Hawke's Bay Today

‘Turned our world upside down’

Grayson Jane has good and bad days. The Waipawa toddler’s good days are filled with trucks, trikes and happiness. On his bad days, he bites his hands to a bloody mess. Grayson, 3, was diagnosed with Lesch-Nyhan Syndrome (LNS) in November 2025. It’s...

Whanawhana dam feasibility study begins

Machinery is in place as a feasibility study begins to decide the future of a dam for the Heretaunga Plains at Whanawhana. The site for the proposed 27 million cubic metre water storage reservoir on private land is on a tributary of the Ngāruroro...

Groyne a ‘no-brainer’ for flood-hit town

Anew groyne has been proposed for the Wairoa River mouth to protect the northern Hawke’s Bay township from future floods. The project is estimated to cost between $12 million and $20 million, if it goes ahead. A groyne, similar to a seawall, would...

Sunshine lined-up for Art Deco festival

Timely burst of sun to boost Hawke’s Bay’s packed events calendar Fine weather is being forecast for all four days of this week’s Napier Art Deco Festival, and more summery relief is on the way for Wairoa and its big events after heavy rain at the...

‘We dodged a bullet’

Acoastal campground in Hawke’s Bay has suffered flooding damage during wild weather, which also uprooted trees and knocked out power to thousands of properties across the region. Despite the damage, outages and even some evacuations, vulnerable areas...

Group for widows aims to ease isolation burden

It’s the company of others that gets you through it. After nearly seven years of learning how to live with the isolation of losing her husband, Napier woman Shelley Gilmartin is bringing widows in the region together to ensure no one walks that same...

‘Credible threat to life’

Devastated residents of a much-loved Hawke’s Bay campground put their belongings into vehicles or their cabins on to the back of trucks after they were given 24 hours to vacate because of landslide risk. The Hastings District Council’s call at Clifton...

‘It consumes me’

Hastings District Council has agreed to stop phoning a homeowner every time there is another complaint about her dogs barking. Sam Hall is the second person in less than a month to speak out about the stress of a council system that advises dog owners...

Fatal car v school bus crash rocks small town

The mayor of the small Hawke’s Bay town of Wairoa says a fatal school bus crash into a car has devastated the community. Police were called to a two-vehicle crash at the intersection of Black St and Achilles St/State Highway 2 in Wairoa about 3pm on...

Two with nerve damage following ‘nang’ use

At least two cases of nerve injury from chronic nitrous oxide use have been seen at Hawke’s Bay Hospital’s emergency department. The cases were revealed by Hawke’s Bay medical officer of health Dr Nicholas Jones, who attended a community leaders...

HB’s first Winter Olympian

Residents adapt as water runs low

Kairakau residents have now spent nearly two months under Level 4 water restrictions, with strict limits still in place as the small coastal settlement waits for its spring and bore to fully recover. The restrictions mean two-minute showers, reduced...

Foal that swam for life in Cyclone Gabrielle wins $175k race

Ultimate Habit, a horse that was swimming for her life three years ago, ran the race of her life at Trentham last Saturday to win the Group 2 $175,000 Jennian Homes Lowland Stakes. The three-year-old filly was bred by Hawke’s Bay couple Graham and...

Patients now eligible for 12-month prescriptions

A Hawke’s Bay medical centre is welcoming a nationwide rule change which allows patients to receive up to 12 months of medication on a single prescription, which it says will result in less stress and lower costs for patients. The change kicked in...

‘It’s been one hell of a year’

Twelve months have passed since Hawke’s Bay schoolgirl Emma-Jane Sylvia Kupa was killed while riding her bike. The 11-year-old’s family say it has been a ‘hell of a year’ marked by grief and anger. Rafaella Melo reports. On January 30, 2025, EmmaJane...

Hammer to come down on Napier wool auctions

Wool auctions have been held in Napier since the 1800s, a legacy that is highly likely to come to an end in April. Napier boasts the last remaining wool auction centre in the North Island. It has moved venues over the years and is currently located in...

‘A little bit overwhelming’

For dentist Isha Woodmans, two weeks is only scratching the surface of the volunteer time she wishes she could spend in Wairoa offering free dental care. The initiative Tō Waha is a collaboration with Golden Apple Dental, Kahungunu Executive, Health...

‘I miss meat’

With red meat now out of reach for many Hawke’s Bay households, longheld Kiwi traditions like the Sunday roast are quietly disappearing from family tables. Meat prices have climbed sharply over the past year, with lamb sitting at about $25 a kilo and...

