Fiona Collis Weaving
Fiona blends ancestral knowledge with contemporary creativity to reimagine Māori textiles.
DISCOVER ART, HISTORY & CULTURE IN TAIRĀWHITI GISBORNE
Tairāwhiti is the original landing place for navigators, artists, and storytellers.
Out East, stories rise with the dawn. This is the first place the sun touches, and the first place where navigators landed. From ancient carvings to kapa haka on the marae, art galleries to music festivals, creativity here is woven through every part of life. Walk in the footsteps of ancestors, explore museums filled with taonga, or sit back as performers bring the coast’s living culture to life. From taonga to turntables - that’s the creative coast.
FROM LEGENDS TO LANDMARKS
The history of Gisborne is written in both land and legend. This is where great waka arrived, where Māori voyagers first met Europeans, and where bicultural New Zealand began. Visit the Tairāwhiti Museum and discover artefacts, art, and storytelling that span centuries. Step further back at the East Coast Museum of Technology, or stand beneath the carvings of local wharenui that still carry ancestral knowledge. This isn’t distant history - it’s living culture, and you’re invited to be part of it.
Air Rua
Our Ngāti Porou landscapes aren’t just beautiful landscapes, they are cultural landscapes with the mana and whakapapa of our hapu.
Tipuna Tours
Tipuna Tours is an iwi (tribe) owned eco-tourism operator offering cultural and historic guided tours
Te Pourewa
Traditional Māori art form highlighting dual heritage and shared future of Aotearoa New Zealand
Gisborne Astro Tours
Under the dark skies of Patutahi in the East Coast, Gisborne Astro Tours is a unique and memorable experience for all ages
CREATIVE COAST - ART, CULTURE & CONNECTIONS
Art and culture in Tairāwhiti Gisborne aren’t locked away in galleries or history books, they’re alive in every part of daily life. Contemporary galleries showcase painters, sculptors, and weavers, while murals and street art colour the city. Kapa haka groups keep performance vibrant, festivals fill the streets with music and food, and Tipuna Tours invites you on guided cultural journeys that connect past and present.
Out East, creativity also flows through restoration projects that revive whenua and waterways, while local musicians blend reggae, waiata, and rasta into the region’s soundtrack. And when night falls, Gisborne Astro Tours brings science and storytelling together beneath some of the clearest skies in the world. This is the Creative Coast – living, breathing, and always inviting you to see, hear, and feel its energy.
STORIES AND INSPIRATION
In Tairāwhiti, art and culture aren’t just things to see, they’re stories waiting to be felt. From murals that speak of whakapapa to performances that stir the soul, creativity here flows through every street, gallery, and gathering. Local guides, artists, and storytellers open doors into traditions and new ideas alike, offering inspiration that lingers long after you leave. These stories become your connection, weaving art, history, and creativity into a journey uniquely Out East. Explore below to find ideas, experiences, and inspiration for making the most of your time in Tairāwhiti.
DISCOVER MORE OUT EAST
Wellness & Chill, Out East
Not every adventure needs sweat on the brow. Out East, chill is part of the lifestyle.
Fishing, Hunting & Adventure Out East
Out East, adventure meets you at every turn. Ride horses along windswept beaches, launch into jet-boat thrills, or take the plunge down Rere Rockslide.
