Cape Kidnappers Gannet Safari & Private Wine Tour
One Day In Hawke’s Bay: Wine Tour Or Visit The Gannets? Now You Can Do Both with our Cape Kidnappers Gannet Safari & Private Wine Tour! Combine These Two Spectacular Activities For A Fantastic Action-Packed Day Out In Hawke’s Bay – Nature And Wine
All Tours Hosted By Don Bird. Read His Outstanding Reviews On Trip Advisor
CAPE KIDNAPPERS GANNET SAFARI & PRIVATE WINE TOUR
9:30AM – 12:30PM | ABOUT YOUR CAPE KIDNAPPERS GANNET SAFARI
Gannet Safaris Overland has been providing gannet safaris (tours), guiding visitors over Cape Kidnappers for over 50 years. Our safaris are the only way to be driven right to within a few feet of these remarkable birds. There is absolutely no walking required. Read more about the gannets here.
Drive along the scenic coast from Napier to Te Awanga and join Gannet Safaris Overland to visit the worlds largest, most accessible gannet colony at Cape Kidnappers, New Zealand. You will travel in comfort in our air conditioned 4 x 4 vehicles, through Cape Kidnappers Station – traversing riverbeds, broad rolling pastures, through stands of native bush, steep gullies and breathtaking inclines.
12:30PM – 5:30PM | ABOUT THE WINE TOUR WITH DON BIRD
On return from your Gannet Safari you will be met by Don, a third generation New Zealand Winemaker with 40 years experience in the Hawkes Bay wine industry. Don has formed close relationships with the wineries, ensuring that his guests receive special attention and tasting upgrades. See Don’s outstanding tour reviews here. This exclusive, informative and personal tour is always hosted by Don and his wife Roslyn in two new, air conditioned, 12 seater luxury vans. Hawke’s Bay has earned itself an international reputation for producing high quality Cabernet & Merlot blends, Syrah, Chardonnay, and an impressive array of aromatic white wines.
The focus of this day is to provide you with a truly memorable and authentic Hawke’s Bay Wine and Food Experience, with fascinating information about winemaking, great food and wine matching for lunch at a famous Hawke’s Bay winery restaurant and of course tasting many reserve and top end wines in quaint historic wineries and modern boutique wineries which make for a unique wine tasting day with interesting contrasts. You will also enjoy some amazing views from Te Mata Peak and the picturesque Hawkes Bay countryside.
JAN & MIKE STRANGER, BC, CANADA
Don’s knowledge of the process of winemaking is outstanding. His understanding of the Hawke’s Bay and Esk Valley regions is thorough and his hospitality is exemplary.
KATHARINE, AUCKLAND
We were fortunate enough to spend a whole day with Don. He imparted his knowledge and passion for Hawkes Bay wines to us throughout the day. His friendliness and humour made us feel welcome and we felt privileged to be in his company. We will fondly remember our tour and highly recommend Don as a host.
HILARY & JOHN, UK
Now that’s what I call a wine tour! As owners of a small UK vineyard and previous visitors to Hawke’s Bay, we were looking for something that gave us more than a group tour. From the moment Don picked us up in the morning, until the moment we said a somewhat reluctant farewell at the end of the day, we were shown so much more – he really ‘knows his stuff’!!!
DAVID & TRISH SCHISCHKA, AUCKLAN
Don identified what we were looking for and created a day tour to meet our specific needs. Don put together a unique harmony of wine education, access to restricted vineyard areas, wonderful lunch with a blind tasting, local history and sightseeing. A truly educational and memorable experience. Well worth it, highly recommend, do it!
JANET, UK
A friend and I had a private tour with Don — we visited two wineries (one where the tasting experience included five wines) and we enjoyed drives through the beautiful countryside enjoying the experience of seeing NewZealand’s varied landscape as well as a pleasurable tea break at Don’s home. Don is a wonderful tour guide and host who enjoys taking his guests wherever they want to go and from whom much can be learned both about winemaking and about New Zealand.
MARTHA, AUSTRALIA
About the tour
PRICE $495/PP
requires a minimum of 2 people per booking
* special pricing for group bookings available – contact Don for details
Includes the Gannet Tour, Private Wine Tour, Lunch and all Wine Tasting Fees
Morning
9:30am – 12:30pm
You will be collected from your accommodation and driven to Te Awanga for a 9.30am start on your Gannet Safari. The Gannet Safaris’ Experience takes you to the Cape Kidnappers’ plateau Gannet Colony – the largest, most accessible Gannet nesting place in the world. It’s the only way of being taken to within a few metres of these remarkable birds nesting on the plateau – no walking required. Travel in air-conditioned comfort in specialised 4×4 vehicles.
Experience some breath-taking scenery
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Visit a production forest
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View a predator proof reserve
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Visit a New Zealand native forest
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View significant geological landscapes
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View a working farm of over 5000 acres
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View Cape Kidnappers’ International Golf Course
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Learn about the local Maori legend
Afternoon
12:30am – 5:30pm
On return from your Gannet Safari, you will be met by Don, a third generation Hawke’s Bay winemaker with forty years winemaking experience. Hawke’s Bay has earned itself an international reputation for producing high quality Cabernet & Merlot blends, Syrah, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and an impressive array of aromatic white wines.
