Three weeks later, I’m back in Auckland again — but not before a pit stop in Napier (on the east coast of the North Island). Napier’s big tourist draw, besides its vineyards, is its architecture. In 1930, an earthquake measuring 7.9 on the Richter scale levelled the place and raised a shallow bay above sea level. The entire town was rebuilt over the next few years, and the prevailing style was Art Deco. There are still many buildings left from that period, and they’re all preserved to showcase to the town’s visitors. The formerly submerged bay is now their airport. It was a nice little town to duck into for the night on my way across the North Island to Auckland.
Tomorrow I’m hopping on a plane to Nadi (pronounced “Nandy”), Fiji. I’m looking forward to the warmth, even though Auckland feels pretty good right now.
