What's on in Gisborne?

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

Saturday, March 2

Emergency Services Tournament. A fishing contest targeting hapuka, kingfish, gurnard, tarakihi and snapper. Each boat must have a member of the police or any emergency service on board. Mahia Boating and Fishing Club, 1 Pohutukawa Dr, 7am, $25 per angler. Register at the club from 6pm March 1, or on the day.

Gisborne Parkrun. A weekly 5km run or walk for all abilities. Meet at Waikanae Beach Playground for 8am start. Kid, dog and pram-friendly. See https://www.parkrun.co.nz/gisborne/

Tairawhiti Coffin Club. Make the process of passing away less of a financial burden on family by designing your own personalised coffin: constructed by a professional joiner, fitted out and decorated by you. BCR Joinery, 522 Gladstone Rd, 9am-midday.

Raukumara Roadshow: Ruatoria. Discussions on the current state of the Raukumara Conservation Park Wilderness Area, 1080 Q&A’s, developing an effective/sustainable pest management plan and Taiao monitoring. Speakers: Tui Warmenhoven, Hal Hovell (DoC), Tina Ngata, Whakarae Henare and Rob Whitbourne (Nga Whenua Rahui). Rauru Marae, Bridge Rd, Ruatoria, 9am-4.30pm.

Tipuna Stories. Learn about significant ancestors of this region, place names and landmarks. HB Williams Memorial Library, 34 Bright St, 9.30-11am & 11am-12.30pm, free. Register at eventfinda.co.nz

Under-fuelling in Athletes Presentation. Exercise physiologist Dr Joe McQuillan has supported numerous NZ sporting teams and will share his expertise and knowledge. Q&A to follow. Waikanae Surf Life Saving Club, beach-end of Grey St, 11am-12.30pm, free.

Makauri School Gala. Something for everyone: stalls, food, produce, jumble, winning wheel, pony rides and lots of kid-friendly fun. Makauri School, 120 King Rd, midday-3pm, free entry, rain or shine. Pre-purchase hangi tickets: School office ph 867 5779 or gala@makauri.school.nz

TRAMPS. Beginners to experienced singers, musicians and poetry readers are welcome to come along and perform. The Band Room, 200 Childers Rd, 1.30-3.30pm, $2 in the jar, ph John 868 9658.

Tennis for beginners to experienced players. Ormond Tennis Club, Hill Rd, Ormond, 2-4pm, ph Geoff 862 5741 or Tania 862 5856.

North Island Sidecars and the Oval Superstars Tour. All welcome for a great night of racing. Eastland Group Raceway, 357 Awapuni Rd, gates open 6pm, racing starts 7pm. Gate sale tickets, subject to change: $40 family (2A+3C), $15 adult, $10 senior, $8 child aged 5-15, u5s free.

Good Folk: Monthly dance. Dance to the rhythms and music of the world. All ages, no experience, skill or partner required. St Andrew’s Church Hall, 176 Cobden St, 7-9.30pm, $5, kids dance free. Bring a plate for shared supper.

Light It Up NZ Tour. Richie Cattell and Darnell Wilson with their RnB and pop hits. Dome Garden Bar, PBC, 38 Childers Rd, 9pm-2am, $10 cash-only door sales or from https://www.theticketfairy.com/

Sunday, March 3

Gisborne Runners and Walkers Club. 1.5 hour walks with a cuppa and chat afterwards. 8am start. For meeting place: gisbornerunnersandwalkers@gmail.com

Gas Guzzler Breakfast. Check out the replicated 1920s race car. Behind the Courthouse on Reads Quay, 8.30-11am.

History on the MV Takitimu. Join local historians who explore seafaring and navigating history from the oldest operating pilot vessel in NZ. Pier 1 Inner Harbour (gate outside Tatapouri Fishing Club), weather permitting, 9am-10.30am & 11am-12.30pm, $10+Bfee. Tickets: eventfinda.co.nz

Treble Court Cruise Market. Check out the stalls, kapa haka performance and kid-friendly entertainment. Treble Court, 9am-2pm. Market will be cancelled if ship can’t dock. Stallholder inquires: tcmarkets@hotmail.com

Raukumara Roadshow: Uawa. Te Rawheoro Marae, 38 Tauwhareparae Rd, Tolaga Bay, 9am-4.30pm. See Mar 2 listing.

