Dome Cinema & Bar, Gisborne

We went to a movie at Dome Cinema in Gisborne for the first time this year, and what a treat it was. There’s a bar onsite, add a sunny evening and we were happy with a pre movie drink of cold Gisborne Gold.

Dome Cinema & Bar is in the grand old Poverty Bay Club, the cinema is in the billiards room of the former gentleman’s club. The bar still has a gentleman’s club feel with low lighting, old framed photos, an ornate wooden fire surround, and worn  leather couches. The gentleman’s club finally opened its doors to women in … Read the rest

Gisborne – our ‘go to place’ for sunshine

We often wondered about people who went to the same destination every year for a holiday, it didn’t seem like something we would do. Then one year we went to Gisborne and turned into the sort of people we wondered about. We don’t go every year, more likely every second, but it’s the one place we return to regularly. Given I updated Driving the East Cape from Gisborne to Opotiki, I thought I’d share some of what makes Gisborne a favourite destination for us.

The weather – It seems every Christmas/New Year in one part of the country at least, … Read the rest

Smash Palace Bar, Gisborne

The name Smash Palace gives an indication of what to expect – think a guy called Gazza getting a liquor licence for his second hand shop / wreckers yard and inviting his mates around for a party. There’s a pool table, Lion Red on tap and a mix of soft and hard rock on the sound system. Smash turns it up mid January for the annual rock and metal event – Hell Smash Fest.

One of Gazza’s mates has conveniently landed a DC3 in the garden bar to provide some shade and another has sawn off the top of a … Read the rest

Kaiaua Beach Horse Races, Tolaga Bay

Racing this time at Kaiaua Beach Horse Races … Posse won race 2 with Lady Gaga coming home fourth; don’t know about race 1, we were getting the car stuck in a paddock; race 3 was a 22 horse race, our lucky dip pick Sarge came second but first place is the only one that pays at Kaiaua, it was Mac that stormed down the beach to take first and pay $10 the win ….

Time for hot chips and a bet on race 4, Posse took the win again with Lady Gaga in at fourth, what are the chances?; … Read the rest

Happy New Year from the Skinny Dip Capital of the World

NEWS FLASH 😉 – It’s official, Gisborne now hold the Guinness World Record for Largest Skinny Dipping (744 people)! (Update: On 8 March 2015 The Fig Group in Australia set a new world record with 786 people).

People have been getting their gear off around the world to try and beat the skinny dipping world record currently held by 729 people who bared all at a Spanish beach in July. In the naked queue for the record were 805 people who took to the water in November at a clothes optional beach in Florida, but they didn’t have adequate photographic … Read the rest