Active Pursuits in Hawkes Bay

Ballooning -- Waft skyward from Hastings with Early Morning Balloons (tel./fax 06/879-4229; www.hotair.co.nz). Flight time is around 1 hour, but allow 4 hours total. Adults fly for NZ$360, kids 10 to 12 for NZ$325; breakfast is included.

Canoeing -- Sail 'n Surf, Pandora Road and Humber Street, Ahuriri, Napier (tel./fax 06/835-0684), rents canoes and windsurfers for use in a safe tidal waterway. A single canoe costs NZ$25 for 1 hour.

Fishing -- Grant Petherick Fly Fishing, 805 Fitzroy Ave., Hastings (tel./fax 06/876-7467; www.flyfishingwinetours.co.nz), caters to anglers of all abilities and offers full- and half-day trips for nymph and dry fly-fishing. He charges NZ$120 per group (groups are 1-4 people) per hour.

Golf -- The Napier Golf Club, Waiohiki, State Highway 50, Taradale, Napier (tel. 06/844-7913), is an excellent 18-hole course just minutes from the city. Greens fees are NZ$65 for nonaffiliated players. Cape Kidnappers Golf Course, 446 Clifton Rd., Te Awanga (tel. 06/873-1018; www.capekidnappers.com), is one of the finest courses in the world. You'll pay around NZ$375 for a round.