predators from November to April. The 5-hour experience costs NZ$275 (US$195/£99), which seems like a lot of money to terrify yourself -- but think of the stories you can tell afterward.

Surfing

The popular surf beaches are Makorori Point, Pouawa, Sponge Bay, and Kaiaua. Midway Beach has the famous Gisborne pipe, known for its deep barrel rides, and Waikanae and Wainui beaches are also good for surfing and bodyboarding. Kaiti Beach, around the Gisborne Port and harbor area, offers excellent sailboarding and yachting. The visitor center staff will point you in the direction of numerous other surf breaks. For surf lessons and board hire, call Gisborne Surf School (tel. 06/868-3484; www.gisbornesurfschool.co.nz). Prices for board hire start at NZ$25 (US$18/£9) for a half-day, NZ$40 (US$29/£14) for a full day. Group lessons start at NZ$45 (US$32/£16) per person for 2 hours.

Swimming

Gisborne Olympic Pool Complex, Centennial Marine Drive (tel. 06/867-6220; fax 06/867-4953), is open daily from 6am to 8pm. It has indoor and outdoor pools, a dive pool, a Jacuzzi and therapy pool, a 98m (320-ft.) hydroslide, and a toddlers' pool.

Walking

Good walking abounds in this area. For an easy amble, pick up the free brochure Gisborne, An Historic Walk, which leads around the Inner City on a 1- to 3-hour wander. Walks of the Eastland Region (available at the visitor center), is a more comprehensive appraisal of excellent walks in the whole region. Waikoko Country Walks, 457 Pehiri Rd., Gisborne (tel. 06/863-7069; fax 06/863-7006), will take you on a 2-day walk across farmland to Eastwood Hill Arboretum, with a return on a different country route. This costs NZ$350 (US$249/£126) per person and includes meals and accommodations. Serious trampers who want to investigate the wilderness areas of the remote Te Urewera National Park should contact the Department of Conservation, Aniwaniwa Visitor Centre, Private Bag, Wairoa (tel. 06/837-3803). Apart from the famous multiday Lake Waikaremoana Great Walk, there are at least 15 short and day walks in this area.