 Napier
(Pop: 58110) is a port city in Hawke's Bay, New Zealand. Less than twenty
kilometres separate the centres of
Hastings City and
Napier, and the two are often called "The Twin Cities" or "The Bay Cities".
The city is 320 kilometres (by
road) north-east of the capital,
Wellington and 143 kms south west of
Taupo. It has
a population slightly smaller than the Hastings District, but as Hastings is
administered as a district, Napier is the only official city in the Hawke's Bay
region.
Napier is the largest cross-bred wool centre in the Southern Hemisphere and is
the export servicing area for Hastings District which is one of the largest
apple, pear and stone fruit producing areas in New Zealand.
It has also become an important grape growing and wine production area with the
fruit passing from the growers around Metropolitan Hastings and then to Napier
for exporting. Large tonnages of frozen meat, wool, pulp and timber pass through
Napier’s port.
 Napier is a popular tourist city,
with a unique concentration of 1930s Art Deco architecture. It also has one of
the most photographed tourist attractions in the country, a statue on Marine
Parade called Pania of the Reef.
Thousands of people flock to Napier every February for the Art Deco Weekend
event, a celebration of its Art Deco heritage and history. Other notable tourist
events attracting many outsiders include the region's annual Wine & Food
Festival (named Harvest Hawke's Bay), and Mission Concert at the Mission Estate
Winery in the near by town of Taradale.
In February for Art Deco weekend and the Mission Concert Weekend, which has
featured Chris De Berg, Olivia Newton-John, Eric Clapton, Kenny Rogers, Ray
Charles and Rod Stewart.
Attractions nearby in the
Hastings District include the Cape Kidnappers Gannet Colony and many vineyards
bordering Hastings City. The large wine industry hosts the Annual Harvest Hawkes
Bay Weekend.
Both Napier and Hastings are served by major coach/bus Operators
providing regular daily services and Air New Zealand Link air services
from Christchurch, Wellington, Rotorua and Auckland.
There are no passenger train services to and from Napier.
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