Napier is a small city with a population of about 65,000 and sits on the east coast on Hawke’s Bay on the north island. It’s known for things such as its art deco buildings, being located in a renowned wine producing region, and the rebuilding of the city after an earthquake in 1931.

We docked in port around noonish, which allowed us to sleep in, eat a full breakfast, chill in the pool area and chat. Our excursion was a driving Art Deco tour of the city. Nancy, John, Candy, Alton and Sue were on the same double decker bus. But since we sat on the first floor we didn’t see them much. Few places in the world have such a broad representation of the stripped classical, Spanish mission, and art deco styles within such a confined area, which is why the city is known as the Art Deco Capital. It felt as if we stepped back in time and were in Miami. Two-story, pastel buildings, set amongst some small old Victorian homes.

Our tour was only an hour and it started with a drive along the black volcanic sand beaches peppered with interesting sculptures.

• Spirit of Napier – a golden woman atop of an arch symbolizing the city rising from the ashes of the earthquake
• Millennial Arch – marked the beginning of third millennial
• A wave in time – statue is modelled on Miss Sheila Williams, daughter of a notable architects of the era. She is familiar to many people in Hawke’s Bay – she led the “New Napier Week Carnival” in January 1933 to celebrate the town’s recovery from the earthquake.
• Tree of love – initially designed as a Christmas tree with silver holographic material on the panels at the end of the branches to catch the sun’s rays and reflect a myriad of different colours. The tree is made up of a number of parts which make it easy to assemble and dismantle, enabling the sculpture to be transformed and themed around different events and promotions.

We enjoyed a stroll downtown shopping, picking up sweets and finding Sai Thai, an amazing Thai restaurant recommended by a local for lunch. And it did not disappoint. We ran into Pat her sister who found some goodies and recommended we check out Opossum World. You just might have to check it out.

Our last stop before catching a shuttle back to the ship, was the black sand beach. We were surprised that the beach sand was not fine, but more like small Black pebbles. The sun was still strong, but it was not hot. We took our shoes off and MyLisa walked down to the water while I watched bags and took photos. The water felt cold (at 69 degrees). It was the walk back off the beach that turned out to be more difficult than we expected. Every step was met with pebbles stuck in odd places. At least they were smooth pebbles and not jagged.

Carol, George and Sharon went today to a sheep station and Te Mata Peak. I can’t wait to hear more about their adventure.

Tomorrow we spend the day in Wellington, the capital of New Zealand.