About Napier & Hawke's Bay

About Napier & Hawke's Bay

New Zealand prides itself on natural wonders. By that way of thinking, Napier is an exception. This coastal city of 50,000 is best known for its architecture. After an earthquake devastated Napier in 1931, citizens rebuilt it in the art deco style of the day. Its well-kept uniformity of style makes it an exceptional period piece. There's a similar aspect to Napier's less-visited twin city, Hastings, just to the south, which was also remodeled after the earthquake. After stretching your legs in either place, you can relax on a brief wine-tasting tour -- the region produces some of New Zealand's best wines. In addition, the mild climate and beaches of Hawke Bay make this a popular vacation area for New Zealanders. (Hawke Bay is the body of water; Hawke's Bay is the region.) You also should make a point of trying to visit the gannet colony at Cape Kidnappers, which you can see only between October and March.

Napier

The earthquake that struck Napier at 10:46 AM on February 3, 1931, was -- at 7.8 on the Richter Scale -- the largest quake ever recorded in New Zealand. The force was such that the coastline was wrenched upward several feet. Almost all the town's brick buildings collapsed; many people were killed on the footpaths as they rushed outside. The quake triggered fires throughout town, and with water mains shattered, little could be done to stop the blazes that devoured the remaining wooden structures. One building was destroyed when, as the saying goes, "two buckets of water would have saved it." Only a few buildings survived the double-whammy (the Public Service Building with its neo-classical pillars is one) and the death toll was well over 100. Strong aftershocks kept things frighteningly shaky for weeks after the disaster.

The surviving townspeople quickly rallied, first setting up tents and cookhouses in Nelson Park, then tackling the city's reconstruction at a remarkable pace. And in the rush to rebuild, Napier went mad for art deco style, the bold, geometric look that had burst on the global design scene in 1925. The sleek lines pointed to progress and modernity, and the use of concrete made the new buildings more earthquake-resistant. Now a walk through the art deco district, concentrated between Emerson, Herschell, Dalton, and Browning streets, is a stylistic immersion. The decorative elements are often found above the buildings' ground floors, so keep your eyes up.

There's more to Napier than art deco, though. It's a friendly, laid-back place, great for families. The Marine Parade promenade, lined with Norfolk pines, formal gardens, and children's attractions, is backed by pastel-color houses. There's also a town beach, though you should note that the waves and currents here make swimming dangerous.

Hawke's Bay

The natural world provides as vital an experience of Hawke's Bay as the human factor does. Not for nothing is this area, bounded by the Kawera and Ruahine ranges, known as the fruit basket of New Zealand. You can't travel far here without seeing a vineyard or an orchard, and the region produces some of the country's finest wines. Roughly 20 years ago, a dry, barren area known as the Gimblett Gravels was about to be mined for gravel. Then an enterprising vine grower took a gamble and purchased the land. The stony soil turned out to be a boon for grapevines since it retains heat, and now several wineries benefit from its toasty conditions. Chardonnay is the most important white variety here; you'll also find sauvignon blanc, Bordeaux varieties, and syrah.

On the coast east of Hawke's Bay is Cape Kidnappers and its colony of gannets, a fascinating area that is home to as many as 15, 000 of these large seabirds. To the south, the architecturally notable town of Hastings sits near the charming town of Havelock North, known locally as "the Village," with the Te Mata Peak rising dramatically beyond.