Well known as the first place in the world to see the sunrise each day, Gisborne is a city on the east coast of New Zealand’s North Island. It is rich in Maori and colonial history and known for wineries and surf beaches.

The Tairawhiti Museum has exhibits on indigenous and colonial history. These include Wyllie Cottage, an early European house, and Maori artefacts.

Titirangi Reserve has lookouts and a monument to explorer James Cook. And nearby, Te Poho-o-Rawiri is a Maori meeting house with carvings of ancestral figures.

As the unofficial ‘Chardonnay Capital of New Zealand’, Gisborne also has a comprehensive wine trail leading to boutique wineries.