Tairāwhiti Museum - Inner Kaiti footbridges

Ngā Pārae me ngā Piriti o te Awa o Tūranganui

Tairāwhiti Museum and Art Gallery is centrally sited to begin and end a walk across bridges and footbridges around part of Kaiti. 

A destination in itself, the museum offers exhibitions of the region's history and art, a shop featuring local artists' work and the Exhibit Cafe. Plan some extra time to explore the museum before or after this trail.

Across from Kelvin Park, within which the museum sits, is the Margaret Sievwright Memorial and scented garden, and Te Māra Rōhi, the Rose Garden. One of artist Graeme Mudge's street scene murals is attached to Lawson Field Theatre within Marina Park, which also features a plaque commemorating the former public swimming baths, McRae Baths, and the Marina Restaurant, the former ballroom from Lysnar House behind Tairāwhiti Museum. 

Lovers' Lane is the local name given to the footbridge over Mangamutu Stream at the end of The Esplanade, and the path that leads up to Cheeseman Road. Look for the alleyway that connects Heta Road to Anzac Park. Two bush blocks in Anzac Park planted in the 1940s feature magnificent tōtara, rimu and kahikatea trees. Archie Blackburn, a Forest and Bird Protection Society member, planted some of these trees when he returned from WWII to his home at 10 Score Road, adjacent to the smaller bush block. Thirty years later, he was one of the key people who planted the native trees at Okitu Bush Scenic Reserve with Winifred Lysnar.

Discover another urban stream, the Owen Road Stream, by walking along Iranui Road to Graham Road. Take a left then right into Dominey Street, across the stream on a footbridge to Seymour Road. Residents have removed weeds and planted native trees beside the footbridge.

Heading back towards town, a footbridge connecting Dickson Street with Crawford Road crosses the Kopuawhakapata Stream, which holds ancestral significance for Ngāti Oneone. Riparian planting has been done by Whaia Titirangi, with support from Te Poho o Rawiri Marae. This marae, with one of the largest wharenui in Aotearoa New Zealand, is located on the corner of Ranfurly Street and Queens Drive. A shortcut between Crawford Road and Ranfurly Street will give you a view of the wharenui, used for official government and state visits to Tairāwhiti. 

See Titirangi Trail (Queen's Drive - Titirangi Drive) for the history of Te Poho o Rawiri Marae.

In 1864 the first wooden Anglican Church was erected in Kaiti on the corner of Hirini Street and Crawford Road. Kahikatea, white pine, was used for the construction.  The building was in a dilapidated state when it was taken down in 1901. The churchyard cemetery (urupa) remains and has been well-maintained by Ngāti Oneone and Gisborne District Council.

Follow the ramp across Hirini Street into the Inner Harbour and the path around the waterfront to the Gladstone Road Bridge. An underpass leads to a path beside the Tūranganui River estuary with old pohutukawa trees flanking Gisborne's cenotaph. Lastly, the curved William Pettie Bridge takes you back to Kelvin Park and Tairāwhiti Museum.