May 23, 2015, Saturday, Napier, NZ

We pulled in to Napier early am. Our balcony faced a big wharf full of logs.  About 55 degrees and partly cloudy.  It is equivalent to October 23, or the middle of Fall.

After an earthquake in 1931, Napier was completely rebuilt in the Art Deco style of the time. 

There were 164 buildings constructed in Napier, 140 that remain.  Our tour took us around the city to view buildings and then we stopped in the center of town by the Art Deco museum shop and a local tour guide took us on a walking tour.  In 1985 a group of architects came to town to view some buildings, but noticed all the Art Deco buildings, some of which were being demolished to make way for modern ones.  They encouraged the city to preserve the buildings, which they finally did.  We went inside the town theater with a decorated ceiling, walls, and art deco lighting.  I compared it to the 4th avenue theater in Anchorage, which is also a very beautiful art deco building of the time.  The Anchorage one is much much nicer.  too bad the rest of the city didn't use this style.  but the histories of each city are similar in that they both had huge earthquakes that devastated the town area and had to be rebuilt.

Art deco doorway

Cute paintings on a public restroom facility

This is a hotel.  We went into the interior as well.

Another attraction is getting a tour in a vintage car

Looking down a mall area

Another famous building

The six sisters homes.  A father built each daughter a similar home.

David went to a sheep shearing and wool operation outside of Napier

A sheared lamb

Lovely countryside of Napier

The logs come from across the bay in thousands of acres of forest.  They are pine trees and are shipped to China.  They grow ready to harvest in 20 years and replanted immediately for a sustainable industry.

pine logs on the wharf

The area has a 55 km walk/bike trail around Hawkes Bay.

I got back to the ship just as it started to rain.  I wanted to see the aquarium which is where I was told you could see a kiwi bird as well, but I only had $5.00 NZ left, and it was cold.  Maybe next time?

This is one time that I did not need to go on a ship's excursion.  The shuttle bus provided took you right into town where you could walk the art deco streets on your own.  The bus also goes to the aquarium before returning to the ship.