Hawke's Bay Region

Hawke's Bay is a region on the east coast of New Zealand's North Island. The region is named for Hawke Bay, which was named in honour of Edward Hawke. The region's main centres are the cities of Napier and Hastings, while the more rural parts of the region are served by the towns of Waipukurau, Waipawa, and Wairoa. Name Hawke's Bay is named for the bay to its east, Hawke Bay, which was named in honour of Edward Hawke, 1st Baron Hawke by Captain James Cook during one of his voyages along the coasts of New Zealand. The te reo Māori name for Hawke's Bay is Te Matau-a-Māui ( the fishhook belonging to Māui). This name comes from a traditional story in which Maui lifted the islands of New Zealand from the waters. The story says that Hawke's Bay is the fishhook that Maui used, with Portland Island and Cape Kidnappers being the northern and southern barbs of the hook, respectively.