Napier New Zealand: New Zealand's Newest City

Napier, the main city of the region, has one of the largest concentrations of Art Deco buildings in the world. It was razed by earthquake and fire in 1931, and rebuilt in the art deco style which was fashionable at the time. Nowhere else can you see such a variety of buildings in the styles of the 1930s - Stripped Classical, Spanish Mission and Art Deco - in such a concentrated area. Napier's Art Deco is unique, featuring Maori motifs and the buildings of admirer of the great Frank Lloyd Wright, Louis Hay.

Tour the city with a trained guide from the Art Deco Trust. Finish with a trip to the Art Deco Shop. In 1992, with support from the Napier City Council, the Trust became a full-time operation with a salaried Executive Director and its own premises and shop at Desco Centre, once Napier's Central Fire Station in Tennyson Street, Napier.

Visit the 1931 Earthquake Exhibition and Nga Tukemata (an exhibition which celebrates the Maori history of the East Coast) at the Hawke’s Bay Museum. The museum is housed in an historic building designed by Napier's pre-eminent architect of the inter-war period, J A Louis Hay, whose interpretations on the Modernist style of architecture can be seen throughout Napier's central business district.

Experience unique ecotourist entertainment at the National Aquarium of New Zealand. Stroll around the different continents of the world and view sea creatures, reptiles, exotic fish, native birds and interactive displays which will transport you to another world without getting wet.

Explore Napier's Emerson shopping street, including Statements Gallery, to view original art work by local artists. Find many wonderfull boutiques and restaurants to dazzle the eye and soothe the pallet.

After experiencing all the history and scenery of this nationally historic area, relax in style when the day is done in on of Napier 's many lodging facilities.