We spent Hallowe'en night with the funniest room mates we've had so far - a Dutch guy called Cor and an hilarious American (no, really!) called Nick. So after crying myself to sleep with laughter we got up yesterday and left Taupo for Napier on the East Coast of the North Island.

Napier was partially destroyed by an earthquake in 1931 so got almost entirely reconstructed during the Art Deco period, meaning all of the architecture is fantastic. The buildings all have motifs like geometric shapes and rising suns, and are all in soft pastel colours - I love it! Even our hostel is amazing because it was formerly the Criterion Hotel; it's all high ceilings, grand fire places and murals.

Jim wasn't feeling too well yesterday so I left him to sleep all afternoon and headed out to have a look around the town on my tod. The Soundshell (like an outdoor stage in a soft pink colour) on the seafront is amazing and even the colours of Hawke's Bay seem to be in fitting with the Art Deco aesthetic - muted turquoise-grey sea, pale blue sky touched with clouds that faded from blue to white and a soft grey shingle beach. It's a bit of a ghost town here to be honest but I don't mind because it's just so pretty.

Anyway, Jim seems to be feeling better now so we're heading back to Taupo today ready for our trip down to Wellington tomorrow morning.

Lots of love x x x