The fertile soils around Eskdale produce apples, stonefruit and grapes for winemaking. Hawke's Bay is dubbed the fruit bowl of New Zealand - it was the site of vineyards planted from 1851 by French Catholic missionaries (the forerunners of present-day Mission Estate winery), and of Wattie's canning and food-processing business, established in 1934.

Hawke's Bay's rugby team has a proud record of holding New Zealand's premier rugby trophy, the Ranfurly Shield. Hawke's Bay legend George Nēpia, who toured with the 'Invincibles' All Black team in 1924-25, was one of the finest fullbacks ever. In 1921 McLean Park in Napier hosted the first-ever international game in New Zealand played by the New Zealand Māori side. Archival audio sourced from Radio New Zealand Sound Archives, http://www.soundarchives.co.nz/. Sound files may not be reused without permission from Radio New Zealand Sound Archives (Reference number D198 - D201 DCDR12).

New Zealand's most devastating earthquake killed more than 250 and destroyed Napier and Hastings in February 1931. The 7.8-magnitude quake was followed by fires which gutted central Napier. The city was rebuilt in art deco style - now a major tourist drawcard. Archival audio sourced from Radio New Zealand Sound Archives, http://www.soundarchives.co.nz/. Sound files may not be reused without permission from Radio New Zealand Sound Archives (Reference number TCDR919 Tr 1).

British settlers introduced freshwater recreational fishing to New Zealand, stocking the rivers with trout and salmon. The Tongariro River near Tūrangi has long been a mecca for trout fishers, including international celebrity visitors such as American author Zane Grey and the Duchess of York. Archival audio sourced from Radio New Zealand Sound Archives, http://www.soundarchives.co.nz/. Sound files may not be reused without permission from Radio New Zealand Sound Archives (Reference number TCDR500).

The famed 'Ka mate' haka - well known for being performed before rugby games - was composed by Ngāti Toa chief Te Rauparaha as he hid from pursuers on an island in Lake Rotoaira. He was concealed in a kūmara (sweet potato) pit, with the local chief's wife squatting above him. The lake is also a reservoir of water for hydroelectric power generation. Archival audio sourced from Radio New Zealand Sound Archives, http://www.soundarchives.co.nz/. Sound files may not be reused without permission from Radio New Zealand Sound Archives (Reference number T370).

The central North Island peaks of Ngāuruhoe, Ruapehu and Tongariro - dramatically visible from the Desert Road - are active volcanoes, part of the Pacific 'ring of fire'. One version of a Māori tradition tells of a battle among the mountains for the love of beautiful Mt Pīhanga, while another describes how the priest Ngātoroirangi, exploring the area, was caught in freezing weather and called to his sisters to send fire from their homeland, Hawaiki. Archival audio sourced from Radio New Zealand Sound Archives, http://www.soundarchives.co.nz/. Sound files may not be reused without permission from Radio New Zealand Sound Archives (Reference number CD 2490, track 1116).

Tangiwai means 'weeping waters', and the name seemed sadly apt on Christmas Eve 1953, when a lahar (volcanic mud flow) partly destroyed the railway bridge over the Whangaehu River. The Wellington-Auckland passenger express plunged into the river, killing 151 people, in New Zealand's worst rail disaster. Archival audio sourced from Radio New Zealand Sound Archives, http://www.soundarchives.co.nz/. Sound files may not be reused without permission from Radio New Zealand Sound Archives (Reference number DCDR 71A).

Gumboots - black rubber Wellington boots - were celebrated by satirist John Clarke in his comic persona as laconic farmer Fred Dagg, who sang the boots' praises in the 1970s. In the 1980s, suffering from job losses and a rural economic downturn, the small town of Taihape rebranded itself as the world's gumboot capital. Today it still hosts an annual Gumboot Day. Archival audio sourced from Radio New Zealand Sound Archives, http://www.soundarchives.co.nz/. Sound files may not be reused without permission from Radio New Zealand Sound Archives (Reference number 06/095/318).

Rugged mountains, dense forest and Māori hostile to the Crown were all impediments to developing the main trunk railway line through the central North Island. Construction went ahead from the 1880s after the Ngāti Maniapoto tribe agreed to open up their lands to the railway. An impressive series of viaducts was built across ravines, with workers based at Mangaweka - also the site of a major viaduct.

The bond between farmers and their faithful working dogs is celebrated in Hunterville by a statue of a huntaway farm dog. Strong and versatile, with a loud, deep bark, huntaways are New Zealand's most common farm dog, and are invaluable on sheep farms. Archival audio sourced from Radio New Zealand Sound Archives, http://www.soundarchives.co.nz/. Sound files may not be reused without permission from Radio New Zealand Sound Archives (Reference number sa-t-0301-pm 9).