Taradale

Taradale is a suburb of Napier, in the Hawke's Bay region on the east coast of New Zealand's North Island. It's 10 km southwest of the Napier city centre and is also known as the Taradale and Greenmeadows area. It's the home of some of Hawke's Bay's finest vineyards.

Understand

Taradale had a population of 16,599 in the 2006 Census. It was a separate town until it merged with Napier in 1968, and is only a 10-minute drive from the CBD of that tourist destination. It has more than a third of Napier district’s population and is one of the most important areas in the region, with one of the highest socio-economic demographic profiles in Hawke's Bay. Many of its residents commute to the Napier or Hastings CBD and prefer rural or suburban life rather than the city life of central Napier.

It's a prosperous, established community nestled against the Taradale hills in an area rich in wine heritage dating back to the 1850s. Two of Hawke's Bay's most famous vineyards, Mission Estate and Church Road, are in the area and together attract over 300,000 tourists a year.

Get in

By road

• From Napier: Prebensen Drive, Kennedy Road, Meeanee Road, Taradale Road.
• From Hastings: State Highway 50 or Napier-Hastings Expressway 50A.

By bus

• There is a regular route 12 bus from Napier and Hastings. There are two buses per hour weekday daytime, but the last bus leaves Napier at 6PM, and the service is hourly on Saturday and once every two hours on a Sunday.

Get around

Driving or biking are the best options although, because of its compact nature, walking is also an option.

See

• Art deco buildings. The former 1 Taradale Town Hall (1932), cnr Lee Rd & Meeanee Rd, is an attractive example. McDonald's Art Deco Family Restaurant, opposite on Meeanee Rd, previously Taradale's first hotel, has its features partly obscured by McDonald's signs.
• 2 Silky Oak Chocolate Factory, 1131 Links Rd. The Silky Oak Chocolate Company is a family-owned business which was founded in January 2000. The company has a growing selection of chocolate delicacies. It has a chocolate museum and tours where you can look into (but not enter) the factory. (updated Dec 2020)
• 3 Taradale Clock Tower (War Memorial). The Taradale clock tower was built in 1923 as a Taradale and District World War I Memorial. The tower is where several roads converge and is a prominent landmark. (updated Nov 2017)

Wineries

Some of the region’s oldest wineries are at Taradale.

• 4 Mission Estate Winery, Church Rd. One of New Zealand’s oldest winemaking concerns, it has become a very significant tourist attraction. The Mission Estate Wineries Mount St. Mary Seminary building has been completely refurbished to accommodate a first class restaurant and function rooms. The Mission is a favourite venue for weddings. The well known “Mission Concert” has been held every February for many years. (updated Nov 2017)
• 5 Church Road Winery (formerly McDonalds Winery). Founded in 1897 by Bartholemew Steinmetz, a lay brother from the Marist Mission, this winery is one of the oldest in Hawke's Bay. Some of its most illustrious years were spent under the leadership of pioneer winemaker, Tom McDonald, now widely acknowledged as the father of New Zealand's premium red wine industry. The winery buildings have been refurbished and include a restaurant and function room together with a Wine Museum housed underground, traces the history and techniques of winemaking. (updated Nov 2017)
• Moana Park Winery. A small family-owned boutique winery 5 km from Taradale in the western hills. Draws fruit from both the Gimblett Gravels appelation and the Dartmoor Valley. Offers wines such as the best Viognier in the World (rated by Decanter) to multi-award winning Merlot, and Chardonnay. (updated Nov 2017)
• Other wineries near the area include Brookfields Vineyards, Hawke's Bay's oldest boutique winery, Dolbel Estate, on the banks of the Tutaekuri River, and Tironui Estate nestled just below Sugarloaf Peak.

Do

Taradale Clocktower

• 1 Sugar Loaf Reserve. The 127-m hill known as Sugar Loaf or Pukekura dominates the Skyline of the western hills above Taradale and its distinctive shape can be seen from all over Taradale and parts of Napier. Eastern views from the summit cover the Napier-Taradale area and much of the Heretaunga Plains, while western views include the Ruahine and Kaweka Ranges. The track to the summit is steep especially from the Cumberland Rise entrance. The walk is graded moderate to difficult. Care should be taken in wet conditions. (updated Nov 2017)
• 2 Otatara pa. The largest pa you can visit in New Zealand. The views from this site are outstanding. You can see Napier, across to Cape Kidnappers and out to the sea. It is possible on a clear day to see Ruapehu in the centre of the North Island. It’s no wonder that Otatara was the most prized pa in Hawke’s Bay and its ownership was so strongly contested. Otatara Pa is close to Taradale and is signposted clearly. Look out for the palisades on the hill above the Eastern Institute of Technology. (updated Nov 2017)

Taradale also has several large parks and reserves, Taradale Park and Centennial Park, Anderson Park, Dolbel Reserve, Tareha Recreational Reserve.

