The Eastern Bay of Plenty with its stunning coastal outlook, warm and sunny climate, has a burgeoning arts scene. It is in a region bounded by the Pacific Ocean’s blue depths and the rugged mountains of the Te Urewera National Park.
These outstanding natural surroundings have long provided the inspiration for many artists in the region. There is a genuine relaxed atmosphere in the Eastern Bay that enables our artists and craftspeople to make full use of their creativity, resulting in a huge quality and variety of crafts. The vibrant arts and crafts scene has been influenced by the revival and resurgence of Maori culture, so predominant in our area.
Many of our artists enjoy the lifestyle our region is famous for and may be out and about during the day, so we encourage you to plan your trail in advance and phone the artists for an invitation to visit.
We hope that this Creative Trail map will help you to get to know the arts as they are presented in our area. Blessed with golden sandy beaches, pohutukawa-clad headlands and stunning bush it is no surprise that this area is a catalyst for such creativity. The vibrant Ohope Craft Market is well-known for its quality arts and crafts and features many of the artists included on our Creative Trail along with emerging local talent. The market is on at Ohope Hall on the first and third Saturday of the month during summer and the first Saturday of the month during autumn to spring.
Handcrafted Woodturning & Jewellery. Dave Mercer turns quality, designer pieces crafted in a range of beautiful NZ timbers. He specialises in hollow forms, large natural edge bowls, vases, functional works and trophies. His jewellery includes unusual earrings and pendants using bone, shell and wood composites. Individual tuition available.
Open: Mon - Fri, 9am - 5pm. Sat & Sun by appointment. Please phone first.
Masonbee Hill, 567 White Pine Bush Rd, RD1 Whakatane
Awakeri Woolcraft
Visit Charlotte and see her beautiful range of homespun wool and hand knitted garments, made from 100% sheep’s wool, mohair blends or cottons. Some fibres retain their natural colour, others are hand dyed with either natural plant materials or synthetic dyes. You can select your own wool to knit yourself or choose a ready-made garment.
Set amongst the scenic beauty of Te Urewera National Park, Covell Wines is one of New Zealand's few "Bio Gro" Certified Organic Vineyards. Open daily from 10am, the Winery is a leisurely and interesting one-hour drive from Whakatane. The area offers a wide range of accommodation.
Open: 7 days, 10am-4pm
Location
1076 Troutbeck Road, Galatea
Phone
07 366 4827
Fax
07 366 4071
KAWERAU/ONEPU
Jessops Gifts Studio
Exquisite handmade gifts, natural fruit soaps, hand creams & Lavender products. Groups welcome. Open 10am to 4pm Nov - March. From April - Oct, please phone first.
Margaret and Stuart Slade Visit this lovely historic building and working studio. You can see hand-thrown and hand-built pieces, including domesticware, NZ designs, garden art, tiles and personalized items in stoneware and terracotta. Pottery and Art commissions accepted.
Visit Warwick Armstrong in his studio and gallery located right on Ohope Beach to see his wide variety of art and illustration, ranging from the realistic to the quirky, from landscapes to buildings. Commissions willingly executed in a variety of mediums.
Open: By appointment or when the sign is out
Phone
07 312 5581
Fax
07 312 5752
Address
187 Pohutukawa Avenue, Ohope Beach
Scilla Chocolates
Handmade Belgian Chocolate Visit this unique chocolate factory and sample a handmade chocolate made with the finest Belgian Chocolate. Beautiful range of gift boxes and tins to purchase. Groups are welcome by appointment.
Open: Most days, when the sign is out. Please phone first. Closed 25th Dec-10th Jan
Owls create a great variety of chopping boards with intricate designs and combinations from beautiful wood particularly native timbers. They produce practical kitchen items like trays and knife blocks, and furniture, from chopping stands to full kitchen outfitting. Commissions welcome to any design.
Open: Mon-Fri 8am-5pm. Saturdays by arrangement.
Phone
07 315 5622
Fax
07 315 7745
Address
28a Church Street, Opotiki
28 King St Gallery
Photography of Jeff Jaffarian E.P. ‘Jeff’ Jaffarian, 74, has 58 years of photographic experience, as a commercial photographer and photography teacher in the USA. He has published ‘The Late 70’s Face of Europe’ and ‘The Creatures of Baja.’ Since the mid 1970’s Jeff has taken photos on every continent except Antartica.