NZ Motor Caravan Association’s National Rally: Public Open Day. Check out the e-vans, bikes, cars, caravans, motorhomes, unveiling of the fully restored 1928 Reo Speedwagon and GoSun Solar Ovens demonstrations. Food, coffee and ice cream stalls available. A&P Showgrounds main gate, 20 Main Rd, Makaraka, 9am-3pm, free entry.

Colour Run for Diversity. A colourful family 2.5km run. Marina Park carpark, Vogel St and Ormond Rd, 10am-midday, koha entry. Entry requirement: odd pair of socks.

Seaweek: Community Snorkel Day. Bring a picnic and have a family adventure in our fully protected marine reserve. Free sausage sizzle and hire of snorkelling equipment. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Te Tapuwae o Rongokako Marine Reserve, SH35, Pouawa, 10am-2pm, koha welcome. Weather issues: listen to MoreFM at 8am on the day.

Sunday Evening Sessions. Relaxed vibes, great food, beverages. Bridge Estate, 16 Riverpoint Rd, midday-8pm, free entry.

Waka Hourua Open Day. Join us on board (not a sailing excursion) where our storyteller will share the voyaging history of our ancestors. Meet: Shed 3, The Esplanade, inner harbour (gate outside The Mind Lab), 1-2.30pm, free. Register: eventfinda.co.nz

Gisborne Country Music Club. Singers and musicians welcome. Blind Foundation Rooms, 39 Grey St, 1-4pm, members $2, non-members $3, ph Flo 867 7637 or flo.ross@xtra.co.nz

Historic MV Takitimu Cruise. Enjoy the sights of Poverty Bay from a fully-restored historic tug. Sailing from Pier 1 Inner Harbour (gate outside Tatapouri Fishing Club), weather permitting, 2pm. Pay at the gate: $20 adult, $10 child u10. Details: Brian 027 474 9360 or Barry 868 3900.

St Andrew's Concert Series. International pianist David James returns to his roots with a concert of Spanish music. St Andrew’s Church, 176 Cobden St, 2pm, free with complimentary cuppa/koha for course fees.

The Irish Club. Join us if you possess a sense of humour and a passion for all things Irish. The Rivers, cnr Gladstone Rd & Reads Quay, 4-6pm. For details ph Phil 867 3715.

Mamma Mia Pre-Audition Workshop. For ages 13-and-over. Learn about this show and take part in a dance workshop prior to auditions on Apr 13 & 14. Musical Theatre Gisborne clubrooms, 99 Innes St, 5-6pm. Wear clothes you can move in and bring a water bottle. Details: email hetha.d@gmail.com or for online audition packs: tinyurl.com/y237qsxv

Seaweek: Mahia Beach Clean-up. Clean our beautiful shoreline of litter. Meet: at the Mahia Fishing Club, Mahia Beach, 5.15-7.15pm. Gloves and bags provided. BBQ sausages and bread after. Further details: Jenni ph 021 293 2434.

Monday, March 4

Badminton Centre, 134 Roebuck Rd. Rackets available. Social Morning, 9-11.30am, $4, ph 867 2584. Kiwi Badminton for Year 3-7 players, 4.30-5.30pm, $5 session/$80 subs, ph 027 350 9482. Gisborne Badminton Club, 7-9pm, ph 867 1416.

Barnardos Children’s Day Celebration. Bring your tamariki along for an open day with fun, food and activities. A coffee vendor will be on-site selling all the favourites. Barnardos, 25-27 Ormond Rd, 11am-1pm. Details ph Wendy 869 1340.

Gisborne Boardriders Club: Rippers, week-5. For 6-12 year-olds to bring their own gear and develop surfing skills or learn how to surf. Midway Beach or an alternative beach depending upon the weather, 5-6.30pm, $130 GBC members or $170 non-members per 10-week course. Details: see sporty.co.nz

Hibernian Club Indoor Bowls. For new or seasoned bowlers to come along for a roll-up. Gisborne Intermediate Hall, 7pm, ph John 867 6383.

Defence Force Information Evening. Come along and gain an insight into a career in the NZ Defence Force. Gisborne Army Office, 341 Palmerston Rd, 7-8.30pm. To register: email Staff Sergeant Davey Forbes at David.Forbes@defencecareers.mil.nz

Tuesday, March 5

Gisborne Canoe and Tramping Club cycle ride, Riverside Road-Longbush QE2 Reserve, Cave Road-Matokitoki Valley, departs 9am, free. A hilly ride with some gravel/steep parts, with a walk in Longbush QE2 Reserve. The Cave Road-Matokitoki Valley Rd section is a rough clay track for skilled mountain bike riders only, most will prefer to walk. Bring a bike with wide tyres. Register: Gillian ph 867 4591 or grass.hopper@xtra.co.nz

Seaweek: Riverbank Clean-up and Enviroschools Expo. Community riverbank clean-up and expo for Year 5-8 students. Bring gloves, covered shoes and water bottle. Clean-up: Meet at Wairoa Yacht Club, Kopu Rd, 9.10am. Expo: at Community Centre, 10.15am-2.15pm. Further details: Jenni ph 021 293 2434.

