Napier
The day dawned fine and warm, if a little breezy, as the Oceanic Discoverer berthed in Napier Harbour. For the vast majority, the morning meant hopping on to one of four four-wheel drive vehicles to visit the Cape Kidnappers Gannet colony at the southern extreme of the Hawke Peninsula. The drive itself wound through the township of Haumoana and then through farmland on the peninsula, much of it now owned by American billionaire and philanthropist Julian Robertson, who has built a luxury lodge and up-market cliff-side golf course on some of the land. The drive was carefully undertaken as the road was steep in places, with vertical drops descending on both sides of the road.
Guests were taken aback at the size of the gannet colony and the closeness with which they were able to observe the birds. The preening to indicate closeness among a bonded pair, the chicks at various stages of growth and the gannet who mistimed his landing and crashed into Michael, were highlights of the visit. After half-an-hour’s viewing it was back to the ship for lunch, after which most guests departed for the ‘art deco’ tour of Napier although some partook of their own individual tours, indicating a ‘time out’ from the official programme was appreciated.
This town, its central business district heavily rebuilt in the art deco style and, to a lesser degree, the Spanish mission style after the devastating February 3, 1931 earthquake (which took 256 lives in Napier and Hastings) is unique in New Zealand and one of the most heavily built art deco style cities in the world.
An easy, calm night awaited guests before the trip’s only ‘day at sea,’ heading down the coast to Wellington.
