HB Today - Destination Napier 2022

Destination Napier

Whenyou first getintoany city it’s sometimeshardtoknow wheretostart.What’s on? Wheretostay? Howtobestspend thetimeyou have and come away with qualitymemories? Wheretoget adecentcoffeeorevenbetteran espresso martini!? Arrive into Napier andyou land on thecoastwhilein theheart of thecosmopolitancentre. It’s agreat little citytoexplore and to make your ‘homebase’ as youexplore Hawke’s Bay.

Whereveryou’reheadingand

whateveryou’reinto agreat place to startisthe Napier i-Site.It’sfullof friendly and knowledgeableNapier champions. Notonlydotheyknowtheir stuff, they also love Napier!Theyare ‘in theknow’ about‘wheretogo’.Theywill load youupwithideas and inspiration. They canbooktours,tickets and accommodation.Theyliveand breathe visitorexperiences.They’ll be able to guideyou to thebestattractions and puttogether an itinerary bespoke to you, so setaside some time to have a chat and nutout your perfectschedule,

all with no bookingfee

Right next door is mini-puttatPar 2MiniGolf.Whatagreat waytohave some funand indulgeyourcompetitive streak! It’s slap-banginthe middle of townwith‘bigsky’views of thesea. A hearty walk alongMarine Parade will take youtothe NationalAquariumof New Zealand stretchedout likeahuge stingray.It’shometoawiderange of saltwater, freshwaterand land animal exhibitsfromNew Zealand and around theworld.Explore thetranquillity of beingunder thesea. Watchasmajestic

oceancreatures swim aboveand around youinthe Oceanarium.

Next it’s time forsomeculture:set off on an adventureinto thepastwiththe wondersand delightsofthe MTGwith itschangingexhibitionsofart,culture and social history.

Up theroad is theFaraday Museum of Technology.Hereit’shands-on fun forthe wholefamilywithup-close experiences withtechnology,science, gadgets,machines, vehiclesand toys from the past.

Napier viewing platform.

Napier i-Site.

Perfectdestination

Once you’ve gotthe layofthe land,headoff fora ramble throughNapieritself,abustling, vibrantcitycentrewithexcellent shopping anddining opportunities. The cityitselfisapleasantand ‘stroll-able’ mini-metropoliswithcuteboutique offerings. There’sclassic menswear, poshfrock shops,quirkybookshops (second-handand new),craft coops,dealergalleries,antiquesand collectibles,gifts andtrinkets, vintage stores…and morecafes,restaurants andbarsthanyou couldsqueeze into oneweekendaway.

Napier is theperfect destinationfor

alongweekend,amidweekgetaway or aweeklongmini-break. Youcan spendawhole dayjustexploring Napier’s seasidevillageAhuriri. Pootle aroundthiscuteporttown, popinto theantique and curios stores,lunch at Milk andHoney, stockuponsuppliesat European food emporium Vetro, enjoy acoolbeverage at theUrban Winery before seeing afilm at theGlobe Theatrette.There’s arange of bars pepperedalong thedockwherethe fishing boatspullup, and youcan often seethe largeocean-going waka (canoe) moored herebetween journeys across thePacific.

Napier is alsotheheartofArt Deco in NewZealand.Mostofthe buildings in thecentral cityareof this erahaving been builtdirectlyafter the1931 earthquake and in thestyle of the time.You’llsee prime examples ofart deco architecture and facadesaswell as strippedclassical,Spanish Mission and artnouveau. Awalkaroundthe city, your eyes fixed on thedecoration and detailingofthisiconic time,will giveyouaglimpseinto thepast. You’ll oftensee artdecofansdressed to the ninesincloches and boaters,pinstripes and braces, theirvintage cars polished and shiny. There’splentyofpeople

watching on offer, especiallyduringthe annual ArtDecoFestivaleachFebruary.

Setyoursiteson Napier next time youleave home forabreak away.It’s gotsomething foreveryone, days of adventuring, quiet cornerstoput your feet upand enjoy theviews,plenty of deliciouswine and dine offerings, opportunities to shop ‘tilyoudrop, and lots of placestojustsitandchat.Head ourway and remember to checkinwith thei-Siteteamwhenyou arrive:we’re ready towelcomeyou and showoff everythingNapier hastooffer.

Courtesy Napier i Site

ExploreMarineParade

The approximately 3kmstretchoficonic seafront connects Napierwiththe Pacific Ocean, with stunning vistas encompassing MahiaPeninsula in thenorth to Cape Kidnappers in thesouth.

