Water skiing on the Wairoa River and trout fishing in the Ruakituri River are other popular activities. The large Eastland horticultural industry supplies food throughout the Pacific basin. The first grapes in the world to see the morning sun are in the Gisborne area and have consistently won awards for the best wines in the country. Gisborne has become widely recognised as the Chardonnay Capital of New Zealand, although other wines are being successfully produced. Gisborne wineries produced 22,000 tonnes last year, putting them slightly behind the better-known and more fashionable Marlborough region.
Wineries welcome visitors, but phoning in advance is advisable outside the summer season.
The eastern-most point of New Zealand, this farming district is probably the most isolated area in the North Island. 700 steps lead to the lighthouse from behind the keeper's house. The trip is 334 kilometres long and many fine beaches and an excellent climate attract visitors here, but not yet in vast numbers. The Cape was the site of the first European landing in New Zealand.