On a clear day you can see the whole of Hawke’s Bay from the top of Te Mata Peak. That alone is worth the climb.
Standing 399 metres above the Heretaunga Plains, Te Mata Peak is both a striking geographic feature and an important part of Hawke’s Bay’s Māori and European history.
From the summit trig you can survey the shining stretch of sea reaching up to Māhia Peninsula in the north; across a flat, fertile grid of orchards, vineyards and farms to the rugged Ruahine and Kaweka Ranges and south, to a glimpse of Mount Ruapehu.
Te Mata Park, which encompasses 99 hectares of craggy farmland and pockets of remarkable redwood forest on the way to the peak is popular for walkers and mountain bikers, with many well-graded tracks and trails. But the road goes all the way to the summit, so the views truly are accessible to all.
If the conditions are right, you might even find people flinging themselves off the top of Te Mata – there’s a terrifying-looking launch ramp over the cliffs that is regularly used by local hang gliders and paragliders.
