Surprising Hawkes Bay - Art Deco and Chardonnay

Vineyards, wineries, Art Deco, activities, and attractions just about sums up this region’s appeal. At the heart of the bay is Napier, with its surf-pounded beach and tree-lined Marine Parade. That a city stands here at all is a tribute to sheer determination. In 1931, an earthquake ripped the place apart, killing 258, and the city had to be entirely rebuilt. Art Deco, Spanish Mission, and Stripped Classical were the architectural fads of the time, and these buildings erected in these colourful film-set styles are now a major tourist attraction.

Vineyards carpet the gentle slopes and plains between Napier and its twin city of Hastings. There are 37 wineries in the region and most offer tastings. Several have cafes and restaurants. From the large to the small, each has a character and ambience that is reflected in the wine itself.

Visit Marineland marine zoo, the Hawkes Bay Museum, and the National Aquarium of New Zealand, all on Napier’s Marine Parade. Drive to Hastings for the outstanding farmers' market at the showgrounds every Sunday morning. Enjoy the food produced by talented chefs in the local restaurants and relax in some surprisingly sophisticated accommodations.

Quick Tips:

If you make the effort to visit Hawkes Bay, allow at least two days to see the region. One day can be spent enjoying Napier and the second by travelling to Hastings and trendy Havelock North via several of the wineries and restaurants.

Best Way To Get Around:

Tours are available, and these are good if you want to do extensive wine tasting, but a rental car is useful for complete freedom.

If you are going to stay in Napier, choose Marine Parade. This is the heart of the action and it is close to all attractions. The Napier Travel Inn sits right in the center of things. You can walk to the central city and stroll along the beachfront day or night.

Names can be confusing, so let me make it clear that this is basically a three-to-four-star motel. There is plenty of off-street parking, all close to the two-level accommodation wings. The Inn offers three levels of accommodation. We stayed in an executive superior room, and it was excellent. The very large room had a wall of glass overlooking Marine Parade and the ocean. It came complete with air-conditioning, heating, work desk, desk lamp, dining table, direct-dial telephone, king-size bed, Sky TV, minibar, iron and ironing board, and tea/coffee-making facilities. The bathroom had a spa bath/shower, hair dryer, and a full range of toiletries. You have a choice of smoking or non-smoking rooms.

The executive deluxe rooms overlook the pool and are not so large. They have a queen-size bed, and most of the other facilities and would be suitable for most people. The standard rooms have a double bed plus a single bed and are suitable for families or several people travelling together.

The Brasserie 311 is an a la carte restaurant which opens every evening and is normally available for breakfast. We found this had a very nice ambience and the service and food standard was high. My recommendation is one of the seafood dishes which comes from the nearby ocean. Room service is also provided for those seeking privacy.

What distinguished this from many other places we have stayed was the helpfulness of the staff. There appeared to be a positive attitude from reception desk to room cleaner. Our needs were not great, but nothing was too much trouble. Congratulations.

We probably enjoyed our night at Providencia Country House more than any other on our trip. It just goes to prove how important people are in the enjoyment of a holiday or working trip.

Providencia Country House is owned by Fiona and Neville Baker. They have the wonderful knack of being around when you need them but are not there when you need to be alone. It was cold and damp when we arrived late in the afternoon but we were heartened by the warm welcome we received. Before we knew it, Fiona had the electric heater on in the lounge room and the water jug was boiling away for a cup of hot tea or coffee.

The house is grand but not at all daunting. Fiona explained that it had been relocated from town some years ago and she and Neville were only now getting close to putting the finishing touches on their ''baby''. We showed interest in the building so she happily, with two boys in tow, gave us a guided tour. The two self-contained bed and breakfast bedrooms, the guest lounge and the wonderful turret room are in the front of the house. The family living areas and bedrooms are at the back. What the Baker''s have achieved is quite remarkable. Anyone interested in architecture or renovation would be fascinated.

We were the only guests so we had sole use of the B&B areas. We sat in the turret room reading magazines. We ate biscuits and drank coffee in the lounge while sitting close to the comforting heater. We were shown the guest refrigerator containing free beer, soft drinks and juices. We gazed at the decorative ceilings, the lovely paintings, the warm drapes and the fine furniture. We were comfortably at home.

If we had wanted privacy from other guests, we could have stayed in our bedroom. It was huge. There was a king-size bed, two armchairs, the usual furniture and a tray laden with fruit, drinking water and a decanter of port. The adjacent bathroom was almost as large with the standard of fittings and fixtures all very high. The whole property certainly qualified as "luxury bed and breakfast accommodation".

Fiona has prepared a menu so that guests can chose a time and order what they wish for breakfast. At the appointed time, it was ready for us on a table in the sitting room. Muesli, fruit, yogurt, fresh orange juice, toast, butter, jam and coffee for me; eggs Benedict with mushrooms and tomatoes, fresh orange juice and English Breakfast tea for my wife. We delayed our departure as long as we could and left reluctantly.

Most regional museums have little appeal for me. While I understand the importance of preserving and displaying historic items to the local community, I generally find there is limited interest for the visitor. The Hawkes Bay Museum, therefore, exceeded my expectations.

The museum is housed in a historic building designed by Napier’s preeminent architect in the 1920s and 1930s, J. A. Louis Hay. The building was commissioned after the 1931 earthquake, and although the museum has been extended and adapted since then, the building retains many of the architectural and interior features for which the architect was renowned. It is one of the highlights on Napier’s architectural walks.

