Flaxmere

Flaxmere is a satellite suburb of Hastings city in the Hawke's Bay region of New Zealand.

Understand
Flaxmere has a population of 10,000. It was intended as a housing development area so Hastings could continue to grow without damaging the valuable horticultural land of the Heretaunga Plains. Flaxmere was built on the poor soil areas of the Heretaunga Plains, and not much grows there. The value of the gravel-filled soil that Flaxmere is built around has since been recognized, leading to a proliferation of vineyards. These vineyards produce some of the best wine in the world.

Get in

 * Turn left at the huge roundabout where Omahu road leaves Hastings and crosses State Highway 2a
 * Enter near Flaxmere from the Bridge Pa aerodrome

See
Being a suburb that was planned with modern town planning knowledge (about 1964), Flaxmere has many large and varied green spaces that are good value to explore.


 * Flaxmere Park. This huge park has very nice rose gardens and is interesting to explore.
 * Flaxmere Avenue. Travels the length of Flaxmere.

Do

 * Flaxmere is surrounded by many of Hawke's Bay's more famous wineries and vineyards
 * Flaxmere Waterworld, Swansea Rd, +64 6 8797676. A large heated indoor swimming pool. Cost $1 to get into the heated pools. They have huge inflatable toys for the kids to play on.

Buy

 * Most of Flaxmere's CBD is on a long strip along Swansea Road.
 * Rural roads leading into Flaxmere offer roadside produce stalls and shops

Drink
Like most of Hastings, Flaxmere is surrounded by wineries. All are excellent places to eat and drink. All of the hours presented here are cellar door hours for visiting and buying – restaurant hours are probably different, best to check.



Sleep
Flaxmere itself has little accommodation, most local lodging being in the rest of Hastings.