‘I can’t go back’ Mum faces visa deadline after husband dies of heart attack

Afamily moved across the world to Hawke’s Bay for a better life, but fate had other ideas. Now, a single mother is trying to keep her young family in New Zealand after her husband suddenly died. Indika Wadu Gedara and her husband Indika Lokuappu...

New school bus routes frustrate parents

Bus route changes in Hawke’s Bay have frustrated some parents, who say their children now face longer walks or multiple buses to get to school. The Hawke’s Bay Regional Council’s (HBRC) new goBay bus network launched yesterday, and replaces services...

‘For me it’s not even a second thought’

A Kiwi nurse working in war- torn Sudan says death i s a reality every minute at a hospital in Khartoum, as the threat of drone attacks and bombing looms over the city. The chaos, desperation and stifling heat of Bashair Teaching Hospital has not...

Loved dad lost at sea

The Hawke’s Bay father who died while diving near his home was a humble and caring man, says his daughter. Peter Walker, 69, was found in the water off Wainuiorangi Rd on the Mahia Peninsula late on January 11. He was an experienced swimmer and diver,...

Huge retirement project

Plans have been lodged for one of Hawke’s Bay’s biggest retirement villages. Summerset, which owns retirement villages across the country, has lodged a resource consent application for its planned retirement village in Napier’s sprawling new...

Napier CBD slump

Foot traffic in Napier’s city centre has declined, with the number of people visiting the CBD dipping in 2025 compared to the previous year. Retailers say factors such as people generally having less money to spend, fewer cruise ships, changes to...

TikTok video tips off search for boat

Word of a TikTok livestream being filmed by a group of washedup boaties miraculously made its way to Hawke’s Bay Coastguard, sparking a search mission. Coastguard skipper Henry van Tuel was told about the video on Sunday about 3.51pm. This was the...

Ticket sales booming for Warriors game in Napier

The Warriors’ NRL preseason match in Napier is on track for a potential sellout, with more than 8000 tickets sold a month out from the fixture. The Warriors are hosting the Manly Sea Eagles during the afternoon game on Saturday, February 14...

‘He understands dad’s gone’

More than 7000 melanomas are diagnosed in New Zealand every year, and about 300 people die from this type of skin cancer annually. This summer, as Hawke’s Bay residents face some of the region’s highest temperatures, one Eskdale family became part of...

Eels die in stream

Hundreds of tuna (eels), including breeding stock thought to be 40 to 50 years old, have been found dead in the Waiatai Stream near Wairoa. Darren Hill, whose family has farmed the land in the Waiatai Valley for generations, noticed something wasn’t...

Too hot for hops

hawke’s Bay’s sizzling weekend weather that peaked at 37C was hot enough to close walking tracks and even shut a brewery. According to MetService, the region baked through one of its hottest days of the season, with Hastings reaching 36.5C and Napier...

Historic Criterion Hotel restored to old glory

restoring boutique accommodation to Napier’s Criterion Hotel like that which was vogue almost a century ago has been a journey of discovery for the owners. Amid a new-year season of full bookings for the first time since the refurbishment of the “Cri”...

Nūhaka’s new Lamborghini

Sonya Smith had nearly forgotten about the Auckland Rescue Helicopter Trust raffle she had entered nearly two months earlier when she got the news she had won a Lamborghini. The Nūhaka resident was convinced the phone call was for a survey until they...

Developers eye 500 new homes in Havelock

Developers are eyeing more than 500 new homes and villas for a corner of Havelock North. Havelock North is a popular place to live in Hawke’s Bay and has a population of about 15,000 people, according to Stats NZ. The village has expanded steadily...

Call to cut ‘firewood cowboys’

AHawke’s Bay wood merchant says a surge of unregistered wood sellers on Facebook’s Marketplace are undercutting reputable companies and putting consumers at risk. Woodstocks Firewood merchant owner John Caulton is calling for action from Inland...

Wairoa drenched by 120mm downpour

Wairoa is picking up the pieces from another flooding event in its streets as drains were overwhelmed by torrential Saturday rain. Mayor Craig Little said unlike Cyclone Gabrielle, where the flood had come from the Wairoa River upstream, and June...

Napier debt up by $70m

One Hawke’s Bay council’s debt has almost tripled in the space of a year, while two councils have bucked the trend and managed to reduce debt. Hawke’s Bay’s five councils have shared their debt positions as of December 1. Napier City Council’s...

