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Napier, a city of about 57,000 people, lies
northeast of Wellington - about 4 hours by road. It
was destroyed by an earthquake in 1931. The city
fathers decided to rebuild it and to give it some
character in doing so. The city is home to neatly
planned streets and brightly colored art deco
buildings. The earthquake raised the land about four
feet, and actually gave Napier more usable real
estate! |
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Like Copenhagen's Little Mermaid, Napier has a
statue. This one is called Pania of the Reef, and
recalls a legend in Maori culture. Pania was a sea
being who fell in love with a warrior. But she had
to return to the sea everyday to tend to her
"people." Her warrior husband tried to trick her
into staying, but her sea creatures drew her down
into the reef. Her husband searched frantically for
her but never found her. Her image is said to lie
beneath the surface on a local reef.
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I
took this photo to demonstrate the colorful and
fanciful decor of the buildings. Having an interest
in trains helped. Before we arrived, we put the
model railroad on our itinerary. Unfortunately, the
opening times had changed and we were not able to
see the exhibit. But we had coffee next door and
snapped photos anyway. |
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The town is now home to many retired people and an
attraction to tourists. It has a festive atmosphere
in almost every street.
 Napier
is at the gem of Hawke's Bay, one of New Zealand's
foremost wine production areas. |
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This building, located away from the downtown, was
of some interest because of the decoration. |
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We
were able to visit the sea-side aquarium which was
of great interest as well. The aquarium has an
underwater tunnel, with a moving sidewalk that
permits up close views of the specimens. Included
among them are several species of shark. This one
was resting on the sea floor. |
