Art Deco in New Zealand? Yes, thanks to a massive earthquake which destroyed most of the buildings in 1931, central Napier was almost completely rebuilt in the style of the day, Art Deco. We took a detour to Napier just to see this - of course, the famous wineries in the Hawkes' Bay area were additional enticements. We arrived in time for the afternoon guided walking tour from the Art Deco Centre and was introduced by a knowledgeable docent to a dozen of the 140 buildings from the period. Most of the art deco architecture we had seen before were in northern climes, Cuba being the exception. We found this "Art Deco Capital" quite unusual against the backdrop of palm trees and a Mediterranean climate.
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| The renovated Devon House foyer |
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| One of the most important buildings: the Napier Municipal Theatre |
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| Fixtures and art inside the Theatre |
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| A number of shops had kept the art glass above their display windows |
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| An Art Deco church is also uncommon |
And finally, wrapping up the day at the Mission Estate Winery restaurant, we had one of the best meals on the trip!
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| The juiciest, tastiest lamb ever! |
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| Melt-in-your mouth truffle cake |
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| Stunning view of the vineyard and Napier in the distance |