Buy

Gloucester St, the main street and shopping area of Taradale in the Town Centre, is within 2 km of the wineries and benefits from the regular influx of visitors attracted by the wineries. It has many boutique and local stores.

Eat

Budget

• 1 Four Square Taradale (McDonalds Four Square), 230 Gloucester St. Daily 7AM-9PM. Grocery store. 
• 2 Heaven's Bakery Greenmeadows, 6 Gloucester St, ☏ +64 6 844-2401. M-F 6:30AM-4:30PM, Sa 6:30AM-4PM, Su 7:30AM-4PM. 
• Heaven's Bakery Meeanee Road, 11 Meeanee Rd, ☏ +64 6 844-8470. M-F 7AM-2PM, Sa 8AM-2PM. Bakery and cafe. 
• 3 McDonald's Restaurant, 330 Gloucester St, ☏ +64 6 845-9292. The chain restaurant; this one's in an art deco former hotel. 
• 4 New World Greenmeadows, 9 Gloucester St, ☏ +64 6 844-6240. Daily 7AM-10PM. The main supermarket. For cheaper prices, you have to travel out of Taradale to Pak N Save in Tamatea. 
• Subway Taradale, 480 Gloucester St, ☏ +64 6 845-0585. Daily. 

Mid-range

• Church Road Winery, 150 Church Rd, ☏ +64 6 844-2053. Over 100 years of winemaking. At the cellar door, open daily from 10AM to 5PM (excluding most public holidays), you can taste and buy all Church Road wines, including the limited release Cuve Series and iconic TOM range. Special events over summer months in beautiful park-like grounds. Check back regularly for the latest news on what's on at Church Road. 
• The Duke of Gloucester, 389 Gloucester St, ☏ +64 6 835-8815. Daily: lunch noon-2PM, dinner 5:30-9PM. Restaurant and bar. The innovative menu utilises the best fresh meat, seafood and produce that are in season. Starting from $6. 
• The Village Restaurant and Bar, 246 Gloucester St, ☏ +64 6 844 5744. Barbeque restaurant and bar. (updated Jan 2018)
• Mission Restaurant, 198 Church Rd, ☏ +64 6 845-9354. Daily 11:30AM–2:15PM, 5:30PM to late. The restored seminary building at Mission Estate Winery provides a stunning location for this unique, award-winning restaurant. Exquisite cuisine is served daily, with the lunch menu and dinner menu changing regularly to reflect the seasonal influence. Nestled in the Taradale hills, diners enjoy sweeping views of Napier city and the coast beyond. Beautiful by day and spectacular by night, the vista is unparalleled in Hawke’s Bay. The outdoor dining terrace is drenched in summer sun while the indoor restaurant spaces have been cleverly designed to provide intimate dining. 
• The Puketapu Restaurant and Bar (Puketapu Hotel), 679 Puketapu Rd, Puketapu (take Puketapu Rd from the heart of Taradale), ☏ +64 6 844-7206. Tu-Su 11AM to close, M 3PM to close. Traditional country pub with a restaurant and bar built in the 1800s. It's in the middle of Hawke's Bay's bike tracks, ideal for a cycle break. Family-friendly Hawkes Bay Hospo award winner 2011. 
• Thai Lotus Restaurant, 275 Gloucester St, ☏ +64 6 844-2760. Lunch: Tu–Sa 11:30AM–2PM, dinner: daily (except 25–27 Dec) 5:30–10PM. 

Drink

• Taradale Club, 55 Wharerangi Rd, ☏ +64 6 844-2088. Daily. Restaurant. A fun and relaxing atmosphere. 

Sleep

There are a few hotels and several upmarket bed and breakfasts, but the majority can be found in other parts of Napier.

• 1 Ballina Motel, 393 Gloucester St, ☏ +64 6 845-0648, fax: +64 6 845-0649, info@ballinamotel.co.nz. A luxury (4-star plus) motel. 16 self-contained, air-conditioned, spacious, luxury suites in a quiet residential location. Midway between Napier (10 min/8 km) and Hastings (15mmin/14 km) city centres. Stylish and comfortable studio, 1 and 2-bedroom suites. All smokefree. Access facilities. Kitchenette with microwave. Twin/queen/king-size beds. Double spa baths. Sky Digital TV (2nd TV in bedroom). Desk with free broadband internet access. Private sunny balconies. $110-300. 
• 2 Asure Colonial Lodge Motel, 164 Gloucester Street. Hotel with games room, laundry and outdoor swimming pool. (updated Dec 2020)

Go next

• Nearby Napier
• Hastings