We made a weekend visit to Napier this weekend. The city is located on the Hawkes Bay and is a great tourist place. The area has some terrific autumn color (which are missing in the Taranaki area) and the weather is much milder on the east coast of the country.
This is the most famous backpackers in NZ. It used to be a prison in Napier.
The city itself was virtually destroyed by an earthquake in 1931. It was immediately rebuilt in the then-popular
art deco style and that is now one of the biggest tourist attractions today. The small details of the building are the parts that fascinated me, although there are some amazing facades, too.
There is also a great aquarium there with a walk-through section where sharks and rays and lots of cool fish swim over your head. The diver who feeds the fish puts on a great show for the kids of all ages!
We visited Norsewood and Dannevirke along the way. The Norse history is New Zealand began in September of 1872. You can find more information by clicking here.
It's quite interesting to discover the history of this tiny, wee island country. I guess moving to a new place gets the curiosity flowing.
