Art Deco on Display in Hawkes Bay Wine Country
Napier, New Zealand Showcases Modern Architecture and Fine Wines
Apr 7, 2009
Exhibiting more charm than substance, Napier’s main attraction might be its good looks. With an enviable location on the east coast of New Zealand’s North Island, Napier boasts spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean and nearby Cape Kidnappers. Combine all of this a Mediterranean climate and award-winning vineyards, and Napier becomes a lovely and sophisticated holiday destination. However, what makes Napier truly special is its exquisite and perfectly preserved collection of 1930s architecture.
Napier’s Architectural Transformation
On the morning of February 3, 1931, an earthquake registering 7.8 on the Richter scale and a subsequent fire devastated Napier. The two disasters left nearly 160 people dead and leveled the town’s Victorian architecture. By 1933, Napier had been completely rebuilt in the popular styles of the times: Spanish Mission, Prairie, and, above all, Art Deco. Of the 164 buildings constructed between 1920-40, 140 remain, including the Daily Telegraph Building and the ASB Bank Building.
Napier capitalized on the opportunity to improve its urban planning, burying power and telephone lines underground, adopting a two-story height limit, widening streets, replacing street signs with plaques inlaid in the sidewalks, and splaying street corners to improve visibility. What arose from the ashes was a uniformly modern and stylish seaside city decorated with sunbursts, ziggurats, dancing women, and Maori motifs.
Art Deco City
Since 1985, the Art Deco Trust has been responsible for the conservation and promotion of Napier’s architectural heritage. The best way to appreciate the city’s architecture and learn about the Art Deco movement is to take a walking tour led by a trained guide. (Morning, afternoon, and evening tours; $15-20; 1-1.5hr.) * Every year, Art Deco enthusiasts eagerly await the third weekend of February, when Napier holds its infamous Art Deco Weekend. The four-day celebration includes vintage cars, planes, and clothes, jazz concerts, the Great Gatsby Picnic, and the Twilight Toe Tap. Around town, shops sell antique and imitation Art Deco pieces.
Hawkes Bay Wine Country
Napier is also situated in New Zealand’s oldest wine growing region, with more than 70 wineries currently operating in the area. Organized tours visit a number of the top local vineyards. (Half-day, full-day, and evening tours, lunch and dinner optional; $55-175.) Alternatively, take a city bus to Taradale, 15 minutes from the Napier town center, and explore two neighboring vineyards: Church Road and Mission Estate Winery.
Founded in 1897, the Church Road Winery was directed for years by renowned New Zealand winemaker Tom McDonald. On the first Saturday of February, the winery hosts its annual Church Road Jazz concert as part of the Harvest Hawkes Bay weekend. (150 Church Rd. Open 9am-5pm daily. Guided tours and tastings: 10am, 11am, 2pm, 3pm; $12, bookings recommended.) Down the road in a restored seminary building is Mission Estate Winery. Established in 1851, it is New Zealand’s oldest winemaker. (198 Church Rd. Open M-Sat 9am-5pm, Sun 10am-4:30pm. Free guided tours and tastings: 10:30am and 2pm, bookings recommended.)
Napier Attractions and Activities
Other than stare at buildings or indulge in a bottle of fine wine, there is not much else to do in Napier. Visit the Hawkes Bay Museum & Art Gallery, or stroll along Marine Parade, stopping at the National Aquarium of New Zealand before heading uphill to the Bluff Hill Reserve Lookout. Plan a day trip to Cape Kidnappers, where over 17,000 Gannets (members of the Booby family) nest each year.
In town, visit the i-SITE center (100 Marine Pde) for bookings and the best deals on package tours.
* All prices listed in New Zealand dollars
** Prices and schedules subject to change
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