For the love of Napier
Ionce cheated on a former love, one that I thought I’d have for life. Don’t panic, it’s not quite what you think. After living in Wellington and visiting more than 60 countries, I always thought New Zealand’s capital was my favourite city, a place I would always call home.
Then along came Napier, and it stole my heart. You can’t help but fall for this little city. It remains the scene of New Zealand’s deadliest disaster, and from the ashes of the 1931 earthquake rose a celebration of art deco and a celebration of incredible strength and resilience.
The region is far more than a funky city. Its vineyards blanket the land in every direction and from these fertile rolling valleys comes most of the country’s red wine. Sitting under a vine on a summer afternoon, being served some fine local fare – with a matching drop – reminds me of a week spent on a little Greek island.
It’s true, if the world flipped upside down
Napier would be smack in the middle of the Mediterranean. I’ll drink to that.
Getting on a plane to Napier is, of course, a lot easier than getting to Greece so if you fancy a little mini-Med break, here is a beginner’s guide to everything you need to know about Hawke’s Bay.
The 1931 Hawke’s Bay earthquake killed
256 people, injured thousands, and levelled almost all of Napier and nearby Hastings. Fires broke out in Napier, engulfing almost everything still standing and, with water mains broken, little could be done to save trapped survivors from the inferno.
Can you imagine the dark days that followed? Not only did hundreds of people die, but few were insured, and the world was in the grips of the Great Depression.
Many people were left with a pile of rubble, and a mortgage to pay.
Four architecture firms joined together, their workers doing shifts around the clock, to design a new city.
Art deco was at the height of fashion – with its bold geometric designs and loud contrasting colours – and was picked as one of four styles to recreate the city. What emerged, in just two years, is a celebration of the Kiwi can-do attitude and it’s now a world-renowned tourist attraction.
Start in the city
The best way to appreciate the stories behind the buildings is to take an art deco vintage car tour – you’re even given period costume to wear if you wish.
Our driver, Brockie, picked us up in a 1930s Packard, a little like an American version of a Rolls-Royce.
We toured all the most famous buildings, peppered with amazing tales of the rebuilding effort. We were even taken inside the grand Napier Municipal Theatre with its huge buzzing neon lights, considered state-of-the-art at the time.
Wine and dine
More than 70 wineries are spread across the region. It’s the second biggest producer of wine behind Marlborough. Hawke’s Bay is internationally recognised for its rich reds: merlot, cabernet sauvignon and syrah.
More than 30 vineyards offer cellar door tastings, including iconic Craggy Range, with its grand Spanish-style Giants Winery sitting among lush vines at the base of the mighty Te Mata Peak.
Elephant Hill is another excellent choice, with fine food and views overlooking the sea and the distant, but imposing, cliffs of Cape Kidnappers.