The charming seaside town of Napier is the main city/ port of the Hawke’s Bay Region of New Zealand’s North Island. The city stands adjacent to Bluff Hill and overlooks Hawke’s Bay which is located on the mid-east coast, approximately 320 kilometres north-east of Wellington. The city is a popular tourist destination and is renowned for its stunning Art Deco architecture, its long standing local wine industry and its sunny, mild Mediterranean climate. Surrounded by the coastal plains of Hawke’s Bay, Napier is home to approximately 60,000 residents, making it the tenth largest city in the country and the second largest on the east coast next to the nearby city of Hastings. The Hawke’s Bay Region stretches over a 100 kilometres of coastline and dominates this mainly rural area which is formed of a varied fertile landscape that enjoys hot summers and cool winters. Napier is an ideal location from which to explore this picturesque region which supports many farms, orchards, vineyards and wineries, and offers good opportunities to enjoy the beaches, golf courses, uncrowded trout fishing rivers, as well as provides access to hunting and tramping through the Ruahine, Kaweka and Kaimanawa mountain ranges. For the more active amongst us there are also the options of jet-boating, caving, paragliding and windsurfing.
The main attraction of Napier is the unique volume of Art Deco architecture which dominates the centre of town. It was during 1931 that Napier was devastated by an earthquake and fire, which created the urgent need to re-build the city. At the time, re-building was undertaken in the ‘new’ styles of Art Deco, Stripped Classical and Spanish Mission, with the added bonus of Maori motifs. This has given Napier a unique appeal and brought the city fame and popularity as it is now known for having one of the largest number of fine Art Deco buildings in the world!! The Art Deco Walk is a permanent attraction and each February there is the Art Deco Weekend which attracts thousands of visitors who celebrate the Art Deco period through a program of over 100 events including music, street performances, dancing, steam train rides, picnics and aircraft displays. Other events which follow along the same theme include the annual Jazz Festival and the Halloween Ball. Napier is also known for its Mission Estate Winery Concert, an open air concert which attracts world class performers. This concert takes place on the outskirts of Napier at the Mission Vineyards, New Zealand’s oldest vineyard.
Napier’s unique and distinct, compact inner city is comprised of tree lined boulevards, strip malls and a diverse mix of speciality shops, and is one of the country’s most exciting city centres to explore. Located close to the sea and supporting a picturesque waterfront, the city can be easily walked around or savoured from one of the many street side cafes and restaurants. Whilst in Napier it is worth noting that there are several attractions, apart from the architectural appeal of the city, such as the well known statue on Marine Parade called the ‘Pania of the Reef’ - the Hawke’s Bay Museum and Art Gallery that includes an exhibition which tells the story of the 1931 earthquake that destroyed the city centre and a permanent exhibition about the Art Deco style of architecture - the National Aquarium - the Colonnades and Soundshell along Marine Parade which were built in the 1930’s to commemorate the 1930 earthquake - historic Napier Prison which offers tours and is now used for backpackers accommodation, and for theatre goers, the unique Napier Municipal Theatre. The theatre, which was totally re-built to its former glory after the earthquake, is today recognised as the best provincial performing arts centre in the country. Napier also sports the New Zealand Wine Centre which offers an exciting, unique and memorable way to enjoy the Hawk’s Bay Region’s wines.
Napier is a city/port and the harbour has great historical and contemporary significance in the development of the town and the region. Today the inner harbour provides berths and anchorages for small yachts and trawlers, while the Port of Napier is a major transport hub for the shipping of local produce and regularly welcomes visits from large cruise ships which circumnavigate the islands of New Zealand.
|