Enjoy a gourmet platter-style lunch at the famous Clearview Estate Winery with regionally produced foods matched with award- winning wines at your private table
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Visit four of Hawke’s Bay’s iconic wineries; Elephant Hill, Clearview, Craggy Range, Te Mata Estate, Black Barn, Askerne
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Learn about winemaking and viticulture in this Hawke’s Bay sub-region and discover the diversity in wine styles
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Drive through the majestic scenery of the Tuki Tuki Valley
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View the bounty of orchards, farms and vineyards as we drive through the countryside
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Take in the spectacular views over Hawke’s Bay and the Pacific Ocean from Te Mata Peak, one of New Zealand’s 101 things to do
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You will be returned to your accommodation
Do a Wine Tour and Tasting Presented by a Local Winemaker
As a winemaker himself, our owner Don, believes in hands-on experiences when it comes to a wine tour and tasting in the Hawke’s Bay area. The Esk Valley Estate Winery was in his family ownership from the 1930s through to 1988. He further studied Oenology in South Australia before bringing his new-found knowledge back to New Zealand and his community, to take over from his father.
If you have been on positively boring tours and equally excellent ones, you know that the passion and the knowledge of the tour leader are what can make or break a tour. Don is so passionate about wine that he wants whoever goes on the tour to have the best experience while learning about and enjoying what the local vineyards have to offer. Being part of the winemakers’ community, he knows the estates, and they all work together to promote the area, their wines and hospitality to curious visitors.
What You Can Expect From Us Regarding Couples’ Wine Tasting
If you wish to embark on a Winemaker’s Tour, set aside a full day for the beautiful river valleys, exquisite wines and a gourmet lunch at an award-winning restaurant. Have a look at what you can expect from us as soon as we pick you up at your accommodation.
- Comfort and style. Getting to the six award-winning wineries in the area is a journey through winelands and valleys, in the comfort of a private SUV with aircon. Don will share his knowledge and information about the surrounds, the history of the wineries in the area, and the wines of Napier as you drive through the wineries.
- VIP experience. If you are looking for a romantic wine tasting, what is a better way to treat your partner than with a wine tasting tour done by an actual winemaker? Furthermore, you will be treated as a VIP at every estate to ensure your experience is unique and memorable. To further seal the deal, you will enjoy a gourmet meal at one of two award-winning local restaurants.
- Scenery. En route to your wine tasting experience with lunch, you can take beautiful pictures with your loved one at the Te Mata Peak, where you can admire an exquisite view of Hawke’s Bay and capture the moment to remember the wine tour for years to come. Part of the wine tour is also to be fully immersed in the experience, to see and drive through the vineyards where the award-winning Napier wines originate.
- History. The history of the Gimblett Gravels area shows that success is all a matter of perspective and resources. After a significant flood, the soil became stratified gravel soil that no animal or crop could survive on. This unfortunate soil type would prove to be the perfect place to grow grapes. The rocky texture lets water through quickly, while the stones heat the earth in the hot New Zealand sun during the day, to further radiate and ripen the grapes at night. These resistant grapes thrive in ground temperatures of five degrees. It is this soil that will give birth to New Zealand’s first Syrah.
While enjoying an excellent wine on one our visits, you don’t merely savour a beverage; you also take in the beautiful scenery, the rich history of the area, and savouring the unique grape varieties and flavours of the wine. Every sip is a taste experience, and we want to give you the best memories to revisit while you enjoy the Napier wine from New Zealand and think back to your wine and food tasting on your holiday.
Fun Facts About Food and Wine Tasting in Napier
A visit to NZ is not complete without a winery tour and tasting. There are a few benefits to going on a private wine tour that you might find more appealing, that we wish to share with you:
- Control. Many visitors to the Napier area value their privacy and alone time with their family more than they do the price of a ticket for a public tour. The knowledge and experience that a winemaker from the area adds to your private tour are priceless while you will not have to compete for his attention to ask questions about the grape varietals. On a private tour, you are in control of your day and can decide on the itinerary for the day.
- Soil diversity. Hawke’s Bay is the oldest wine region in New Zealand, with the first cultivars planted in 1851 by missionaries. The soil of this area is so diverse that many different cultivars are grown here on sand, silt, gravel and clay, making for a small area producing a wide variety of wines excellent for wine tours and tasting experiences.
- Varietals. The region has a complex mesoclimate, but the hot summers and long autumns experienced in the area makes it perfect for viticulture to thrive. Initially, there was only experimented with white varietals, and only later were the red grapes planted. These thrived in the climate so well that from this diverse soil, they produced ultra-premium wines including Bordeaux-style reds and full-bodied Chardonnays. The Syrah, as New Zealand’s first, was produced here and is the leading, sought-after wine produced in the region.
You don’t have to be a wine connoisseur to enjoy a wine tasting and lunch; the wine tours are perfect for amateurs who wish to learn more about winemaking and the passion and time that goes into making award-winning wines.
About The Winemaker’s Tour
If you are in the Napier area and in the mood for a wine tasting and food adventure, we have a day of beautiful scenery, exquisite wine and professional tasting experience waiting for you. Don does all the tours himself and will book you according to availability, as he believes in quality experiences and the only way to ensure that is to share the knowledge and passion for wine, himself.
You can contact us via email or phone, or alternatively, you can fill in a booking form with your preferred dates for a private tour.
Bookings
Book A Tour
Please select your preferred tour type & date, we will
get in touch with you as soon as possible.
Bookings
Book A Tour
Please select your preferred tour type & date, we will
get in touch with you as soon as possible.
CONTACT DON & ROSLYN
If you have any questions about any of their tours, Don and Roslyn would warmly welcome them. You can book online above using the form or contact them directly using the numbers and email address below. They look forward to meeting you and sharing their passion for Hawke’s Bay.
Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand
Mobile: +64 276072396
Mobile: +64 272815738
Mobile: +64 276072396
Email : bookings@thewinemakerstour.nz