Cape Kidnappers and Napier
The sultry weather of New Zealand’s northeast coast continued today, which meant that our explorations of the Napier region were accompanied by a blazing sun and temperatures over 100º F. It’s sunshine like this that makes the region one of the most productive agriclutural areas in the country. We passed fields of kiwifruit, apples, pumpkins and tomatoes on our way to our first destination: the cliffs of Cape Kidnappers. Named for an unfortunate incident between local Maori and men from James Cook’s visit here in 1769, the cape is now best known for the seething carpet of gannets that breed here. We found the nesting birds packed in on the cliff top, with the downy chicks panting heavily in the hot conditions. About 7500 pairs of Australasian gannets currently breed here, and their numbers are increasing. As you can see, they are not bothered by the presence of people.
In the afternoon, we walked around the central business district to admire the plethora of art deco buildings which dominate this compact town. Extremely popular in the 1930s, art deco was the style of architecture most often chosen when the city rebuilt from scratch following a massive earthquake in 1931. The result is a fascinating set of buildings whose many entertaining details invite scrutiny.
