Napier

Burrowed into Hawke’s Bay on New Zealand’s North Island, Napier is the country’s 6th largest urban area. A romantically evocative city replete with buildings that ooze old world charm and aesthetic, this port-city hugging the North Island’s east coast, lies 300 km away from the capital Wellington.

Heritage buildings rebuilt in the Art Deco styles of the 1930s, after the devastating Hawke’s Bay earthquake that crushed most of the surrounding area, point to the resilience of Napier and the collective Kiwi spirit.

Napier also has the distinction of being one of New Zealand’s most gastronomically diverse and celebrated regions and is home to some of the finest wineries in the country. Napier becomes abuzz with tourist flurry during February as it hosts the Napier Art Deco festival which draws large numbers of tourists from outside Napier and is indicative of Napier’s place as a hub of culture and art. 

One of the first points of contact between the native Maori tribes of New Zealand and Captain James Cook and European settlers, Napier has always occupied a place of significance in New Zealand’s history. One of the most photographed and picturesque regions in all of New Zealand, Napier is also one of the most well-preserved cities, with many of its buildings recognized as heritage sites, making it a photographer’s paradise. It is also the centre for export for New Zealand’s world-renowned Merino wool.