Napier~ Art Deco from the Ashes

January 31, 2025

"Oh gosh, we thought it was the end of the world." – Hana Lyola Cotter

Feb 3rd~This day in history, in 1931, Napier, New Zealand was rocked by a 7.8 earthquake that killed 256 people, raised 42 square kilometers from seabed to dry land filling in the bay in a moment, and pretty much demolished the main area of town. 

But the doughty Kiwis didn't give up. They decided to rebuild. And not just in a slapdash, ulititarian manner. The town decided to adopt the newest style of architecture and ornamentation--Art Deco. This sleek and elegant aesthetic catapulted Napier into the Great Depression era with a bit of a flair. 

This member of the local car club drove his 1930's Austin cabriolet down to the wharf to share his automotive passion with the Sky's passengers. He was quite pleased when I commented on his very "snappy chariot!" Behind us, you can see a giant charging station. The Sky was attached to several landbased electrical stations so the big engines that run our ship's systems could be turned off.

A bit of a confession--most of what I know about Art Deco comes from watching PBS Masterpiece's Poirot with David Duchet. From the music, to the clean lines of his oh-so-stylish apartment building, to the curvaceous automobiles of the time--the series is a feast for the senses even before you are mesmerized by Agatha Christie's mind-bending stories. 

Mural art dots the business district, almost all calling attention to climate/environmental issues

Parts of Napier made me feel we'd wandered into a Poirot set.

But parts of the town survived the devastation. 

This is the unobtrusive door to the "Stranger's Room" in Hawke's Bay Gentlemen's Club. Ladies might be sneaked into the establishment by slipping them through this chamber so they didn't wander through the more public areas of the Victorian structure.

The Club was threatened by fire that followed the quake, but it was saved at the last possible moment by a shift in the wind and the sea blew the flames away from the gentlemen's exclusive enclave. 

I had no trouble  getting in because this was the main destination of our excursion. 10 local wineries joined forces to set up a tasting for the Viking guests. Since we're not big on wine, we didn't try more than a couple each and only a sip or two at that, but it was a fun venue with quite a colorful past. 

The Grand Staircase

After the dramatic change in their oceanfront, it seems Napier became more interested in building up. I worry a bit about subsidence in these cases, but it doesn't seem to deter them. All over NZ, we've seen neighborhoods that are so vertical, individual homes sometimes have small funniculars to transport the residents from the street level up to their front doors. 

In real estate, as in life, "seek the higher ground!"

Upon returning to the ship about 6 more motorists were lined up to show off their shiny obsessions. Watching lots of American Pickers with my mom has taught me to appreciate everything that goes into reviving these period vehicles.

On to Wellington tomorrow!