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Meet with a MATE at your local cafe and get the support you need. ​

MATES Cafe is here for you when you are going through crisis. We understand that we all go through challenges in life, just as you are and when we have, we have reached out to a MATE for support. MATES recognise the benefits of having someone to talk to and just being there for us. We therefore want to be there for someone else when they need a shoulder to lean on. After all, isn't that what MATES are for?
NOTE: If you either need a MATE or wish to become a MATE, please click on the buttons above respectively. 
All other enquiries please go to "Contact Us" or "Refer Someone" (under the contact tab)  Thank You.

Gisborne NZ - MATES Cafe Network

A Call-Out to ALL!
Can You Spare ONE Hour of Your Life to Save a Life?

MATES Cafe is purely about saving lives. Do you realise that in 2017-2018 over 668 people in New Zealand chose to take their own life because they couldn't stand the emotional trauma they were undergoing. Many of these occurred because of relationship breakdown.

Over 16,280 New Zealanders have killed themselves  since 1985! 
One person has taken there own life on average every 18 hours over the last 33 years.(approx. 12,500 Men and 3,780 Women Suicides in same period) Age-standardised suicide death rate, 1996 - 2012 New Zealand

Enough is enough!
MATES has been operating for nearly 10 Years in New Zealand... we now need your help to drastically lower the suicide rate... are you with us?

Saving someones life can be to either:
  1. Help them navigate in a new direction, and potentially prevent them from killing themselves...
  2. Help them to find support and hope to move forward in rebuilding their new life...
  3. Help spare the pain and anguish of all those around them that will be affected for the rest of their lives, if they go through with it... spouses, ex-spouses, children, friends, friends of friends, workmates, colleagues, school friends many more...​
​

Gisborne Region

MATES North Island Centres (Click Here)  /  MATES South Island Centres (Click Here)

Gisborne Support Services

LifeLine New Zealand Last updated 06/06/2013 LifeLine is here to listen to the unheard, to empower the caller to retake control of their situation, making callers aware of options rather than offering advice.

This provider offers a national helpline service.
  • Availability: 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
  • Charges: All services free of charge.
  • Referrals: No referral required.
Depression Helpline -  0800 111 757  Last updated 23/02/2012 The Depression Helpline and website are part of a national public health campaign called the National Depression Initiative. The website includes a self-test, resources, an interactive journal and links to other help services. The helpline is av...

This provider offers a national helpline service.
  • Availability: Helpline is available 8am to midnight daily. Website is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
  • Charges: All services free of charge.
  • Referrals: No referral required.
Victim Support - Gisborne Last updated 27/07/2012 Victim support provides information, support and assistance to victims, witnesses, their families and friends. Victim Support also promotes victims' rights through raising public awareness and recognition of the effects of crime.


  • Availability: The Victim Support Service is available 24 hours, 7 days a week
  • Charges: All services free of charge.
  • Referrals: No referral required.
Victim Support - Ngati Porou Last updated 27/07/2012 Victim support provides information, support and assistance to victims, witnesses, their families and friends. Victim Support also promotes victims' rights through raising public awareness and recognition of the effects of crime.


  • Availability: The Victim Support Service is available 24 hours, 7 days a week.
  • Charges: All services free of charge.
  • Referrals: No referral required.


SHINE: Safer Homes In New Zealand Everyday Inc Last updated 04/10/2012 Shine (Safer Homes In New Zealand Everyday) is making homes violence free. Shine offers a free national Helpline and a number of innovative services that work to stop domestic abuse.

This provider offers a national helpline service. Approved Family Violence Provider
  • Ground Floor
  • 409 New North Road
  • Kingsland
  • Auckland
  • Availability: Helpline ( 0508 744 633 ) is answered 9am - 11pm, 7 days a week . Our office hours are 8.30am - 5.00pm weekdays.
  • Charges: Some charges may apply.
  • Referrals: Referral may apply.
Tauawhi Mens Centre Last updated 10/02/2013 To provide a range services to men including counselling, social work support and advocacy.

