Hawke’s Bay gannet tour named top 15 family attraction worldwide

Tourists explore Cape Kidnappers gannet colony with Gannets Safari Overland which has been named in Tripadvisor's annual "Best of the Best" roundup.

• Gannet Safaris Overland in Hawke’s Bay celebrates the start of its busiest season yet.
• The operator was named the only NZ attraction in Tripadvisor’s “Best of the Best” family-friendly experiences.
• Gannet Safaris also won the Tourism Export Council’s Small Operator of the Year award for sustainability.

As tens of thousands of gannets flock to Hawke’s Bay’s to mate, nest and hatch their chicks, tourism operator Gannet Safaris Overland is enjoying the beginning of its busiest season.

With a full colony now onsite at its Cape Kidnappers location, the team is not only celebrating the imminent arrival of gannet chicks, but two major wins, including being named the only New Zealand attraction in a traveller poll of the very best family-friendly experiences on earth.

Tripadvisor, which boasts 463 million visitors to its platform each month, namechecked the guided experience in its annual “Best of the Best” roundup. The travel platform evaluates reviews from more than 8 million listings, harnessing the data to curate lists of the most exceptional experiences.

GM of Gannet Safaris Overland Sophie Phillips said she and the team are “over the moon about it”.

“It’s a real testament to the commitment of our whole team – our wonderful drivers, who love what they do and enjoy each and every encounter with our visitors, our admin staff, and the volunteers who maintain and care for this precious land. We’re all on a high.”

On top of appearing on Tripadvisor’s list, Gannet Safaris Overland recently won the Tourism Export Council’s Small Operator of the Year award, recognising excellence in sustainability, business systems and outstanding visitor experiences.

Cape Kidnappers is home to the world’s biggest and most accessible gannet colony. These migratory birds begin arriving in Hawke’s Bay mid-August, and typically stay until May.

Phillips said that eggs have started appearing at the colony and chicks will be born this month.

“It’s the most magical time of the year. It doesn’t matter whether you catch the gannets mating, nesting, or observe the baby chicks, it’s always an enthralling experience.”

After a rocky few years and low tourist numbers because of Covid-19, the 2023/24 season was their “biggest yet” said Phillips.

“The cruise ships were back, and we enjoyed record numbers here at the Cape.”

“It’s super exciting to have some dates already sold out for the 24/25 season, and we’re running wait lists for the days when cruise ships are in Napier Port. We find that our cruise customers love the encounter so much, they’ll come back to their ship and jump straight into one of their cruise Facebook groups to tell other cruise customers all about it.”

Jack Riddell is a multimedia journalist with Hawke’s Bay Today and spent the last 15 years working in radio and media in Auckland, London, Berlin, and Napier. He reports on all stories relevant to residents of the region, along with pieces on art, music, and culture.