Napier

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I'd wanted to come to Napier for three things - the Art Deco town itself, a Hawke's Bay Wine tour and to see the Gannet colony at Cape Kidnappers. In the end I only managed one of the three.... Mothers Day seemed to interfere with anyone wanting to run a wine tour and the Gannets have mostly all sensibly left for warmer climates over the winter!! Looks like I'll be back later in the year!

Napier, a port on the east coast, is famed for its Art Deco buildings.... and there are lots of them. An earthquake in 1931 (measuring some 7.9 on the Richter Scale) flattened much of the city centre. The people of the town took this as an opportunity to rebuild in a new style and hence much was rebuilt in the Art Deco style... and has been faithfully retained this way even since. Even the banks and the fast food outlets have blended in with the theme!

Next Stop... Windy Welly

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