Back in 1889,asea wall wasdevelopedtoprevent floodingoverwhat isnowthe Marine Paraderoad. Norfolk Pinesfollowedinabout 1893 inorder to create an English-style ‘noble promenade’.

Theseawall wasoriginally 3mindepth however continual shingledisplacement up thebeach from storms,along withthe 1931 earthquake whichraised thebeach by about2m, meantMarine Paradebecame protected from highseas, allowingthe development of thearea. Theseawall is still visibleadjacentto the Marine Paradefootpathfromthe SoundShell towards thehill.

Today, Marine Paradehas developedinto amecca forfamily-friendly activitiesand afocal pointfor many cityeventsand celebrations.Beginningatthe southern entrance opposite EllisonStreet, facilities include:

•Abikepumptrack

•The National Aquariumof NewZealand

•A juniorbike track

•Anexpansive playground,withseparate areasforbig kids and little ones

•BaySkateskate park

•New ReefGarden

•Sunken Gardens

•Par2MiniGolf

•Napier i-Site VisitorCentre

•Paniaof theReefstatue

•Oceanviewingplatform

•Ocean Spa complex

Alongwiththenewlyrenovated Napier Conference Centre, MTGMuseum Theatre Galleryand atasty array of bars,cafes, restaurants, andice-cream shops, the area is ahiveofactivityday and night.Aseasidepath runningthe length ofMarine Parade (and extending furthernorth and south) is alsopopular among runners, walkersand cyclists.

Courtesy Hawke’s Bay Tourism

Napier-anexciting retailexperience

Napier is fast earningthe reputation as thecountry’s mostpopularweekend leisure cityoutside of Aucklandand Wellington. Andit’seasytosee why.

Thecityiscompact and easy to navigate. Napier is agreat leisuredestinationwith superb speciality shoppingand anumberof

highprofilenationalchainstoresintermingled with arichand diverse mixofart and cultural activities sevendaysaweek.

Recently theinner city hasundergone extensivebuildingrenovation and substitution whichhassignificantly alteredand enhanced Napier’s streetscapeandvibrancy.

Discoverthe specialityfashionclothingand accessoryboutiques, furnitureand interior design stores,interspersed with adiverse mix ofartgalleries.You’llbespoiltfor choice!

EmersonStreetisnot only bursting with awiderange of stores it’s apretty street in whichtowander whileadmiringthe palm trees and summer flowers.

Amuchphotographedsculpture in Emerson Street “A Wave in Time,” is abronzestatue byMark WhytemodelledonSheila Williams andher dogRaven.SheilaledtheNew Napier Week Carnival parade in 1933 to celebrate the city’srecovery from theearthquake. Across the street anothersculpture,alsobyMarkWhyte, wasinstalled in 2014,thatofa youngboy climbing apole and wavingtothe woman. It’s agreat drawcardfor tourists whotakeabreak from shoppingtobephotographedalongside theicon.

Besidesthe mainstreets,Napier’s side streetsand alleywaysalsooffer charmandan eclectic mixof interesting stores that arewell worthexploring.

PutNapierinner cityonyourlistofthingsto experience and enjoyeverythingthereis to offer, setamida vibrant, colourfulandunique ArtDecobackdrop. Visitwww.napiercbd.co.nz foranexcellent and vibrantsummary ofall that’s on offerinNapier City.

EmersonStreetisoneofthemainshopping destinations.

Wine anddine

Renownedfor itsthrivingcafe cultureNapierboastsdozensof eateries whichofferan impressive rangeofculinarystyles, from classic tocontemporarycateringtotoday’s diverserange of palates. Theoutdoor atmosphereinvites shoppersto relax andwatchthe passingparade.

TheHawke’s Bayclimate and the abundance of good,healthy, freshfood is perfectfor culinary innovation,al fresco dining,and coffee,lotsofit.

ThevibrancyofNapier isinfluenced very much by thecoffeeculture with plenty of caféswithcoffeetogo, or linger awhile and relaxwitha coffee ofyour choice.Tennysonand Emerson Streetsare especiallybusyduring warmer weatherwithoutdoor tables packed with casual dinersenjoying ameal and acoffee. With thewinter

beingquite mildit’soften possible to dine outdoors throughout theyear.

From casual to finedining, degustationdinnersorjusta cheeky sweettreat,youare guaranteed to find somethingthatyourtaste buds will thank youfor.

