Napier

Visiting Napier, known in Māori as Ahuriri, is like stepping straight into a glamorous, sun-soaked 1930s cinematic masterpiece. Following a catastrophic magnitude 7.8 earthquake and subsequent fire that leveled the city in February 1931, the town was rebuilt with extraordinary speed in the defining architectural styles of the era: Art Deco, Spanish Mission, and Stripped Classical. Today, Ahuriri stands alongside South Beach Miami as one of the most complete and celebrated collections of Art Deco architecture in the world.

A stroll down Emerson Street and along the palm-lined promenade of Marine Parade reveals pastel-colored geometric facades, zig-zag sunburst motifs, and elegant brass detailing framed by towering Norfolk pines and crashing Pacific waves. Guided walking tours or vintage Packard car cruises bring the harrowing history, local Ngāti Kahungunu cultural roots, and inspiring civic resilience of this vibrant seaside community to life with fascinating local stories and architectural trivia.

Beyond the city center lies Hawke's Bay wine country (Heretaunga), New Zealand's oldest and sunniest grape-growing region. Cycle flat, scenic limestone cycleways connecting historic cellar doors like Mission Estate (founded in 1851) and Church Road Winery to taste world-class Syrah, Bordeaux blends, and crisp Chardonnay paired with artisan regional kai. Complete your visit with a sunrise drive up the sacred ridge of Te Mata Peak for panoramic views over the plains, or take an exhilarating coastal excursion out to the world's largest mainland Australasian gannet colony at Cape Kidnappers (Te Kauwae-a-Māui).