Napier

24th February 2009

After a good nights sleep we woke to sunny and clear blue skies. We enjoyed a delicious breakfast on the verandah with our hosts, Roger and Kate, overlooking the surrounding hills and beautiful gardens. Feeling full after our mammoth brekkie of cereals, fresh fruit, poached eggs on toast, freshly squeezed orange juice and coffee we did a spot of laundry and caught up on our emails before heading out to explore Napier.

Perched on the edge of the Pacific Ocean, this elegant city is a memorial to a 1931 earthquake and fire that destroyed most buildings and killed many people. The quake raised marshland and the harbour bed, providing new farmland and room for urban development. During rebuilding, an earthquake-proof building code was enforced and architects adopted the then fashionable Art Deco style. Today the city’s Art Deco buildings, with their pastel colours, bold lines and elaborate motifs, are internationally renowned.

Before going in to town we paid a visit to New Zealand’s oldest winery (1851), Mission Estate Winery. We had already booked a table for this evening’s dinner on the recommendation of our hosts but, in order to get some decent photos and to have a look around we thought a pre-visit would be worthwhile.
It certainly was! A plane-tree lined avenue takes you through neat vineyards and up to the historical venue. The gardens are impeccably maintained with a formal layout and fountain together with magnificent views across the vineyards and further to Napier.

A little history…..in 1838 a group of French Missionaries arrived and established a Marist Mission in New Zealand. Besides being a teaching order, the Fathers followed the tradition of quality winemaking. Grapes were planted to produce both sacramental and table wine. The first record of a commercial sale dates from 1870 when a parcel of mostly dry reds was sold.

Today, Mission Estate is one of Hawke’s Bay’s largest established wineries, with a well-respected reputation in both the New Zealand and international market as a producer of consistent quality, value for money wines. (www.mission estate.co.nz).

After a browse around the Estate and in the gallery we left for a walking tour of Napier.




We followed a street-by-street walk around town taking in the Napier Mall, the Deco Centre, purpose built in 1922 as Napier’s Central Fire Station, and refurbished in Art Deco style after the earthquake, it now houses the Art Deco Trust and Art Deco Shop.

We saw the Municipal Theatre and The Public Trust Building’s massive columns and internal oak fittings escaped earthquake damage. Napier’s landmark the
A & B building, built in 1936 has a beautifully restored elevator and the Masonic Hotel completed in 1932, features an unusual first-floor loggia built over the street. We passed by the Daily Telegraph building also built in 1932, and is well endowed with Art Deco details, sunbursts, zigzags and fountain-like flowers. We also saw both the ASB bank and the Napier Antique Centre both decorated with Maori designs and carving.

Our walk around Napier was illuminating and interesting not least because neither of us were Deco fans before visiting the city but found it to be a delightful place with a great feel to it. A very pleasant surprise.

After flat whites and some tasty lemon with sour cream sponge we drove out to Bluff Hill Domain and the 335ft high lookout. Unfortunately, the weather took a turn for the worst and grey clouds and heavy rain showers spoilt the view from the lookout, however, we could still make out the outline of Hawkes Bay and we could easily see the busy commercial port below.

The rain eased and we drove south of Napier towards Hastings, the centre of a large fruit growing and processing industry, including wine making.
Rebuilt after the 1931 earthquake, it is the only city in New Zealand with streets laid out on the American block system. It also has some fine Spanish Mission buildings.

Between Hastings and the eastern coastline, Te Mata Peak rises 1309ft.
Maori legend describes the Te Mata ridgeline as the body of chief Te Mata O Rongokako, who choked and died eating his way through the hill, a task set him by the beautiful daughter of another chief. From Hastings the “bite” that killed him can be clearly seen, as can his body which forms the skyline.

We drove to the peak and admired the vast panorama below - comprising mainly vineyards and orchards with hills around and the river meandering through the valley below.

We made our way back to our “homestay” and got ready for our dinner at Mission Estate. After a pre-dinner aperitif with our hosts we left for the restaurant - suffice to say, we were not disappointed!

The restaurant is beautiful with some of the most exciting food and discerning service we have experienced in New Zealand thus far. We decided to skip the starter course hoping to leave room for dessert! Our main dish was a small (but perfectly formed!), pumpkin stuffed with cumin roasted vegetables and topped with parmesan - served with polenta chips and a side salad all drizzled with a roasted lemon dressing - it was as mouth-wateringly good as it sounds!! To accompany our meal we enjoyed a Central Otago Pinot Noir (again, a recommendation from our hosts), parfait!!

Dessert provided a dilemna as there were several delightful options from which to choose - in the end we settled on a cheese course (so that we could also sample the Mission Estate port!). The cheese was a firm, farmhouse variety also with cumin and this was accompanied by several varieties of crackers, muscatels, nuts and the most delicious black figs!

The dishes we enjoyed were heavenly and the restaurant certainly deserves its world-class reputation.