What to do: Art Deco Guided Walk, Napier
Learning about local history and hearing the stories of the places we visit is something I’m really excited about doing more of this year. I think that it’s all too easy to cruise through life without really paying enough attention to your surroundings and learning about your own place in the world. How am I, as a teacher, supposed to help students find their own place in the world when I don’t know enough about the country in which I have lived for over two decades?
To that end, I was delighted to join my fab sister-in-law, Deb, on the Art Deco Guided Walk in Napier. These walks are organised and led by the Art Deco Trust which was formed in 1985 once Napier locals started to gain an appreciation of the incredible architectural snapshot they lived in. Our guide, Sue, pointed out that a lot of the lack of understanding was due to improper/lazy painting of the buildings. If an art deco building is painted all one colour, then the detailing and beauty of it is lost. Luckily, some smart folks cottoned on before it was too late.
The tour we took was a 1.5 hour combination of a screening of “The Day That Changed The Bay” and a walk around the main streets. The movie is a 20-minute introduction to the 1931 Napier Earthquake which killed 256, injured thousands and precipitated a two-day fire which swept unabated through the city as all services had been cut off by the quake. It is a great way to start the tour as it gives you the historical context for the buildings you’re about to look at.
It was a fabulously sunny day, so we were really seeing Napier at her best. With sunscreen on and water bottle at the ready, we set off with our guide and about 10 others. If you’re hard of hearing or just don’t want to miss anything the guide has to say, fear not. The tour price includes the use of an earpiece and small radio which allows you to hear loud and clear. The walk is a very gentle and slow-paced one, with plenty of stops to look at the different types of art deco on show along the streets. Dogs are welcome to join, but only after the movie screening. Kratos came along, and was duly the centre of all attention for the rest of the tour!
This tour is a really great option for those who are interested in local history, good yarns and beautiful architecture. The guides, who are all volunteers, are friendly, fun and very knowledgeable. I definitely recommend this for a fun mid-morning activity.
Price: $24 per adult; $5 per teen; $0 for under 12s.
Intensity level: Low
Will interest: Anyone who likes history or architecture
Need to book ahead? Yes - you can book and pay online here.
