Napier is also a common destination for wine lovers. Hawke's Bay is well known around the country for its fantastic wines, and many wineries open their doors for tastings and fine dining.

Art Deco architecture may be the biggest draw for Napier. Following a devastating earthquake in 1931, the city took advantage of that era's style, and many buildings have been well preserved. Each February, the Art Deco festival transports the city back to that age with vintage cars, clothing, and more.

Finally, another attractive feature of Napier is that many tourists have not yet discovered this charming city. Unlike cities such as Rotarua and Taupo, which are full of chain hotels and restaurants, Napier has retained a unique character and ambience.

Quick Tips:

If you have a limited time in New Zealand and want to see as many places as possible, Napier could be visited in just a day or two, or of course longer if you want to hit all the sights. You can soak up the essence of the place in a short time, however, before moving along.

Best Way To Get Around:

• Campground Type: Private
• Campsite Type: Cabin
• Price Range: $20 - $30
• Cleanliness: Excellent
• Campground Facilities: Excellent
• Recreational Facilities: Excellent
• Campsite Satisfaction: Excellent
• Family Friendliness: Excellent
• Service: Excellent

The sandy area of the beach is flanked by cliffs, and a small path provides access to the more remote sections of the beach. The path winds along the cliffs, and if you wish to get closer to the water, there are spots where it is safe to walk down to the water. The farther you get from the parking lot, the fewer people you will see, if you encounter any at all. This makes for a peaceful, relaxing retreat.

Waipatiki Beach is supposedly a good spot for finding paua shells. Paua is a type of mussel with a beautiful, almost holographic shell. Paua is commonly eaten, and the shell is made into jewelry and various souvenirs. On my trip to the beach, I found only a small piece of a shell. When talking to locals later that day, they said that only five years ago, that beach would have had hundreds of the shells, but due to over-fishing, the numbers have severely dwindled. Still, your best bet to find a shell is after a storm, when the rough tide may have washed some empty shells up on to the beach. Aside from paua, though, there are thousands of other shells in all shapes, colors, and sizes, especially if you walk along the cliffs for a mile or so.

For the first 20 minutes of so, you walk along a bubbling stream through a thick forest (although the path is well-defined and fairly wide). Soon after, you veer off to the left and hear the sounds of rushing water. As you come around a corner, you catch your first glimpse of Te Ana Falls, which is the shorter but more forceful of the two waterfalls in the park. The water falls into a small pool that would be a lovely spot for a swim in warm weather. There are also several boulders that provide a good base for a picnic or a place to sit and look at the falls.

From there, you return to the path and head uphill for another 20 minutes to reach an overlook that provides a view of Tongoio Falls across a valley. This waterfall is impressive for its height. You can see the water starting to fall very high on the hill, but the force is soft enough that it mostly just runs down the side of the cliff. Still, though, this is another impressive sight, and the overlook is set amongst beautiful nature.

The two waterfalls are the highlights of the park. However, if you wish to take a longer hike, you can continue walking on the trail all the way to White Pine Bush Scenic Reserve. This takes another hour, so your round-trip walk will be three to four hours. The longer hike passes through a native white pine forest and provides nice scenery, but after the excitement of seeing the waterfalls, I found the end of the long hike to be somewhat anticlimactic. Still, I would recommend this walk on a nice day.