Napier

Destroyed by an earthquake in February of 1931, the town of Napier rebuilt itself in the art deco style of the day. It seemed natural to build everything in the new style. It’s really strange to see so many buildings with the date of 1932 or 19933 on them. Here are some examples:






Here's another picture showing the architecture


To keep the trend alive, everyone still drives cars like this:


Ok, not really, but they will in a few weeks during the Art Deco Days Festival. Unfortunately, I don’t think we’ll still be in town.
Most towns in New Zealand lack the character of European villages, especially when it comes to architecture. The charm of New Zealand is in its countryside. The town of Napier is one of a few exceptions.
This region is dry, especially during this time of year. The scenery is different from the typical lush green landscape covering most of New Zealand. The landscape here reminds us of the Colorado Front Range. Here’s a golden field of grass across the street from where we’re staying.