NAPIER, NEW ZEALAND February 16, 2008
Napier (Ahuriri in the native Maori language) is an important port city in Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand. It has a population of 57,000. Napier is the largest cross bred wool center in the Southern Hemisphere and one of the largest apple, pear, and stone fruit producing areas in the country. It has also become an important grape growing and wine production area.
Napier was struck by a disastrous earthquake on the morning of February 3, 1931. The town was leveled; what remained was consumed by fires. The town completely rebuilt itself using the contemporary Art Deco style of the time. Now the town is still noted for the continuing architectural Art Deco style.
We were lucky to be able to be in port during their ART DECO Weekend. The annual weekend festival this year included the Queen Victoria. During the docking of the QV, a greeting was provided by swarms of pleasure yachts, an overhead air show and thousands of visitors lining the shore docks and overlooking bluffs.
We were amazed to see some of the Vintage (pre-war) antique cars on the dock as we disembarked for a day in the town. There were over 80 of the 350 cars in the rally in town that were on display at the dock. After a pleasant walk to the town, we came upon a cricket game being played by people in 1920-1930’s costume. It turned out the the whole town enjoyed dressing up in some form of the period costume. At a period band shell built along the ocean walk (Marine Parade) they had a full 1930’s band with folks dancing the Charleston and other dances.
