Tuesday 25th February
We caught the cable car from the quayside to the Botanic Gardens and had some great views from the top although it was cloudy in the distance.

We walked down through the Botanic Gardens which are varied, contain some unusual plants and are very well maintained. We followed the sculpture trail down to the rose garden and begonia house.

The new parliament building is known locally as the Beehive and is built using a system that allows the it to move during an earthquake.

Nearby is Old St. Paul's Church which is unusual because it is made entirely of wood and the inside is beautifully preserved.

Later in the day we visited Te Papa Tongarewa, the museum of New Zealand.
www.tepapa.govt.nz

Monday 24th February
We drove from Masterton due East to Castle Point. For an hour we travelled through lovely farmland with lots of small rolling hills.

Castle Point headland has the only sheet metal lighthouse in New Zealand and is the first light that sailors from South America see.

It is part of a beautiful bay surrounded by small houses and cabins.

We walked up past the lighthouse to a viewpoint looking back to a rock that represents an octopus in Maori legend.

As we were walking back, we saw a boat being launched in the calm lagoon just off the beach.

On our way to Wellington we crossed this forested range of mountains with some very steep climbs, descents and sharp bends.

In the early evening we walked down to the quayside in Wellington and saw a number of these boats being paddled in and out of the bay.

Sunday 23rd February
This morning we went to watch the Soapbox Derby down one of the main streets in Napier.
There were many different designs, all quite sophisticated, including a bottle, a Bugatti, a rocket, a tank and many others.

This is the overall winner for all three classes. He even beat some adults.

As we walked back along the main street we came across this Sunday Market in one of the car parks. There was a mixture of fresh produce, craft items and car boot sale stalls.

This afternoon we had a longish drive to Masterton through what is known locally as sheep country.

Saturday 22nd February
Today was the main day of the Art Deco Festival weekend. We got down in time to see all of the cars getting ready for the parade and to talk to some of the owners. The owner in this photo was so enthusiastic, he made a miniature copy of his original car (driven by a five year old in the parade).

The sides of the parade route were five and six deep,although the shade provided by the shop canopies was very welcome and everyone was very good natured.

The parade began at 12.30 and it took 40 minutes for the cars to pass by. We were told there were over 300 vehicles taking part.

The parade was rounded off by a pipe band.

After lunch we were able to see the handicap yacht race taking place just off the beach.

In the evening we returned to town for the street parties which started under a glorious sunset.

We spent 20 minutes listening to this couple of musicians playing acoustic guitar and cello. They had a very unusual sound and we really enjoyed their performance.

Lots of people were dancing and some were doing the jitterbug to the jazz quartet on this corner.

Friday 21st February
This morning we drove into Napier to see the vintage cars that are starting to arrive for the Art Deco weekend.

On one corner there was a barber's shop quartet giving a free open-air concert.

Many people walking around town were dressed up in 1920s / 30s costume.

We followed the Art Deco Buildings Trail and we were fortunate enough to capture the appropriate car outside this building.

The weekend proper started with this superb air display over the sea.

The air display was watched by several thousand spectators on the promenade and on the beach.

The star attraction of the vintage cars was this Hispano Suiza that once belonged to the Shah of Iran. It was bought by a New Zealander in 2011 and is reportedly worth more than three million pounds. It was a treat to see such a rare and valuable car openly on show for people to enjoy.

The evening's entertainment was rounded off by the Hawkes Bay Big Band playing tunes from the era while people listened or danced. Some couples were very good and one older couple were outstanding.

Thursday 20th February
This is our first glimpse of Hawkes Bay as we travelled from Gisborne to Napier.

We spent a very pleasant 3 or 4 hours at Lake Tutira, 20 miles North of Napier.

This is our first view of Napier itself which is on a bluff with the docks at the left hand side.

After dinner at a deco restaurant, we strolled along Marine Parade to the multi-coloured fountain at the end of the gardens.