Hastings District: Trails, Gardens and Nature

Those looking for a hotel in Hastings District can plan their trip around their preferred interests: heritage trails, landscaped gardens, nature or active experiences. The heritage trails take visitors to cultural, historical and scenic highlights. The places and activities described also offer different themes for planning a trip—from cycling to wine tasting.

Heritage Trails and Gardens

The heritage trails bring culture, history and landscape together. A Hastings District Council article dated 4 May 2026 says the trails are open year-round, free to access and do not require a booking. If you plan to visit under these conditions, you can check them against the Council’s latest guidance beforehand. This lets you include a visit to the trails as a separate part of your trip without needing to book.

The gardens also each have a distinct character. The Osmanthus Garden in Cornwall Park is designed in the traditional Chinese style. Its features include a large pond and pavilions, as well as the Friendship Bridge and the Crooked Bridge. Bamboo and fragrant osmanthus plants also shape the garden. Frimley Park, by contrast, contains a reserve in the style of an English landscape park; its formal gardens include more than 5,500 roses. The two places therefore offer different garden settings: elements of a traditional Chinese garden in one, and formal rose beds in an English-style park in the other.

Frimley Park also has a playground with bongo drums, speaking tubes, swings, slides, a climbing net and a scooter track. A wheelchair-accessible carousel is listed as a special feature. These specific facilities describe the playground and do not make a general claim about the accessibility of the park.

The focus at Guthrie-Smith Arboretum is on plants and native wildlife. It is considered an important collection area for many plant species and a haven for birds and native wildlife. A number of paths connect the areas of the arboretum. Unlike the formal rose beds at Frimley Park, the plant collection and wildlife are the main focus here.

Cycling Trails, a Drive to the Summit and Whitewater

The Hawke’s Bay Trails offer another way to experience Hastings District. They are among New Zealand’s 23 Great Rides and comprise 200 kilometres of easy-to-ride cycling trails through Hastings District and Napier. This makes them different from a single drive to a summit or a whitewater adventure: the trails form an extensive cycling network, while the other activities mentioned offer their own ways to enjoy the outdoors.

Visitors can drive along Te Mata Peak Road to the summit of Te Mata Peak. Mohaka Rafting offers full-day and multi-day adventures on grade 2, 3 and 5 whitewater. For planning, it helps to consider the specific activity: a drive to the summit, a 200-kilometre cycling network, or a rafting adventure with full-day and multi-day options. The duration and difficulty grades refer to the rafting offering; they are not a general rating of all activities in the district.

Wine as Another Focus

Wine tasting is also among the experiences described: Elephant Hill offers a tasting featuring Hawke’s Bay wines in Hastings District. Together with the trails, gardens and outdoor activities, this adds a specific wine and food option to the possible focus of a stay. When choosing a hotel, you can therefore start by considering which of these travel interests matters most to you during your stay.

Discover more destinations: Hastings, Clive, Poukawa, Te Awanga, Maraekakaho, Waiwhare, Clifton, Karamu, Tuki Tuki, Kahuranaki.

For the broader travel overview: Hawkes Bay.