From painter Josh Lancaster up close, to another Taste Hastings, to Napier freedom camping and reserve management under review, to Craggy Range win, to Hastings attacking slips, here are some announcements you might find interesting.
‘COMMON GROUND – IN THE STUDIO WITH JOSH LANCASTER’
Take a trip ‘up the road, down the line and just over the hill’ to Muse Gallery in Havelock North to immerse yourself in their latest exhibition, ‘Common Ground – in the Studio with Josh Lancaster’. This stunning collection of 10 local landscapes captures the essence of our corner of the world and represents the 10th solo show for this this award-winning advertising creative-turned-painter.
Lancaster’s evocative works invite viewers to contemplate their relationship with the land, their memories, and identity. Scenes at once recognisable and familiar, with a fresh and intimate style of his own. His work is a journey through memory, nostalgia and ultimately connection. An intelligent capture of ‘the geography of the heart’.
In a special event Lancaster will have his studio set up in the front window of Muse for the duration of the Hawke’s Bay Art Trail. Meet the artist and hear the stories behind his iconic landscapes. If you’re out at night look for him painting in the gallery window.
Exhibition – 1 – 30 November, Hawke’s Bay Art Trail 2/3 & 9/10 November
Muse Art Gallery, 5 Havelock Rd, Havelock North
https://museart.nz
Taste Hastings Street Party
Wine, food, live music and fun are all on the menu for the F.A.W.C! Taste Hastings event taking place in East Block, Heretaunga Street, on Friday, November 4, 5pm-8pm.
It’s set to be a street party of epic proportions, featuring 25 pop-up wineries showcasing a wide array of delicious Hawke’s Bay wines, food trucks in Albert Square, live music from Tropical Downbeat Orchestra, music from DJ Pang in Landmarks Square and the Flock Events Street Lounge to chill out in.
Wineries on show are a mix of big and boutique brands: Amoise Wines, Ash Ridge Wines, Askerne Estate Winery, Crab Farm, Craggy Range, Decibel Wines, Esk Valley, Halcyon Wines, Helio Wine, Hopes Grove, Kokako Farms, Lime Rock, Mission Estate, Monowai, Oak Estate Wines, Paritua, Petane Wines, Red Metal, Sileni Estate, Smith & Sheth, Squawking Magpie, Swift Wines, Tony Bish Wines, Trinity Hill and Unison Vineyard.
Food Truck newcomers “Shani’s” and “Gina’s” will be parked up in Landmarks Square, serving delicious ribs and flame-grilled fare, tacos and flatbreads and of course, all the fabulous bars, restaurants and eateries in Hastings city centre will be open, ready to welcome you inside for dinner and a drink.
Entry to Taste Hastings is free with wine sales available by the taste or glass. Wine lovers can enjoy four wine tastings for $10 and receive a free glass to take home.
For more information go to www.tastehastings.co.nz
NCC Consulting
Napier City Council has opened the public consultation window on two subjects, a new Freedom Camping Bylaw and management of the city’s reserves.
With respect to freedom camping, 18 existing and potential freedom camping sites have been assessed as part of the review. The assessment rated the existing Pump Track/Ellison Street site as the top spot, then the National Aquarium of New Zealand car park, a potential new site, followed by the existing Te Karaka/Perfume Point site. The existing Foreshore Reserve site was seventh, and the temporarily closed Westshore Reserve site eleventh.
The option proposed under the revised bylaw is for the Westshore and Foreshore sites to be closed, and a site such as the National Aquarium car park or another high-ranking site identified in the assessment to be added.
Consultation opens on Monday 4 November and will close on 29 November. Further details, and an online submission form will be available on sayit.napier.nz from Monday.
NCC has also adopted a draft City Wide Reserve Management Plan for consultation. Public views are being sought on the ways Napier’s open spaces are used, managed and protected.
For further details about the parks, reserves, playgrounds and sportsgrounds currently managed by Council, visit napier.govt.nz and search under Parks and Recreation. For more information about the consultation, from 8 November until 28 February, people should visit sayitnapier.nz.
Craggy Range wine experience among best in world
Craggy Range Winery has been named the global winner for the Hawke’s Bay region in the prestigious 2025 Best Of Wine Tourism Awards. This accolade, part of the Great Wine Capitals Global Network, recognises exceptional experiences at an international level, for their contributions to wine tourism.
Exceptional wine experiences were selected from each of the Network’s 12 renowned wine regions, and Craggy Range took the honours for Hawke’s Bay.
HDC attacks major slips
In hastings, the next phase of major slip remediation has started along Glengarry, Puketītiri, and Dartmoor roads. The work is being done by three contracting companies simultaneously over the next eight to 13 months.
The three contracts combined total about $23.5 million, with the timing of the remediation work made possible by $91 million in government funding allocated to Hawke’s Bay roading recovery in Budget 2024.
The contractors (Tūpore Infrastructure, Downer Group, Hicks Brothers Civil Construction), part of the dedicated supplier panel set up to address the 224 major slips across Hastings, are working under the global resource consent granted by Hawke’s Bay Regional Council.
At the same time, slip remediation along Taihape Road is progressing well. TW Civil and Infrastructure and their subcontractors are working on six of the 11 major slip sites, with 39 staff on site.
Project updates will continue to be posted to the roading recovery webpages on council’s website (www.hastingsdc.govt.nz/roading-recovery).