See a range of New Zealand birds uniquely crafted from wood and stone. View herons and pukekos in different attitudes. Also kiwi, godwit, oystercatcher, kokako, the welcome swallow, spoonbill and kotuku.
Visit the weaving studio and gardens of Barb and Allan Rogers. Barb is a talented weaver and has a wide range of wall hangings for sale. There is a large garden to explore with tropical plants, bromeliads, flowering shrubs, with a peaceful bushwalk that leads down to a natural pond area. Plants and bromeliads for sale.
Open: Every day. Please phone first. $3 entrance fee.
Phone
07 315 4814
Address
Looney Rd, Waiotahi, Opotiki
Bob & Carol Gee - Garden & Garden Art
Visit this large harbourside garden, featuring native bush walks, ponds, bird aviaries, cacti and orchids. There is an extensive range of original garden art, displayed in the garden, available for viewing and purchase.
Open: Every day. Please phone first
Phone
07 315 4814
Address
189 Ohiwa Loop Rd, Opotiki
Kinsa's Kitchen and Studio
Sample new taste sensations in beautifully presented handmade preserves. Discover mouth-watering Coconut Rum & Raspberry jam or Red Pepper Sauce, Tamarillo Chutney or Chilli Jam. Feel the magic of Ohiwa in Kinsa's paintings and abstracts.
Come and see a huge range of paintings, carvings, jewellery and pottery by local Eastern Bay artists and crafts people. The ever-changing displays include floral art, flax, spinning and garden features and carvings from bone, wood and greenstone.
Sample the boutique-style fruit wines from a large range including strawberry, feijoa and tamarillo. The Celestial Winery welcomes visitors all year round.
Workshop & Studio Adrian Van Der Aa has over 15 years experience, creating beautiful domestic products and artistic pieces from native timbers. He has an assortment of styles, from traditional to more contemporary forms.
Open: Most days 10am-4pm. Please phone first.
Phone
07 308 5992
Address
157 Keepa Rd, Coastlands, Whakatane
Taketake Gallery
Gallery and Art School Celebrating customary and contemporary Maori Arts, this visionary Arts Degree at Te Whare Wananga o Awanuiarangi boasts a gallery that hosts challenging, curated exhibitions from New Zealand-wide, as well as invited international artists.
Open: Mon-Fri, 9am-4.30pm, Closed 20 Dec-7 Jan
Location
Arts & Visual Culture, 12 Wairere Street, Whakatane
Come and see original pieces being carved. As an amateur stonecarver, Stewart Sutton creates sculptures from local stone, Oamaru stone and man-made materials. His original pieces are inspired by nature and local culture.
Open: Please phone first to arrange an appointment.
Phone
07 308 9911
Address
Whakatane
The Prickly Puha and Rustic Arts Gifts
Be tempted by the stunning art and gift ware of the new, relocated “Rustic Arts” shop. Savour the “Prickly Puha Café’s” award winning chef’s luncheon and dinner fare matched with boutique wine and beer. All inside the Red Barn. Bookings are recommended.
The museum displays items from the local environment, pre and post European Maori artefacts and other historical items. The Museum has an important collection of Taonga Maori from local tribes tracing their descent from the Mataatua Waka. The Museum is also Trustee of the Kohika Collection. Displays also include local natural history and European items. The gallery has ever-changing exhibitions of local and national artists. Open 7 days. Weekdays: 10am - 4.30pm. Weekends/public holidays: 11am to 3pm.
Arts & Visual Culture, 12 Wairere Street, Whakatane
The Prickly Puha and Rustic Arts Gifts
237 Thornton Road, RD4, Whakatane
Waimana Art Gallery
Weaving Studio and Garden
Whakatane Museum and Gallery
11 Boon Street, Whakatane
Woodturners World
The official tourism information website for the Whakatane District, including Ohope and Murupara, in the Eastern Bay of Plenty. Whakatane is a coastal town, situated in the North Island of New Zealand, just one hour drive from Tauranga and Rotorua.