Baby Time: for ages 0-2, parents/caregivers. Interactive play and rhymes to springboard your baby into early learning. HB Williams Memorial Library, 34 Bright St, 10am, free.

Community Workshop and Mentoring. Budgeting, cooking, sewing and gardening advice. SuperGrans Tairawhiti, 185 Childers Rd, 10am-1pm, free. Bookings: ph 868 3571 or email supergrans.tairawhiti@xtra.co.nz

Over 50s Men’s Vets Golf. For any skill level. Poverty Bay Golf Club, cnr Awapuni & Lytton Rds, 11am. Join golf buddy program (conditions apply) and play for two-months at no cost. Details: ph Dave 867 4402 (option 1), email Glenn at glennb355@gmail.com

Beach Boot Camp. Body-boosting high-intensity workout. Bring a towel and water bottle. Midway Beach, 6-7pm, $8. Register/for details: email wwbhub@gmail.com

Poverty Bay Blues Night. We promote, perform and educate the Gisborne region about blues music. PBC, 38 Childers Rd, doors open 7pm, music 8pm, $5 door sales, R18.

Patutahi Badminton Club. New players welcome. Patutahi Hall, Biggs St, 7.30pm, ph 862 7783.

Wednesday, March 6

East Coast Farming Expo (to Mar 7). Two-days of exhibits and seminars for sheep and beef farmers. The Muster keynote speaker: rural broadcaster Sarah Perriam. Wairoa A&P Showgrounds, Ruataniwha Rd, 9am. Tickets: Expo $10/day, Bayleys A&P Muster $20/person, at the gate or at www.eastcoastexpo.co.nz

Mainly Music. A fun music group for pre-schoolers. St Andrew’s Community Centre, 176 Cobden St, 9.45am, $4 per family. Details ph Trish 867 2789 or 868 5513.

Waihirere Domain Trapping Workshop. Walk and check the traps along the waterfall track. Meet at the Waihirere Domain carpark, Back Ormond Rd, 10am-1pm. Bring a water bottle, lunch and suitable footwear, ph Jamie 022 627 1952 if weather inclement.

Musica Viva: The Tasman Ensemble. Piano by Tony Chen Lin and violin by Christina Lieberwirth-Morris with works by Handel, Mozart, Beethoven and Weiner. Tiromoana, 41 Winifred St, Okitu, 7pm. Tickets: door sales, adult $25, student free. For details: ph Gill 868 6443 or email gillco@gisborne.net.nz

Thursday, March 7

East Coast Farming Expo, 9am-5pm. See March 6 listing.

Maunga to Moana Multisport Race (to March 10). 50km adventure race for individuals or teams up Mount Hikurangi. Bring your shoes, tent and whanau for an awesome action-packed weekend. Race starts at the bottom of Mount Hikurangi, Ruatoria, midday, $150/individual, $550/team of 5, $30/supporters. Further details, accommodation or to register: See https://www.kaupoiadventures.com/

Gisborne Senior Citizens Concert. Come along and be entertained. Senior Citizens Hall, 30 Grey St, 1.30-3.30pm, free.

Smashers Badminton (to Apr 11). For Year 7-10 students. Six-weeks of fitness, social games and fun for all ability levels. Rackets available, please wear sports shoes. Badminton Centre, 134 Roebuck Rd, 3.30-4.30pm, $5, ph 027 268 660.

Beach Boot Camp, 6-7pm. See Tuesday listing.

Farming Women Tairawhiti. Annual mix and mingle with inspirational speaker Allison Mooney who enables people to gain a better understanding of others through respect and celebrating differences. The Vines, 166 Main Rd, Makaraka, 6pm. Tickets: $35.00+Bfee at https://www.eventfinda.co.nz/ until March 1.

Isaiah B Brunt Trio: Voodoo Blues Tour. Australian trio bringing their brand of blues to town with local guest, Ernie J opening the show. Dome Room, PBC, 38 Childers Rd, 7pm, $20 door sales.

