Napier, on the east coast as have all the ports we have visited, is a beachside city known for its sunny climate, beautiful Norfolk pines and extensive Art Deco architecture. Napier has a population of about 67,500. It's twin city of Hastings is about 11 miles south of Napier. Along with the surroundings towns of Havelock North and Clive the combined population of the area is about 137,000. We were fortunate to visit all of these towns on our excursion today.
Napier is unique in it's architecture due to it's history. In 1931 the city was razed by the Hawke's Bay earthquake. The positive side effect of this disaster was that the lagoon adjacent to the town was elevated about 8 feet. This allowed the reconstruction of a larger city. It was decided they wanted something "modern" . At the time, the most modern architecture trend was Art Deco. Thus the city of Napier was born.
This is a stock photo. I took a similar one, but it was full of cars, trucks and people!
When we arrived this morning it was cloudy, so I have no sunrise photo. Fortunately the skies cleared by the time of our arrival around noon.
Watching the gangway being placed from our veranda.
Today we had a private tour we had booked prior to leaving home. It was for a 4 hour tour. Since we were expected to be able to deboard the ship at 1:00 PM and the last shuttle from town was 5:30, we were cutting it pretty close.
We met our driver, Ray, at the information center in town. We learned there would be only 6 of us on the tour so that was nice. Our first stop after a brief drive thru town was on the hill side overlooking the city. Here we saw many of the older homes which were beautifully maintained.
This notice was on the back of the front seat. I hope Ray doesn't practice this while driving!
After leaving town, we proceeded to Hastings and then into the countryside.
The tallest peak in this photo is our destination, the highest mountain in the region, Te Mata Peak.
I am posting several photos from the summit since it is so beautiful.
A panorama from the summit of Te Mata Peak at 399 meters, or 1310 feet.
The peak is a popular spot for hang gliders, anyone interested?
We did arrive back in port in time to not miss the ship. At the pier there was a display of vintage cars and trucks along with the drivers also dressed in vintage outfits. I believe these were preparing for the annual Art Deco festival which will be held in 2 weeks. This festival celebrates the rebuilding of Napier after the 1931 earthquake.
Tomorrow is another port and another excursion. We will arrive in Wellington, the capital New Zealand at around 9:00 AM.
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