Today is another late start to the day. We arrived in Napier at around 11 AM, an hour earlier than expected. I’m certainly starting to like these late morning starts as I can lounge around waiting for my meds to kick in and have my breakfast delivered by my devoted husband. A girl can certainly get used to this. We have had some wonderful weather and we continue to have wonderful weather. Pleasant temperatures in the 70s and lots of sun.
Today was Waitangi Day, a national holiday celebrating the day the Māori and British signed the treaty in 1840. People were out fishing and picnicking in the park, but no one goes in the water because the undertow is too great. The sand is black volcanic ash, and doesn’t look very appealing to sit on.
We were able to get on an earlier bus to Hawkes Bay wine tasting. This wine tasting event was only offered to Viking, and no other cruise line. It was housed in an old country lodge that was used when people in the country came to town. It was more like a gentleman‘s club. Beautiful woodwork. There was even shoe polish in the gentleman bathroom! The Hawkes Bay region of Napier is known for its wineries. There was wine tasting both inside and outside. There must’ve been 25 different types of wine to sample. Michael found a wine that he fell in love with at dinner in Auckland and plans on buying a case of it when we get home. I went back to the ship, and Michael went walking around town even though his knee was hurting him. I was resting up for the next excursion for the day, which was a tractor, dressed up as a rail engine, pulling two very beautiful converted railcars.
These cars were lovingly restored over a two-year period. We got quite a good tour of Napier and went up and around and around some more and then stopped at an old custom‘s house where we were told some of the history of the town. In 1931, there was a great earthquake that destroyed the town, and it was subsequently rebuilt in the art deco style. I have taking a lot of excursions over the years, and I have to say that this one was one of the best I’ve ever been on.
The residents are very proud of what they have built. There are no chain stores with the exception of the one Starbucks. The stores were all locally owned. You can feel the sense of pride in this community. At the dock, residents brought down their vintage cars and were dressed in appropriate attire for that era. There was also a small band playing. I must say, this has been a most wonderful stop and wished we had more time to spend here.
Below is a description of some of the history and importance of Napier from Wikipedia. I learned a lot today, but can’t remember at all so I thought this would be the best way to share some of the interesting information about this area.
Napier (/ˈneɪpiər/ NAY-pee-ər; Māori: Ahuriri) is a city on the eastern coast of the North Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Hawke's Bay region. It is a beachside city with a seaport, known for its sunny climate,[3] esplanade lined with Norfolk pines, and extensive Art Decoarchitecture. Napier is sometimes referred to as the "Nice of the Pacific",[4][5] although that is largely outdated and a more common nickname is 'The Art Deco Capital of the world'.
The population of Napier is about 67,500 as of June 2023.[2] About 18 km (11 mi) south of Napier is the inland city of Hastings. These two neighbouring cities are often called "The Bay Cities" or "The Twin Cities" of New Zealand, with the two cities and the surrounding towns of Havelock North and Clive having a combined population of 136,290. The City of Napier has a land area of 106 km2 (41 sq mi) and a population density of 540.0 per square kilometre.
Napier is the nexus of the largest wool centre in the Southern Hemisphere, and it has the primary export seaport for northeastern New Zealand – which is the largest producer of apples, pears, and stone fruit in New Zealand. The Hawke's Bay wine region is now the second largest in New Zealand after Marlborough, and grapes grown around Hastings and Napier are sent through the Port of Napier for export. Large amounts of sheep's wool, frozen meat, wood pulp, and timber also pass through Napier annually for export. Smaller amounts of these materials are shipped via road and railway to the large metropolitan areas of New Zealand itself, such as Auckland, Wellington and Hamilton.
Napier is a popular tourist city, with a unique concentration of 1930s Art Deco, and to a lesser extent Spanish Mission, architecture, built after much of the city was razed in the 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake. It also has one of the most photographed tourist attractions in the country, a statue of the figure in local Ngāti Kahungunu mythology, Pania, on Marine Parade, Pania of the Reef. Thousands of people flock to Napier every February for the Tremains Art Deco Weekend event, a celebration of its Art Deco heritage and history.[6] Other notable tourist events attracting many outsiders to the region annually include F.A.W.C! Food and Wine Classic events, and the Mission Estate Concert at Mission Estate Winery in the suburb of
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| The Band on the dock |
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| Buick special |
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| One of many art deco buildings |
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| A beautiful roadster |
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| The Hawke’s Bay Express |
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| Wine tasting venue |
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| Interesting art deco buildings |