Napier New Zealand

Hi Guys,

Napier – New Zealand 8 March 2011

(Longitude: 39 29’South   Longitude: 176 58’ East)

(Time +13 GMT)

Here we are back in Napier, we were impressed with the city the time we visited in 2004. The city was rebuilt in the Art Deco fashion following the disastrous earthquake of magnitude 7.8 at 10:64 am on Tuesday on 3 February 1931 reducing most of the town to rubble. The ground rose up seven feet in parts – Bluff Hill was originally an island – and Napier airport was later built on land previously part of the seabed. Further extensive damage was caused when fire spread rapidly through the town.

Today, it is a delightful city with lots of pedestrian ways and good shopping and fabulous gardens along the sea front. It has a beautiful climate where the average afternoon tem at Napier in March is 22.6 C (72.7 F).

Once a year Napier has a festival; where during the month of February the inhabitants relive the 1930s. One of the reasons is the number of antique cars. Cars were at a premium during the early years and could not be bought without overseas funds. Port side cars could easily realize two or three times the purchase price. Old cars could not die but had to be repaired, refurbished and kept running forever. Many of these cars still are running today and one of the excursions from the ship was to drive around the sights in one of these antique cars. During the month of February, cars are brought in from almost everywhere in the world and the party begins. We were delighted to be greeted at the dock with people dressed in the 1930s era and driving around in these gorgeous cars. A thoroughly delightful day but we had to be back on board by 5:30 pm

Chinese lunch in Napier

The Maori legend of Pania and the Sirens

Roy with older car

Roy by Art Deco

Halsbury Chambers Building from 1932

The city of Napier is located on the east coast of the North Island of New Zealand in the Hawke’s Bay region. Napier has a population of 50,000 and known throughout the world for its unusual and stunning Art Deco Architecture. Hawke’s Bay is equally renowned for it high-quality wine.

It was not until 1830 that the first European traders, whalers and missionaries began to take a real interest in the area of what is now modern Napier. The Napier town site was bought from the local Maoris in 1853 and named after Sir Charles Napier. An earthquake in 1863 did extensive damage as did a serious fire in December 1886. However, the most momentous event in the town’s history was still almost half a century away. At 10:46, Tuesday 3 February 1931 Hawkes’ Bay was hit by a severe earthquake measuring 7.8 on the Richter Scale. The epicenter was only 12 miles northeast of Napier and much of the town was reduced to rubble. 161 people lost their lives.