FreeDance. A movement and dance meditation practice with a variety of sound and rhythm, led by Pascale. St Andrew’s Church Hall, 176 Cobden St, 7-8.30pm, $7 each. See our Facebook page.

Friday, March 8

Farmlands Gisborne Fishing Competition. With over $6000 sponsored prizes up for grabs. Start: 6am, $40 Farmlands shareholders, $45 non-shareholders. Weigh-in: 4.30pm at Tatapouri Sports Fishing Club. Register: download entry form at https://www.farmlands.co.nz/ and drop into the Farmlands store before March 5.

Toddler Time: for ages 3-5. Bring your children and their friends along for songs and stories. HB Williams Memorial Library, 34 Bright St, 10-10.30am, free.

Seaweek: Whakamahi Beach Clean-up. Show your local coastline some love and help to clean it. Bring gloves and covered shoes. Meet: at the new toilet block and picnic tables, Whakamahi Rd, Wairoa, 5-7pm. Further details: Jenni ph 06 838 7111 or email hartizanjen@gmail.com

Sylvia. A play about a street-smart labradoodle found in a park that becomes a major bone of contention between husband and wife. Evolution Theatre Company, 75 Disraeli St, 7.30-9.30pm. Tickets: $24 youth 17/u, $29 senior, $32 adult from https://www.evolutiontheatre.org.nz/

111 live. Tauranga covers band playing all the favourites. Gisborne Cosmopolitan Club, 190 Derby St, 8pm, free.

Build-a-Band. Turn up and jam. Smash Palace Bar, 24 Banks St, 8pm, free entry, R18.

Saturday, March 9

Gisborne Parkrun, 8am start. See Mar 3 listing.

St Andrew’s Car Boot Sale. A variety of realistically-priced bargains. 8am set-up in carpark behind St Andrew’s church (access off Childers Rd), 9am-midday, $5/car, ph 868 8226.

Tairawhiti Coffin Club. Make the process of passing away less of a financial burden on family by designing your own personalised coffin: constructed by a professional joiner, fitted out and decorated by you. BCR Joinery, 522 Gladstone Rd, 9am-midday.

Treble Court Cruise Market, 9am-2pm. See March 3 listing.

Time in a Bottle Exhibition (to Mar 30). Photographs of some of the district’s earliest grape growers and winemakers. Historic Places Tairawhiti, 173 Palmerston Rd (former Plunket building), 9.30am-12.30pm.

Gisborne Card-Making & Scrapbooking. Meet like-minded people and get crafting. Emerald Hotel, 13 Gladstone Rd, 9.30am-3pm. To register phone/text Karen 027 664 8010.

Ormond Tennis Club, 2-4pm. See Mar 2 listing.

The Road to Turanga: Leo Fowler’s Gisborne Years. Launching Gerald Barnett’s new book about legendary broadcaster Leo Fowler, bringing Gisborne’s 20th century cultural history to life, Tairawhiti Museum, 5-6.30pm.

Teams/Ramp Derby and Ministock Best Pairs. Come along for a great night of racing. Eastland Group Raceway, 357 Awapuni Rd, gates open 6pm, racing starts 7pm. Gate sale tickets, subject to change: $40 family (2A+3C), $15 adult, $10 senior, $8 child aged 5-15, u5s free.

Dennis Marsh and Brendan Dugan: Just the Two of Us. In concert and back by popular demand. Gisborne RSA, cnr Bright St & Childers Rd, 7.30pm. Tickets: $20 each from the RSA during office hours.

Sylvia, 7.30-9.30pm. See March 8 listing.

Lazy Fifty: The Covers Set. Come along if you love good old-fashioned classic rock, from Pink Floyd to ZZ Top and more. Smash Palace Bar, 24 Banks St, 9pm-midnight, $5 door sale, R18.

Sunday, March 10

Gisborne Canoe and Tramping Club walk, Te Aroha Station, Pehiri, departs 8am, $15. 8km circuit walk through farm land, a 20m climb to the trig on Poha and return via a QE11 block along the Waikura River. Register: Gillian ph 867 4591 or grass.hopper@xtra.co.nz

Gisborne Runners and Walkers Club, 8am start. See Mar 3 listing.

Sunday Evening Sessions, midday-8pm. See Mar 3 listing.

Historic MV Takitimu Cruise, 2pm. See Mar 3 listing.

Sylvia, 2-4pm. See March 8 listing.