We signed up for the 1 hour Art Deco tour, and got a very nice, very efficient and very loud secondary school teacher (self identified!) to take us around. She was very good - gave us details of Napier's history - the 1931 quake, the rise in the land that gave Napier room to expand, the susequent fire (from chemists' bunsen burners - the gas company got its act together and turned off the gas, but in vain). She showed us design elements - zig-zags, sunbursts, fountains, stylized flowers, speed-lines, and Egyptian motifs (from the 1922 opening of Tutenkamen's tomb) and pre and post quake photos in her book. She then toured us through the centre area and pointed these out on the buildings, explaining how the Art Deco Trust, now municipally affiliated, had alternately bullied and provided carrots to keep the characteristics of the Art Deco look.
We have another glorious day - we did laundry last night. One of the blessings of the backpackers is laundry facilities, usually with a line you can use, and things dried very well. One of the two cats "Bangers & Mash" helped fold the socks - they are not much past kitten stage.
We have bought lamb chops to BBQ for dinner, and have some leftover veg and rice from last night's feast, green beans from the market, and salad makings. We also intend to wade in the Pacific - yesterday it was the Tasman Sea at Plimmerton. Tomorrow will be a longish drive - we are going back to Auckland for the last two nights, City Garden Backpackers.
Postscript: We did indeed wade - quite some breakers, and a pebble beach, so there was a bit of hopping about and some wet rolled pants involved.
We then went to the suburb of Marewa, which is billed as the most Art Deco of the suburbs. In the failing light we walked about one half of a suggested route, and enjoyed some of the charming bungalows, and one really amazing Art Deco themed garden.
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