"It was quite a shake" and the windiest city in the world!

Day 42

A magnitude 7.8 earthquake in 1931 caused the sea to retreat and destroyed its inner harbor. 

The city was ablaze and houses crumbled, razing it to the ground. The earthquake was New Zealand's most significant natural disaster of the 20th century. It had a force of 100 million tons of TNT! 

What rose from the ashes was an Art Deco cityscape in Napier, which I believe rivals that of Miami's Art Deco district. Napier is a sweet coastal city in the Hawke's Bay wine region of New Zealand (no we didn't visit any wineries).  

And the "shake" in the title? Our tour guide's description of the earthquake! 

Some lovely Art Deco buildings in the photos below (which don't do justice to them, of course!). 

And the windiest city in the world? Wellington, New Zealand's capital city. It's not just the windiest capital city, but the windiest city overall, if our guide is to be believed. And it didn't disappoint on the day we visited! It's also very hilly. 

It rained a lot during our 2019 visit to Wellington, so it was a treat to be there on a beautiful day this time. It's a gorgeous city, different from Auckland, with a charm of its own. 

Wellington's buildings fascinated me - its architecture is wide-ranging, from wooden houses to neoclassical and modern buildings (and of course, some others which I don't know how to describe!). 

It is small, and very pretty. 

Enjoy the photos of Napier and Wellington below! 

Portion of Art Deco arch on Napier's Esplanade by the beach

Art Deco buildings in Napier (above)

Sculpture on the Beachfront Esplanade, Napier. Note the erosion control gravel barrier behind the sculpture. 

Logs waiting to be shipped off (at the port in Napier). Timber is one of Napier's major exports. New Zealand exports apples, kiwifruit (yup, that's what it's called in NZ), avocado, honey, meat and dairy products. Not bad. 

And now, on to Wellington. 

Pretty view of Wellington harbor. Wellington was initially built on land shaken by major earthquakes and then on heavily reclaimed land. But the harbor is deep, making Wellington an active sea port and worth the risk in investing in it as the capital of New Zealand. 

Above images from a walk through the city. 

Airport runway from Victoria Point, Wellington (another lovely view!)

Law School Building (not sure which University).  Can you believe this building is made of wood? (pic from 2019)

Old wooden houses, Wellington 

The Beehive: The Executive Wing of the Parliamentary complex. Houses offices of the Prime Minister and his cabinet. 

Above: Begonias, roses and other flowers at Wellington's Botanical Gardens

Peace Garden created by the Wellington "peace community" and dedicated to those that work tirelessly in the cause of peace. At the Botanical Gardens. New Zealand really is a kinder, gentler nation. Do we have peace communities in the States? 

Te Papa Museum facade 

Maori Artifact at Te Papa Museum (2019)

Greenstone at Te Papa Museum (2019)

Inside St. Paul's Church (pic from 2019)