Pharmacy floods

Ahomemaking seagull and its nest of eggs could have been the last straw in 2025 for Napier’s only remaining inner-city pharmacy. Staff found the floor flooded when they arrived on Tuesday morning after the avian miscreant’s obstruction left a downpipe...

OUR NEW YEAR HONOURS

At least nine people from or living in Hawke’s Bay are recognised in the New Year 2026 Honours List. They are headed by former Napier Boys’ High School pupil Rod Drury, now of Queenstown, who becomes Sir Rod Drury KNZM, for services to business, the...

Rain a relief for farmers

Hawke’s Bay farmers are celebrating and holidaymakers are moaning as rain moves across the region. The sun and warmth is set to return for New Year celebrations, but some strong winds could come with it. Federated Farmers Hawke’s Bay provincial...

How a dance alter ego turns doubts into power

How many times have you looked in the mirror, changed outfits three times and still walked out the door feeling not quite good enough? Napier woman Zarlia Wyatt knows the feeling too well. But she has spent the past two years rewriting it on stage as...

‘You feel pretty badass’ Sisterhood on two wheels takes off in Hawke’s Bay

Forget the beard-and-bike stereotype. If you hear a motorbike roar in the region this summer it could well be one of the Hawke’s Bay Lady Riders. What began with five riders chatting over a drink at the Patangata Tavern has become a 155-strong...

Xmas plans ruined after home scorched by fire

Aman whose hillside home was scorched by a 6ha fire that swept through Fernhill on Tuesday was waiting to see how badly damaged it was inside. The fire near State Highway 50 and the Ngaruroro River bridge was reported to Fire and Emergency New Zealand...

One in hospital as wind whips up Fernhill blaze

Awildfire has destroyed hillside structures beside a Hawke’s Bay river after a bus caught fire below the hill, witnesses say. The fire in the area locals call Puketapu Hill, was near multiple properties in Fernhill, near Hastings. The fire, near State...

A brighter Christmas

At almost 45, unable to break a drug habit, homeless on the streets of Napier, dossing in derelicts, down on the beach, life was not going anywhere with any great hope. If anything, Carl Turner says he was heading towards an early grave — at least...

Beach’s water woes

Summer at the beach should be fun, but in the community of Kairakau, residents say level 4 water restrictions have turned daily life into a constant calculation, including deciding whether the toilet really needs flushing. The restrictions, imposed by...

$20m loan for new racecourse

Loan funding of $20 million from the Government’s Regional Infrastructure Fund is expected to enable a start on Hawke’s Bay’s new racecourse within 12 months. The funding was announced on Wednesday by Racing Minister Winston Peters and Regional...

Extremist jailed over stash of vile content

This article deals with the issue of child sexual exploitation and mass killing and may be distressing for some people Drawn into an extremist group online, a young Hawke’s Bay man talked about committing a mass killing, and distributed “depraved”...

Local’s Bondi family ‘devastated’ after attack

Dry spell forces tougher limits

fire and water restrictions are tightening around Hawke’s Bay as dry conditions set in. Hastings and Napier water restrictions have been upgraded to Level 3, meaning sprinkler use is now banned. A total ban on open-air fires and fireworks, including...

‘Constant confusion'

ARiverslea Village resident and the village manager have been urging the Napier City Council to upgrade what they say is a dangerous set of traffic lights. The lights at the intersection of Guppy and Meeanee Rds have no green right-turning arrow on...

‘It feels pretty crazy’

Former Hastings now Asia-based rugby player Penetana CarterSmith is eligible to represent Hong Kong China who have drawn the same pool as the All Blacks in the 2027 Rugby World Cup.

‘Gross misjudgment and disrespect’ Public pressure forces rethink after tense meeting over mana whenua voice

Napier Deputy Mayor Sally Crown has hit out at Mayor Richard McGrath’s failed proposal to not include mana whenua voices and voting rights in the council’s standing committees for the term, describing it as “gross misjudgment and disrespect”. About...

Manuu moves on show in the village

Hastings made waves on Saturday as the Havelock North Village Pool drew about 650 people to the first North Island qualifier for the Z Manu World Champs, with competitors bombing, bellyflopping and V-dropping their way towards a place in the 2026 Grand...

Girl’s tragic quad bike fall prompts safety plea

Warning: This article may be distressing for some readers. Alittle girl was sitting on a loose plywood platform on a quad bike when she fell into the path of a mower it was towing and was badly injured. Her father, who had been driving the bike, and...