The museum houses a number of long-term exhibits, together with temporary exhibitions. I found the permanent displays quite fascinating. Three in particular had great appeal. "Once Were Dinosaurs" explores the history of New Zealand’s earliest inhabitants through interactives, video, and displays. The fateful day of the 1931 earthquake that devastated the Hawkes Bay region is revisited through audiovisuals and ephemera that I found quite fascinating. Then there was the Taonga Maori gallery, where there is an extensive collection of treasures from throughout the region, including the ancestral treasures of Ngati Kahungunu (the people of the east coast).

For those with time and special interests, there is an exhibition of ceramics by leading New Zealand and British studio potters. There is also a fine arts collection which spans two centuries of New Zealand art history, from colonial artists intent on recording their new land to contemporary artists of national interest. Textile lovers will relish the extensive collection of clothing from around the world and a wide range of fashion accessories, lace, embroidery, quilting and hand-printed fabrics.

There are two other elements worth commenting upon. The first is the Berry Library, which houses thousands of rare books, manuscripts, diaries, photographs, maps, newspapers, and other archival material pertaining to the Hawkes Bay region. It opens to the public Tuesday to Friday from 1-4pm. The second is the Century Cinema. This is Napier’s alternative cinema, and it screens quality movies on Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday evening. The museum also has a store selling cards, books, jewelry, and New Zealand gifts.

The museum opens 10am-4:30pm daily and from 9am-6pm December-April.

(06) 835 7781; Fax: 646-835 9249; Email: museum@hbct.co.nz
Cost: NZ$5

Many countries have a marine-animal attraction, and this is New Zealand’s. It doesn’t compare to the California, Florida, or Australia’s Gold Coast equivalents, but there is a nice, friendly atmosphere that many visitors will enjoy.

This is New Zealand’s only marine zoo, featuring dolphins, seals, sea lions, otters, penguins, and birds. You can walk around the various pools in a few minutes, but there is often something to keep you interested for longer than this. There are two daily shows, at 10:30am and 2pm, and you should plan your visit to include one of these. There is the usual dolphins jumping out of the water to touch balls or over ropes, and the seals and sea lions add some fun.

Of more serious interest, perhaps, are the other activities, which generally require advance bookings. There are fully supervised sessions where you can swim with the dolphins. There is a tour at 9am to touch and feed the dolphins, and there is a penguin recovery workshop at 1pm to see how the zoo looks after the many sick or injured blue penguins brought in for treatment. These activities are at extra cost.

Tel: (06) 834 4027; Fax: 646 834 4037; Email: info@marineland.co.nz

A separate but nearby attraction is the National Aquarium of New Zealand (Tel: 834 1404), where an underwater experience awaits from 9am to 5pm. There is also a kiwi display here; don’t ask why!! Further along Marine Parade, there is Seahorse Farm (Tel: 834 0998), a working aquaculture farm with seahorses, crabs, lobsters, and freshwater fish. It opens from 9am to 4:30pm, and there are tours at 10am, 1pm, and 3pm Monday to Saturday.

Marine Parade is also home to a range of free attractions. These commence with Centennial Gardens at the north end, with its picturesque waterfall, and continue south. It is worth seeing the floral clock, the bronze statue of the young Maori maiden Pania of the Reef, the Tom Parker fountain, the Veronica Sunbay, the soundshell, the water sculpture, the sunken gardens, the Spirit of Napier sculpture, and the Millennium Sculpture, which marks the point of the sunrise on January 1, 2000.

If all this wasn’t enough, the Napier Visitor Information Centre (Tel: 834 1911), where you can find a place to stay, book a tour, buy a stamp and postcard, or arrange onward coach, train, or ferry travel, is right in the center of it all. This is also a good place to buy a gift or souvenir to help keep those memories alive.

A huge earthquake, then a fire, devastated Napier’s inner city on February 3, 1931. Out of the ashes grew Napier, Art Deco City, an international icon of Art Deco style and sophistication. Nowhere else can you see such a variety and concentration of buildings in the styles of the 1930s. Stripped Classical, Spanish Mission, and above all, Art Deco – the Jazz Age style.

Napier’s Art Deco is unique, reflecting the indigenous Maori culture in its motifs, and featuring the influence of Frank Lloyd Wright and the Chicago School in the buildings of local architect Louis Hay. Today it is a major tourism attraction for the city.

There are several ways to see Art Deco Napier. The first is to walk. If you know what to look for, you can walk just about anywhere and see some examples of 1930s style. Better still is to get some assistance. An Art Deco booklet (NZ$2.50) is available to help you on a self-guided 1.5-hour walk through Napier. There is a morning guided walk which I must recommend. It leaves from the Visitor Information Centre, Marine Parade at 10am every day and ends at the Art Deco shop. The 1-hour walk is conducted by a volunteer guide and includes a booklet, refreshments, and a video screening. At NZ$8, it is good value.

There is an afternoon walk that begins and ends at the Art Deco Shop at 2pm daily from October 1 to June 30 and Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday for the rest of the year. It includes an introductory slide presentation, the walk, including the interior of the Municipal Theatre, refreshments, and a video screening (NZ$12). A further alternative is to use the Marewa Meander leaflet (NZ$1) and discover house-and-garden styles from the 1930s and 1940s in Napier’s Art Deco suburb, Marewa. Finally, there is the Art Deco tour map, which guides you on a self-drive tour through downtown Napier to historic Ahuriri (home of the National Tobacco Company Building), and then through Marewa to the Earthquake Memorial Grave at Park Island. The tour then goes on to Taradale, Hastings, Havelock North, and then Te Mata Peak before returning to Napier via wineries and orchards. This trip can take the whole day.

In February of each year, Napier celebrates its Art Deco heritage with a major celebration. The program includes wining and dining, vintage cars and planes, jazz concerts, the Great Gatsby Picnic, and more. Locals tell me it is something not to be missed. It might be worthwhile adjusting your itinerary to suit.