Kaiti Hill (Titirangi Domain), Gisborne Overview

The Kaiti Hill or Titirangi Reserve is a hill in Gisborne city of New Zealand. The height of this hill is about 130 metres. The Kaiti Hill or Titirangi Reserve is one of the most sought after viewpoints in Gisborne. This hill is highly valued for recreation and tourism. It has great historical and cultural importance also. There are four viewpoints on top of the hill.

Two of these viewpoints view towards the west, one of them to the south-east and one towards the east. On the west side, one feels enchanted to witness the beauty of Gisborne city, Port basin and beach and also the mountain range behind the city. Towards the east and South-East one can enjoy the serene view of the Poverty Bay and the mighty Pacific Ocean. Nothing can be more beautiful than grasping from the top of the Kaiti Hill, the mesmerizing view of Gisborne- the first city in the entire world to receive the sun rays each morning.

Other Attractions

The other attractions of the Kaiti Hill are World War II gun emplacement, a playground for the kids to play, a fitness course including tracks and stairs, picnic areas so that people can have a good time there and seat around viewpoints. The four viewpoints also offer views of the entire Gisborne City, the mountain range behind the city, Poverty Bay and the Pacific Ocean. There is a bronze statue of Captain Cook here which is called 'Crook Cook', as it is said to be actually of an Italian military officer and not that of Captain Cook. Princess Diana, the Princess of Wales, on her visit to the Kaiti Hill had planted a Pohutukawa tree which stands there till date. Mountain biking is also popular on the hill although no track for biking has been approved as yet. A visit to the top of the hill is worth all the efforts.

History

Kaiti Hill our Titirangi Reserve is an ancestral site of the Ngati Oneone hapu (subtribe) in Gisborne. It was so named by the first Maori settlers in remembrance of their homeland. It has got National significance too as the first European, Captain Cook and his crew had set foot on New Zealand soil, at the base of this very hill in October 1769. Captain Cook had named the place Poverty Bay, as there, he was unable to refill his ship with supplies.

How To Reach Kaiti Hill (Titirangi Domain)

Kaiti Hill is reachable by car and it takes about 5 minutes to reach the base of the hill from the city centre. A road and plenty of paths offer a great walking option to the hill and it takes from 30 minutes to 2 hours to reach the base of the hill. There is a walking track on the Kaiti Beach roadside opposite the port. The top of the hill is reachable by car or even a walk to the top. One can also climb the stairs from the road by the port or just take a gentle uphill walk.