Heatwave sparks fires and melts roads

Fires broke out, bitumen started to melt and people flocked to water and ice creams as Hawke’s Bay temperatures yet again hit more than 30C yesterday. A stretch of State Highway 2 at Mohaka, south of Wairoa, was closed as fire crews battled a fire in...

Fly-tippers burning trash ‘a huge worry’

Frustrated Puketapu residents fed up with ongoing flytipping in the area say the offenders are taking it to another, far more dangerous level by setting their rubbish on fire. Eight fires were deliberately lit across Hawke’s Bay in November. Four of...

Fears over Ikea forests

The highly anticipated opening of Swedish furniture company IKEA in New Zealand comes as a rural community worries about the fire risk from pine plantations. Since 2020 the company has converted six Central Hawke’s Bay farms into pine forestry.

Exhibition honours artists killed in crash

two young artists whose vibrant lives were tragically cut short a year ago will posthumously exhibit their work alongside some of Hawke’s Bay’s best. On December 9 last year, Napier brother and sister Ruben James Stockdale-Frost, 19, and Amelia...

Funding shortfall halts Horse of the Year show

Rising costs and lost sponsors force the iconic Hastings equestrian event to skip next year Horse of the Year, one of Hastings’ biggest annual events, has been cancelled for 2026. Organisers say they could not secure the funding required to deliver...

Drax Project hunt for local acts to open shows

One of New Zealand’s biggest bands is looking for some local talent to open their Hawke’s Bay show. Drax Project, the jazzy, pop R&B band from Wellington known for their platinumselling single Woke Up Late, are heading out on tour this summer and...

Maraekakaho families stung by bus change

Families in Maraekakaho say they are being left with “unaffordable” transport costs after learning the Ministry of Education will discontinue their school bus route to three Hastings secondary schools next year. The change affects about 20 students...

Govt block sits empty

Anew Napier apartment block with 30 flats for social housing remains empty five months after being completed, despite homelessness and a continuing housing crisis in Hawke’s Bay. The Ministry of Housing and Urban Development ( HUD), under which...

E-scooters kicked off kerb?

The Government wants to change road rules to move e-scooters off footpaths and into cycle lanes where possible, a Hawke’s Bay MP says. Data from ACC shows the cost of e-scooter injuries has increased from just over $20,000 worth of claims in Hawke Bay...

Donut doyenne fights for survival

the owner of an awardwinning Hawke’s Bay donut business has lifted the curtain on her frantic fight to keep her business alive, saying social media can paint an unrealistically rosy picture of how well a company is doing. Hawke’s Bay Mamas Donuts...

‘Black and blue’

Disabled traveller files AirNZ complaint

Native’s eggs destroyed

Acamera in Hawke’s Bay has captured people walking through a native bird nesting site and crushing their eggs. Hawke’s Bay rivers and coastline are a stronghold for breeding banded dotterels/pohowera, supporting an estimated 16% of the total global...

Warning after pest grass found on peak

An invasive weed that is a serious threat to Hawke’s Bay’s agriculture, environment and regional economy has been found on Te Mata Peak. Invasive pest Chilean needle grass has sharp, needle-like seeds that cling to animals, vehicles, machinery,...

Te reo fest kicks off bumper Bay weekend

The Toitū Te Reo festival has kicked off a series of events across Hawke’s Bay with thousands turning out to “celebrate” Māori language. Founder Jeremy Tātere MacLeod said everyone was embracing the culture, with an estimated 5000 people attending...

Police block Fight for Life boxing event

AFight for Life charity boxing event in Wairoa has been sucker-punched after police declined to give it a permit as it could cause tension between rival gang members. Wairoa Boxing Club had planned to hold the event, involving 21 fighters, on...

Small fall offers some relief to renters

The average rental price has dropped slightly in Hawke’s Bay after years of big increases, marking a “slight correction” in the region’s rental market, a property expert says. The change has been attributed to a combination of factors, including...

‘Really bad luck’

Hawke’s Bay Coastguard says a recent boat flip is a reminder that bad luck can happen in an instant to even the most prepared boaties. As the weather and ocean around the region warms, the Coastguard is coming into its busiest time of the year. It...

Bay’s flood reality

Hawke’s Bay has been ranked third in terms of the most flood-exposed regions across the country during severe rainfall events, new research has shown. Only West Coast and Nelson have worse flood exposure according to the data. Last week, Earth...