There’sa wealthofchoiceofvenues andmanyoptions forthose whofancy somethingjustalittlebitdifferentto eatalongwiththeir coffee.Glutenfree, vegetarian,vegan,fresh cabinet food, sweettreatsand ethnicfood areall availablewithinthe citycentre.

In additiontoTennysonand Emerson Streets, Dickens,Dalton and Marine Paradeoffer evenmorevariety.Look out forMrD Dining famous fortheir donutsinjected with syringes of tasty fillings.Central Fire StationBistrohas an excellent reputation as does Pacifica that serves degustation mealsonly, then there’sBistronomy and Poivreet Sel. Thelistgoeson! Ethnicrestaurantsaboundand there’sa choice of Indonesia, Italian, Turkish, Thai,Indian, Mexican, Sushi,Chinese and Indian.

Food forthehealth consciousis availableatHapi Organic Café& Maarawhich is oneofNapier’s best rawfoodcafés.

Thereare severalcocktail bars to visit including awardwinning Teresa CocktailBar in Emerson Street. There’snoshortageofgoodcoffee availableinNapier.

SarahMitchell,left,andAndreaMarseglia, combinedbusinessintheNapier CBD,theHarvestDeliand TeresaCocktailBar.Theywoneightawardsatthe 2022Hawke’s BayHospitality Awards.

F.A.W.C!progressivecocktailparty,courtesyHawke’sBay Tourism.

Out andabout

There are plenty of things to do and sights to seeinNapier beyond shopping.

On thetransport frontthere are thrilling trikerides,vintage cars that can be hired and guided toursof thecity by vehicle.Thenthere are traditional bicycles and ebikes that canbehiredat numerous hire centresand there’seven oneonMarine Parade

Onepopular cycletrail is theNapier Marine Parade Explorer whichis15km oneway or 30km return. It starts at Ahuriri, passes Napier Port,parks, gardensand funattractions forthe kids Beyond thecitythe trail runs closeto thecoast whereashort detour cantake cyclists to theStarCompass.The trail finishesat Clivewhere refreshments canbeenjoyed before returning.See hbtrails.nz/ride-our-trailsfor more information

Thereare severalenjoyablewalks including thepopular Bluff HillWalk that involves some climbingbut the viewsfromthe topare very worthwhile. Forthose whoenjoy theircomfort the hill is accessible by road.The viewsat thesummitare wonderfuland embrace thePortofNapieraround HawkeBay and up to theMahia Peninsula.

Shorterdetours on theflat could include CliveSquare Gardenswithits pretty gardens,palmtrees and aharp shaped Centennial Carillon whichplays aselectionoftunes every half-hour from 11.30amto2pm.Old Napier cemetery involves aclimb butit’sfullof historyand is agoodreminderofsome of Napier’s early settlers.Nearby the Botanic Gardensare well worthavisit.

Napier Centennial GardensinCoote Road,justoff thenorthernend of Marine Parade arealsowellworth a visit. Herea40metre highwaterfall is themain feature. This wasoriginally aquarryand inmatesfrom Napier Prison createdthe park in 1974

Marine Parade itself hassomemagnificent gardenswhateverthe season as they are beautifullytended by the council. Situatedbetween theroad and thebeach closetothe i-Site are the Sunken Gardenslongwith a“bio-morphic’sculpture

The cycle trail at Clive River

Clive Square, Napier

Angela and Trent Byrnes of New South Wales, passengers from the Ovation of the Seas cruise ship, visited Napier Hill Lookout in 2019.

ArtDeco Trust tours

The cityofNapier hasa greatstory to tell,and nowhereelseinthe worldcan youhear aboutacity’s rebirthand capturea feelingofwhat is musthavebeen like to live in the 1930s.

Atourwiththe ArtDecoTrust will be onetoremember! Youwill hear thestory of the1931earthquakethat devastatedthe original townand

discoverthe eraof styleand optimism in whichthe presentday Napier was built.

With aguidedtourtosuiteveryone, it is atruly memorable experience of themostcompleteArt Decocityinthe world

Dailyguidedwalks aretaken by local volunteer guides at 10am and 2pm.

Vintagecar toursare themost unique waytoviewNapier and scenic landmarks with varioustimesavailable throughout theday

Open 7daysa week,visit theArt DecoCentreat7 Tennyson Street, Napier to make abooking,shopfor ArtDecoNapier souvenirs, giftsand homewares. Or book online: www.artdeconapier.com