Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
A four-year chase ensued. Eventually Te Kooti took refuge in the King Country,
the Maori king's vast dominion where government troops feared to tread.
Proving the pointlessness of the government's approach to the whole affair, Te
Kooti was officially pardoned in 1883. By this time his reputation as a prophet and
healer had spread and his Ringatu Church was firmly established, and today claims
more than 16,000 adherents.
Activities
Water Sports
Surfing is mainstream in Gisborne, with the teenage population looking appropriately
shaggy.
Waikanae Beach
and
Roberts Road
are good for learners; experienced surfers
get tubed south of town at the
Pipe
, or east at
Sponge Bay
and
Tuamotu Island
. Further
east along SH35,
Wainui
and
Makorori
also have quality breaks. There's safe swimming
between the flags at Waikanae and
Midway Beach
.
Surfing With Frank
SURFING
( 06-867 0823, 021 119 0971;
www.surfingwithfrank.com
; lessons $50-75)
Surfing with Frank
offers lessons at Wainui, as well as tours of the best East Coast and Taranaki
breaks.Three-hour board and wetsuit hire $30.
Rere Rockslide
SWIMMING
(Wharekopae Rd; daylight hours)
This natural phenomenon occurs in a section of
the Rere River, 50km northwest of Gisborne along Wharekopae Rd. Grab a tyre tube or
boogie board to cushion the bumps and slide down the 60m-long rocky run into the pool
at the bottom. Three kilometres downriver, the
Rere Falls
send a 20m-wide curtain of
water over a 5m drop; you can walk behind it if you don't mind getting wet.
Olympic Pool
SWIMMING
(Centennial Marine Pde, Midway Beach; adult/child $3.80/2.80; 6am-8pm daily, from 8am Sat &
Sun May-Aug)
Gisborne's big pool is a tepid 50m indoor/outdoor affair with a wormlike -
waterslide.
Surfit Charters
DIVING
