From Flapper Flight, to HB’s events talent, to our best home beer & wine makers, to Sports Park athletics track fundraiser, to HB’s best franchise owners, here are some announcements of note you might have missed.
Art Deco Festival goes airborne with ‘Flapper Flight’
In a first for the region, Hawke’s Bay and Nelson airports have teamed up to create a unique Art Deco Festival charter experience, connecting the two regions for the iconic festival.
Flying direct with Originair from Nelson to Napier, the ‘Flapper Flight’ charter will depart on Friday 20 February and return Sunday 22 February, and offer reciprocal return flights for Hawke’s Bay residents, (Napier to Nelson: $675 return, available from 1 November).
Hawke’s Bay Airport CEO Nick Flack says: “This charter will boost awareness of the Art Deco Festival Napier and Hawke’s Bay generally as a destination in the Nelson Tasman region … and our partnership with Nelson Airport for this charter establishes a new way of working together to build demand and awareness.
“We’re grateful for the collaboration with Nelson Airport and the support of Originair, and are pleased to see this new one-off charter come to life, the first of what we hope will be many more charters into Hawke’s Bay for events that have broad appeal.”
Jeremy Smith Heritage Manager/GM Art Deco Trust says: “Connecting directly with Nelson opens the door for more people to experience the magic of Art Deco Napier … From the moment passengers step aboard the chartered Jetstream, the journey becomes part of the experience. It is a chance to dress up, enjoy the occasion and travel in the spirit of the era.”
Tickets for the charter flight into Hawke’s Bay will be sold through the Art Deco Trust, at a price of $1995 per person, and include the following:
- Return direct flights from Nelson to Napier with Originair
- 2 nights’ accommodation at the Crown Hotel Ahuriri
- Ticket to the Deco Decadence Grand Ball
- Airport and event transfers
- Deco keepsakes
Flights from Hawke’s Bay to Nelson are available on the Originair website from 1 November.
Hastings’ arts and events talent recognised
EVANZ (Entertainment Venues Association of New Zealand) has named two Hastings’ talents amongst the three national finalists for the 2025 Momentus Technologies Rising Star Award. The EVANZ Awards celebrate excellence across New Zealand’s performing arts and events venues.
Toitoi Hawke’s Bay Arts & Events Centre’s Sarah Terry, producer – community outreach, and Hastings District Council’s Ike Baker, Venue Manager for Tōmoana Showgrounds, have both been selected for their outstanding contributions to the industry.
Their nominations highlight Council’s commitment to nurturing future leaders and fostering innovation in the creative sector.
Adding to the celebration, Toitoi has also been named as a finalist for Ticketmaster Small Venue of the Year, and Shane Cross, Toitoi’s lead technician, is a finalist in the VITEC Team Member of the Year.
Toitoi presenter services manager Glen Pickering said the recognition was a powerful endorsement of the district’s investment in people. “We are absolutely thrilled to see Toitoi and our team members recognised at this level. These nominations reflect the incredible mahi happening across our venues and the passion our people bring to their work every day.”
Winners will be announced at the annual awards ceremony in November.
HB’s best home beer & wine makers
Are indeed the best in New Zealand!
New Zealand’s top home brewers and winemakers were recently crowned at the 2025 National Competition, where nearly 400 entries competed.
Best Beer of the Show was won by craft beer enthusiast Jim Batten of the Hawke’s Bay Club. Jim’s winning Double IPA will be brewed commercially and sold in The Beer Spot locations throughout Auckland.
Best Wine of the Show was made by Brian Henderson of the Hawke’s Bay Club. Brian’s winning wine was a Cabernet Sauvignon & 5% Cabernet Franc. Brian took away a Bar Mates wine fridge for his efforts.
And homebrewer Michael Macdonald of the Hawke’s Bay Club won the top Novice Brewer award.
Want to try your hand at this? Join your local club and start Home Brewing or Winemaking! Visit https://fawab.nz to find your local club and learn more.
Sports Park athletics track fundraiser
Mitre 10 Park is putting 400 metres of its athletics track “up for adoption” as it launches a major new fundraising campaign next week.
The campaign has been set up to raise money for the resurfacing of the track within the William Nelson Athletics Precinct. The project has already secured funding from Grassroots Trust and The Sanderson Trust, but Mitre 10 Park is now looking for support from the people of Hawke’s Bay.
From November 1st, people will be able to ‘adopt’ one of the 400 metres of track that has supported the development of Hawkes Bay athletes of all ages via the Mitre 10 Park website. The names of everyone who adopts a metre will be displayed on plaques close to their metre of track and on the Mitre 10 Park website. Olympians Nigel Avery and Zoe Hobbs have already stepped up and adopted metres.
The athletics track was the first facility constructed on the park in 2007 and served as the catalyst for the park’s development into the largest regional multisport hub in New Zealand. The track is open to all as a free and accessible community facility for walking, jogging or other forms of activity to improve their health and wellbeing.
Mitre 10 Park General Manager Glenn Lucas said: “The athletics track was built at Mitre 10 Park in 2007, and with a typical lifespan of 10 – 12 years is now overdue for a much-needed upgrade. This track has supported the development of local sporting heroes such as Brianna Stephenson and Geordie Beamish and we hope to be able to empower the next generation by continuing to deliver a world class track.”
Details of the campaign and how to get involved can be found at https://www.mitre10park.co.nz/fundraising
HB Franchise owners up for awards
Westpac sponsors the Franchise Association of New Zealand (FANZ) annual awards, the highest accolade in the industry, which this year feature three Hawke’s Bay finalists.
Landmark Homes Hawkes Bay – Franchisee of the Year – Home & Lifestyle
Landmark Homes Hawke’s Bay is a rapidly growing, award-winning new home building company based in the Hawke’s Bay region. Established in 2022 by directors Steven Painter, Gerry Schumacher, and Tony Lafferty.
Exceed Hawkes Bay – Franchisee of the Year – Home & Lifestyle
Exceed Hawke’s Bay, owned by Tracy and Conrad through C&T Kirk Limited, has quickly established itself as a top-performing franchise since 2023, specialising in aluminium joinery repairs, retractable screens, and security screens.
Tim O’Leary, CrestClean Hawke’s Bay – Regional Master Franchisee of the Year
When Tim O’Leary took over CrestClean Hawke’s Bay in March 2020, the region was small, and the country was about to go into Covid lockdown. Five years later, the region has almost tripled in size, with 29 full-time franchise teams, a strong support office, and a reputation for reliability and quality.
Franchising contributes almost 11% of New Zealand’s GDP, generating a collective annual turnover of $47 billion. The sector supports more than 110,000 jobs, with 550 franchise brands and over 30,000 franchisee operators nationwide.
