napier.

Our ship docked in the city of Napier at noon, on another day of amazing weather. We had to take a complimentary shuttle bus to the main city, as the dock was near a busy and remote construction area.

our view from the ship

Located in Hawke's Bay, Napier is known for its Art Deco vibe. After a devastating 7.8 earthquake in 1931, the city was rebuilt with the current fashionable architecture of the time - think "the Great Gatsby" and the Jazz Age. The Art Deco style incorporates symmetrical patterns, geometric shapes, and pastel colours - and as a bonus, this architectural style is a lot more earthquake-friendly.

decorative tiles around the city, with Art Deco patterns

informational display of pictures from before the 1931 earthquake

The main city area is pretty small - popular attractions include a museum, Deco Centre, and the National Aquarium of New Zealand. We didn't visit any of these things, as we decided it was a perfect day to explore the area by foot and just enjoy the scenery.

We walked around the main town, grabbed an iced coffee and visited some local shops to browse Art Deco-period clothes and art. We took a stroll along the water, then found a little passageway in a surrounding neighbourhood that lead to a zig-zagging path with a steep incline. There, we discovered a little viewing platform to see the town from afar!

view of Napier from the platform

Millenium Sculpture by the water

We also wandered by a high school, where we observed signposts that featured both the English and Maori words for school buildings. One thing we've noticed about New Zealand in general is that they seem very intentional about incorporating the native culture, which is awesome.

We headed back into the city and took pictures of sculptures, fountains, Art Deco buildings, and festive holiday deco-rations (sorry, couldn't help myself!). There were even some people dressed up in Art Deco flair, posing by the antique cars -which anyone was able to hire/rent for a leisurely drive around the city!

Art-Deco-con!

the Heritage Fountain featuring symbols representing Hawke's Bay

heading into the city. note the Art Deco Sbux.

"A Wave in Time" sculpture, modeled after the daughter of one of Napier's architects

awesome artwork on the side of a building

Tom Parker fountain

Pania of the Reef statue

Clive Square

Waiapu Anglican Cathedral of St. John

As we headed back to the ship, we were greeted by a 30's style jazz band, putting on a delightful performance near a display of more antique cars. 

fun 30's-style jazz band performing outside the ship

Without visiting any of the museum/aquarium attractions, there wasn't a whole lot to do - but we definitely enjoyed our time of exploring Napier, enjoying the beautiful architecture and artwork. 

CK