Napier has black sand and rips in the sea that you can't swim in!!! Shock Horror!

However, it is chock full of Art Deco buildings, as the whole town was wiped out by an eathquake in the 1930's and then all rebuilt in the same art deco style. I was really excited about seeing this, but in the concrete as it was, it seemed a little unreal and lacking in variety. Oddly i think it would have been more impressive mixed in with other styles to contrast its flat ice cream coloured buildings, nice as they were. But I felt very 1930's and craving a dress and some long beads to go with it all.

My hostel used to be a posh hotel, all in 1930's style, it was quite grand but not particularly homely which is what i look for in the perfect hostel! That and a garden and good bathrooms and comfy beds on the bottom bunk! Hammocks and funky bits are a bonus too!

In the name of culture I undertook a wine tasting excursion, with 3 vineyards and ALOT of wine! lovely, I do like wine. Highlights included Ice Wine, mighty fine, and also discovered I love Pinot Noir, but was mainly in a white wine kind of mood. The wine tours told me I had a good palate for tasting the wine flavours, I think everyone else just thought I was pretentious but I enjoyed waving my arms around and talking in ridiculous ways about the feel/taste/smell of the wines! Its a hard life.