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About Eastland

1 Day Heritage Itinerary

Day 1

Morning:
Visit the Cook Landing Site National Historic Reserve. Kaiti Beach marks the place where Captain James Cook first set foot on New Zealand soil, 9th October 1769. Drive up Kaiti Hill for superb views overlooking Young Nick's Head and miles of beautiful, unspoiled coastline.

Visit Te Poho o Rawiri Marae. Set in trees at the foot of Kaiti Hill, this is the site of the largest carved meeting houses in New Zealand. Opened in 1930, the interior has excellent examples of carving and tukutuku in traditional Maori patterns. Permission needed.

Tairawhiti Museum features a fine collection of Maori and European artifacts, an extensive photographic collection and art galleries. The Star of Canada Maritime museum connects to it and is the wheelhouse salvaged from the SS Star of Canada, which sunk off Kaiti Beach in 1912. Wyllie Cottage is next to the museum and is a six-roomed cottage furnished in the early colonial style.

Afternoon:
East Coast Museum of Technology (Gisborne 5k) is housed in the old Kia Ora Dairy Factory building at Makaraka. Here can be seen an interesting collection of old gadgets, vehicles and agricultural machinery, many of which have been restored to working condition.

Makaraka Cemetery. This historic cemetery contains many memorials to early pioneers including a monument in memory of the victims of the Poverty Bay Massacre of 1868.

Matawhero Historic Church (Gisborne 8k) built mid-1860s is the oldest building still standing in Poverty Bay surviving the Poverty Bay Massacre of 1868. Originally a school room it has been a Presbyterian Church since 1872 and is one of the most historic buildings in this area.