Visit Napier, New Zealand

Napier is famous for being an art deco town. Situated on the east coast of the North Island of New Zealand, Napier is preserved in time after a devastating earthquake almost 85 years ago. Remarkably the town survived this catastrophe due to the strength of its people to rebuild it. The architectural fashion at the time meant that it was rebuilt in art deco style.

• Art deco is a style which was fashionable in the 1920s and 1930s.
• It influenced architecture, clothes and ceramics.
• It is notable in its geometric shapes, clean lines and striking colours.
• Art deco represents a time of luxury and glamour. The style is in essence, decoration applied in a lavish burst of expression.

Earthquakes occur every day in New Zealand. Most of them are so small you don't even feel them. However, In 1931 a massive earthquake hit just north of Napier. It lasted two and a half minutes. The resulting fires from the earthquake, devastated the inner city of Napier.

This earthquake practically destroyed the cities of Napier and Hastings, and changed the landscape of Hawke’s Bay. The sea floor rose almost three meters and the tidal flats were drained.

Napier was rebuilt from scratch and the newest architectural development was in the art deco style. The soundshell, skate park and gardens were built above a foundation of rubble removed from the town centre and deposited on the beach. What a way for a city to be reborn!

I went on a fabulous tour with a group of tourists who had arrived in town for the day on a cruise ship. The black rose tours provided a luxury small van with a driver/guide. On this tour we took in a Strawberry farm where you could get to die for berry smoothies and ice creams. We also visited a bee farm with a visitors centre and a gift shop where you could have honey tastings and buy honey products. Following that was a visit to a chocolate factory where we got to taste samples! The highlight of the tour was a lookout where the views were stunning.

Napier is located at the south of the Hawkes Bay and is not far from the city of Hastings. It too was devastated by the earthquake which hit Napier and was reconstructed using Art Deco and Spanish Mission design. The area which takes in Napier, Hastings and Hawkes Bay is known for its wineries and good restaurants.

Looking for that special art deco item? Look no further. There are specialty art deco shops in Napier that will excite and inspire you.

One such shop is called the Art Deco Shop. Stocking a marvellous array of gifts and special purchases to remind you of your stay in Napier. I bought a marvellous 1920's inspired red hat.

One of my favourite shops was the Napier Antique Centre. Filled with antiques and collectables and stunning jewellery. The centre houses a number of different sellers with quite different wares. A great place to find unique presents to give to loved ones back home.

Napier hosts an urban food market.

• When: Saturday, 9am to 1pm.
• Where: Lower Emerson Street, right next to the Civic Square gardens.

Tantalising smells of roasted coffee and fresh bread fill the air. Eggs and fresh produce are available too. Grab something to eat while you wander around the stalls.

I stayed at a hotel which had a kitchenette, so I could get some supplies here for my stay in Napier. The local supermarket wasn't that far away either, so I could walk to it to get whatever else I needed.

There is a variety of accommodation types available in Napier.

All budgets are catered for, from budget to luxury and anywhere in between.

You can choose to stay in a:

• Serviced apartment
• Hotel
• Beach house
• Cottage
• Bed and breakfast
• Backpackers
• Villa
• Townhouse

Much of the accomodation can be found in a quiet central location.

Further afield you could stay in Hastings, Havelock North and the wider Hawke’s Bay region and take a day trip to Napier.

Heretaunga, the Maori name for Hawke's Bay, has been occupied since around the late 13th Century according to oral history.

Maori people would have arrived at Heretaunga by sailing down the coast from the north in canoes. Te Whanganui-a-Orotū or Napier’s inner harbour was also settled fairly early on.

Today, there are more than 60,000 people who identify as Maori and 86 marae or meeting grounds are scattered throughout the Hawke’s Bay region.