Havelock North in the context of "Napier, New Zealand"

Hastings (/ˈheɪstɪŋz/; Māori: Heretaunga, Māori pronunciation: [hɛɾɛˈtaʉŋa] ) is an inland city of New Zealand and is one of the two major urban areas in Hawke's Bay, on the east coast of the North Island. The population of Hastings (including Flaxmere) is 49,800 (as of June 2025), with a further 15,000 people in Havelock North and 2,040 in Clive. Hastings is about 18 kilometres inland of the coastal city of Napier. These two neighbouring cities are often called "The Bay Cities" or "The Twin Cities".

The city is the administrative centre of the Hastings District. Since the merger of the surrounding and satellite settlements, Hastings has grown to become one of the largest urban areas in Hawke's Bay.

The Heretaunga Plains is a 300 square kilometres (120 sq mi) alluvial plain at the southern end of Hawke Bay on the east coast of the North Island of New Zealand. The towns of Napier, Hastings and Havelock North are on the plain.

The plain was formed over the last 250,000 years from sediment deposited by the Tutaekuri, Ngaruroro and Tukituki Rivers and from coastal marine deposits. It consists of layers of gravel, sand and silt. Permeable gravel beds form aquifers and the artesian groundwater provides 85% of the requirements for public water supply, irrigation and industrial use on the Heretaunga Plains and adjacent areas.