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.