Thursday 11th Aug day 48 Wellington to Napier

Today we leave Wellington and head to Napier, a longish drive, but we have heard it is a town worth a visit. An earthquake and fire in 1931 destroyed most of Napier, the quake raised marsh land and the harbour bed providing room for farmland and urban development. During the rebuild a strict earthquake building code was introduced and the majority of buildings constructed in the then fashionable "Art Deco" style with pastel colours, bold lines and beautifully carved motifs. Sadly however it is definitely a "seasonal" town and when we arrive is as quiet and sleepy as any place we have visited.

We head to town to find the ice cream parlour we have promised the children we will visit (a recommendation in the guide book) only to find it, along with the majority of other shops and cafes, closed.  Our impression of the area is not improved by the drizzle and rapidly plummeting temperature. The evening is spent in Archie's Bunker ( our backpackers) where we are the only guests - fortunately we have a TV/DVD player in our room (a real luxury) and we borrow a DVD to watch.