Napier and The Art of Art Deco

On 03 February 1931, Napier was hit by a devastating earthquake measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale and lasting for 2 ½ minutes. Most of the town was destroyed and 256 people lost their lives. Buildings that survived the quake were soon engulfed in fire that had spread throughout the town. With water mains broken, the best the fire brigade could do was to try and stop the fire from spreading south, out of town.

Today, the rebuilt Napier is the art deco capital of New Zealand. Almost every building from shops to homes reflects some motif from those years. The local tourism office even offers walking or driving tours to visitors who want to hear about the details of the reconstruction and find some of the hidden designs. Collette and I will do a self-drive and walking tour later, but first we need to find lunch then check in to our B&B, Mon Logis.

Damn good donut shop!

One of the several quotes by Henry Thoreau in the town

The beach across the street from Mon Logis

Downtown Napier

We chose to stay in a B&B for our last week so it would give us a break from cooking and cleaning. Rental homes are great but you still need to do all the work, so an occasional break isn’t all that bad.

Mon Logis is located on Marine Parade street, facing the beach. It was pretty easy to find and once there the off street parking was a big plus. Monsieur Gerard is the host, a transplant from southern France who has owned this B&B for the last 12 years. Our room is the “Pineview” room with ensuite and a small balcony overlooking the beach. Good enough for our time here and plenty of room.

View from our balcony

Me with Monsieur Gerard

Fresh towels every day!

We have several activities planned for our stay in Napier, Hawke’s Bay wine tasting, drive to Lake Taupo to view the Maori carvings, a little fishing, and explore the beaches and restaurants nearby. But that’s tomorrow……