  • Upstairs
  • 71 Peel St
  • Gisborne
  • Availability: Monday-Friday 10am-3pm or by appointment outside these times
  • Charges: All services free of charge.
  • Referrals: No referral required.
Te Whare Tu Wahine Last updated 03/12/2012 Te Whare Tu Wahine works to raise public awareness of violence against whanau including men, women and children, promoting the prevention and elimination of violence, and the rights of women and children to care and protection. In an emergency, ...

Approved Family Violence Provider
  • 20 Grey Street
  • Central
  • Gisborne
  • 4010
  • Availability: Office hours: 8:30 am to 4.00 pm Monday to Friday. Also available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for emergency situations.
  • Charges: All services free of charge.
  • Referrals: No referral required.
Cancer Support Services (Tairawhiti) Last updated 29/01/2013 Support and information for men and women with cancer.

  • Morris Adair Building
  • 421 Ormond Road
  • Gisborne
  • Availability: Monday to Friday 9.00 am to 3.00 pm
  • Charges: All services free of charge.
  • Referrals: No referral required.

Need Further Support - Click Here

Information about Gisborne

Number of people counted

Total population
  • 44,496 people usually live in Gisborne Region. This is an increase of 522 people, or 1.2 percent, since the 2001 Census.
  • Its population ranks 13th in size out of the 16 regions in New Zealand.
  • Gisborne Region has 1.1 percent of New Zealand's population.
Population of Gisborne Region and New Zealand, 2006 Census  Region/City/District New Zealand
  • Male  21,687  1,965,618
  • Female  22,812  2,062,329
  • Total  44,499  4,027,947
Māori ethnic population
  • 19,758 Māori usually live in Gisborne Region, an increase of 393 people, or 2.0 percent, since the 2001 Census.
  • Its Māori population ranks 9th in size out of the 16 regions in New Zealand.
  • 3.5 percent of New Zealand's Māori population usually live in Gisborne Region. 
Māori Population of Gisborne Region and New Zealand, 2006 Census  Region/City/District New Zealand
  • Male  9,468  274,860
  • Female  10,290  290,466
  • Total  19,758  565,329
Note: The Māori ethnic population is the count for people of the Māori ethnic group. It includes those people who stated Māori as being either their sole ethnic group or one of several ethnic groups.

Number of dwellings counted
  • There are 15,768 occupied dwellings and 1,599 unoccupied dwellings in Gisborne Region.
  • For New Zealand as a whole, there are 1,478,709 occupied dwellings and 159,276 unoccupied dwellings.
  • There are 84 dwellings under construction in Gisborne Region, compared with 13,560 under construction throughout New Zealand.
Dwellings in Gisborne Region and New Zealand, 2006 Census Dwelling status       Region/City/District New Zealand
  • Occupied Private dwelling  15,663  1,471,746    
  • Non-private dwelling  105  6,963    
  • Total  15,768  1,478,709
  • Unoccupied  1,599  159,276
  • Under construction  84  13,560
  • Total  17,451  1,651,542
Note: This data has been randomly rounded to protect confidentiality. Individual figures may not add up to totals, and values for the same data may vary in different text, tables and graphs. 


Gisborne Region

Gisborne (Māori: Tūranga-nui-a-Kiwa, "The place where Kiwa - of the Tākitimu waka - stood") is a city in northeastern New Zealand and the largest settlement in the Gisborne Region. It has a population of 34,300[2]. The district council has its headquarters in Whataupoko, in the central city. Gisborne is named after an early Colonial SecretaryWilliam Gisborne.
The city of Gisborne is located at the north end of Poverty Bay. The white cliff headland of Young Nick's Head at the other end of the bay is visible from the city. The cliffs can be seen in the left hand side of the sat photo. The Māori name for the cliffs is Te Kurī-a-Pāoa,[3] meaning The Dog of Pāoa, as this was what it was originally said to look like.

