Art, culture and heritage

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.