🌅 Gisborne | Where the Sun Rises First – Family Trip Guide

🚗 The Journey Down: Stopped in Hamilton for lunch at Gothenburg (⭐ must-try!). Took the Tauranga route (hit a random NZ$2.30 toll road – detour adds just 6 mins). Dinner at a "popular" spot = meh 😐. 🏡 Accommodation: Pet-friendly tiny home 🐕 by the sea (swim with stingrays! 🌊). Zen room for couples: sunrise views like a painting 🖼️. 🐬 Stingray Interaction: No age limit but tide-dependent (missed it this time – next time, flying in!). 🌊 Natural Rock Waterslide: 80m long, ends in a 4m-deep pool – not for weak swimmers! Location: Middle of nowhere (on that horrible, endless mountain road). 🚴 Rail Bikes: *Age 18+* (just pedal – no skill needed!). 🍽️ Food Stops: ☕ The Forces Cafe (RSA): Basic but decent – seafood chowder 👍, muffins okay. 🥧 Abalone Pie Spot (30 mins from wharf): Freshly baked, generous abalone – tastes like seafood chowder! Skip the coffee ☕❌, try mince & cheese pie (sweet carrots inside!). 🏊 Kiwa Pool: Huge, warm indoor pool (+ outdoor slides/wave pool in summer!). ⚓ Tolaga Bay Wharf: Longest wharf in NZ – 40 mins from Gisborne (we took the scenic route to avoid mountains). Nearby: Cook’s Cove Walkway 🥾 (great for hikers!). 🛣️ The Drive Back: East Coast = boring (rare sea views until Cape Runaway). Te Araroa: Tiny town with a mini supermarket. Final stop: Rotorua (play + eat before heading home). Final Verdict: Gisborne = magical, but NEVER driving there again! 😫✈️ #GisborneNZ #FamilyTravel #NZRoadTrip #SunriseChaser