Bluff Hill & Lighthouse Walk
Climb historic Bluff Hill above the port for panoramic views of Hawke's Bay, the Mahia Peninsula, and the Art Deco city spread below.
- 1
Bluff Hill Domain Entrance
The Bluff Hill domain offers a peaceful green escape above the port, with walking tracks through regenerating native bush on the clifftop.
- 2
Lighthouse Reserve
The original lighthouse site — the light has been relocated but the reserve remains, with excellent views over the port and cargo ships entering the harbour.
- 3
Bluff Hill Summit Viewpoint
The highest point gives a 360-degree panorama — Hawke's Bay stretches south, Cape Kidnappers is visible on a clear day, and the city fans out below.
- 4
Historic Cemetery
The hilltop cemetery contains graves of Napier's earliest European settlers, including many who died in the 1931 earthquake — New Zealand's deadliest natural disaster.
- 5
Ahuriri Estuary Overlook
Look west over the Ahuriri estuary — this entire area was uplifted 2 metres by the 1931 earthquake, creating 4,000 hectares of new land overnight.
- 6
Port Napier View
The port below is one of New Zealand's busiest, handling vast quantities of Hawke's Bay apples, wine, and timber for export around the world.
Walk this route with audio
Stories play automatically as you reach each stop — no tapping needed.