This prominence was the first part of New Zealand sighted by the crew of Captain James Cook's ship Endeavour, and was named for the crew member who first saw it. A memorial to Cook stands on the foreshore, marking the point where he first stepped ashore in New Zealand on 8 October 1769.

On the right hand side of the sat photo at the other end of the bay, known as Poverty Bay, is Kaiti Hill. This hill overlooks the city and magnificent views can be obtained by driving or walking to the summit.

It is sometimes known as the City of Rivers as the centre of the city is the convergence of three different rivers, one of which is the shortest river in the country at 1200m long.[4]

Gisborne boasts being the first city in the world to greet the sun each day. Technically, however, this is only true for part of the year. Both Suva, Fiji, and Nukuʻalofa, Tonga, are closer to the International Date Line and therefore would seem more likely candidates for this title. Due to the Earth's tilt on its axis, however, Gisborne does overtake their claim as New Zealand summer days grow longer. In the longest days of summer, though, it again loses the title to the hillier suburbs of Dunedin in the South Island.

The city has the benefit of being very close to the white sand beaches of Waikanae and Midway. A short distance from the city is the surf beach of Wainui.

Climate The region is sheltered by high country to the west and has a dry, sunny climate with high sunshine hours. The region has a yearly average of 2,200 sunshine hours. The annual rainfall varies from about 1000mm near the coast to over 2500mm in higher inland country.[5]

Economy The harbour was host to many ships in the past and had developed as a river port to provide a more secure location for shipping compared with the open roadstead of Poverty Bay which can be exposed to southerly swells. A meat works was sited beside the harbour and meat and wool was shipped from here. Now the harbour is the home of many smaller fishing boats as well as ships loading logs for export.

The city maintains a rural charm and is a popular holiday spot. Local industries include agriculture, horticulture, farming and forestry. Wine production is also valuable to the local economy.

Education Gisborne City has four main high (secondary) schools: Gisborne Boys' High, Gisborne Girls' High, Lytton High and Campion College. Campion College is a Catholic co-educational school.

Culture Two major annual events are the Dawn Raid Beach Day Out, which is an outdoor concert featuring many of the Dawn Raid hip-hop stars held in January, and Rhythm & Vines, a 3-day New Year's music festival, featuring well-known New Zealand and international bands performing in the vineyard setting of Waiohika Estate.

Sport
  • Gisborne's soccer team Gisborne City won the Chatham Cup in 1987 and has twice been runner-up. Its home ground is the Childers Road Reserve.
  • In rugby union Gisborne is home to the Poverty Bay team, who play in the Heartland Championship rugby competition.
  • In cricket, Gisborne is part of the Northern Districts Cricket Association, and first-class matches are occasionally held at the Harry Barker Reserve.
Gardens Gisborne is home to a botanical garden, the Gisborne Botanical Gardens.

In the surroundings are two arboreta:

  • Eastwoodhill Arboretum at Ngatapa
  • Hackfalls Arboretum at Tiniroto
Transport State Highway 35 (part of the Pacific Coast Highway network) passes through Gisborne city while State Highway 2 passes through Makaraka, a suburb on the outer fringes of Gisborne city. Gladstone Road is the city's main road, which becomes Wainui Road and State Highway 35 to the east and north, and becomes Main Road Makaraka, and State Highway 2 to the west and south.

Gisborne is the northern terminus of the Palmerston North - Gisborne Linerailway, which opened in 1942. Passenger services were provided until 1988, when the Endeavour express was cancelled north of Napier. Today, the railway carries solely freight. There is currently ongoing debate as to whether the line should be retained.[7][8]

Gisborne Airport provides a link in and out of the Gisborne region, with multiple Air New Zealand flights operating to and from Auckland and Wellington, seven days a week.