Napier is a city on the North Island of New Zealand, the center of the Hawke's Bay region.
It is located on the southern shore of Hawke Bay. The city’s population is 57 240
people (2013). In the language of the country’s indigenous Māori people, the city is called
Ahuriri.
Napier plays the role of one of the country’s agricultural centers, as
it is precisely from here that the transport of the fruit harvest of the Hawke's Bay province goes and,
of course, the region’s famous wines. Napier is also considered the capital
of New Zealand’s wool industry. Napier has also long acquired significance
from the standpoint of being very interesting in terms of architectural and historical perspective.
Like most of the large New Zealand cities, Napier was founded in the 19th
century, though Māori settlements existed in this area long before the arrival
of Europeans. The city developed gradually, but the earthquake that occurred in 1931 in the bay
of Hawke destroyed the city, killing 256 people and exposing part
of the seabed, which is now part of the city. After the earthquake, the center
of Napier was rebuilt in the Art Deco style popular at the time in the West, which,
for example, was thriving then in New York. According to many, the central part
of beachy Napier is in many ways similar to South Beach in Miami. In 2007 the
central part of the city was nominated for UNESCO World Heritage status, which made it
New Zealand’s first cultural site to receive such an honor.
In fact, it is precisely Napier’s historical center that is the main goal
for the tourists who come here. Built during the Great Depression, this part
of the city captivates with its elegance and refinement, turning walks
through the beach city into a true pleasure.
ClimateThe climate in the city is warm and relatively dry, due to its location
on the eastern coast of the North Island. Tropical cyclones are not uncommon here,
arriving in the bay from the Pacific Ocean. In summer,
thunderstorms with hail are often the case.
The average temperature in the summer months is - +5 °C, the average temperature in the winter
months is - +15 °C.
