The Crown Hotel Napier

Internet Cafe

by Kate-Me

A good internet cafe I found with about 10 new computers was in the Ocean Boulevard Mall, in Dickens St.
It's called simply "And Computers" and is a computer shop as well.
Rates very good.
They also print & burn CD's & create CD's from digital photos, etc.
(Their brochure says they have a high speed connection too).

Open 7 days, 8 am - 10.30 pm.
www.andcomputers.co.nz

Take a drive and explore.

by kiwi

You'll need to rent a car, or find someone to drive you, but this short journey is worth it.
Venture south from Napier, to the small town of Havelock North. Just about 3kms out of town, is Te Mata Peak. From up here you get a lovely view over the flatland and out to sea. You get to view a classic New Zealand river and depending on the time of year will depend on whether the farmland is luscious green or golden brown.
This peak is used for parapenting, hang gliding and model flying also.

WALK AND SEE THE ART DECO SHAPES

by balhannah

ART DECO, originated in Europe from 1920 - 1940, a form that expressed all the vigor and optimism of the roaring twenties, and the idealism and escapism of the grim thirties.

When walking around we found many of the different themes represented in the way the buildings were built.
To get an idea some of them are.......

Sunbursts and fountains - representing the dawn of a new modern age.
The Skyscraper shape - symbolic of the 20th century.
Symbols of speed, power and flight - the exiting new developments in transport and communications.
Geometric shapes - representing the machine and technology which it was thought would solve all our problems.
The new woman - revelling in her recently won social freedoms.
Breaking the rules - cacophonous jazz, short skirts and hair, shocking dances.
Ancient cultures - for oddly enough, there was a fascination with the civilizations of Egypt and central America. Self-Guided Walks

There are guided walking tours which would give you a lot more information, we just walked around Napier with the ART DECO WALK booklet which we bought from the tourist information centre for $5. The booklets are for sale at other places in Napier.

The walk is 1.5 kilometres long and takes about 1.5hours and it really is quite interesting.
The town seems very proud of its buildings, they were all nicely painted and well looked after, a credit to Napier!

Great views over Hawke’s Bay

by vtveen

About 30 km’s from Napier and close to Havelock North lies Te Mata Peak. It is situated in the so called Te Mata Peak Trust Park. Accessible by car through a narrow winding and rather steep road to the top of this hill at a height of 399 metres.

The views from the look out are fabulous and we could see almost the whole of Hawke’s Bay, reaching from the Mahia Peninsula till Cape Kidnappers and rolling grasslands at the inland side. It is said the volcano Mt. Ruapehu is also visible. We did like most our visit in the late afternoon, because the soft light of the setting sun gives the landscape such a very special effect.

There are several walking tracks in the Te Mata Peak Trust Park.

Art Deco Napier

by salisbury3933

"Napier"

Napier is a good place to visit, and I wished I had a bit more time there.
One of the main attractions is the architecture. As Napier was pretty much destroyed by a huge earthquake in 1931, much of it needed to be rebuilt, and it was rebuilt many of the buildings in art deco style.

"More Art Deco"

Many buildings were rebuilt in this style, makes for a good walk around the city centre.

"Other attractions"

Napier does have plenty of other attractions, the National Aquarium, Marineland and plenty of vineyards outside of town. Definitely worth a visit.