Napier has been on our list of places to visit for some time now. Their big Art Deco Weekend is coming up next week, but with Cris's work schedule and limited accommodation availability, we decided to go a little early and check it out to celebrate Julia and Nancy's upcoming birthdays. It took about 3 1/2 hours to drive to Napier from Wanganui and was a pretty drive through Palmerston North and the Manawatu Gorge.
Napier was devastated by an earthquake in the early 1930's and was completely rebuilt in the Art Deco Style.
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| Walking along the Marine Parade |
Mimi and Ellie had done a little research online and learned about Mister D's donuts, so we had to check them out. The donuts & the flavors were delicious and very entertaining!
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| Fresh brioche which you inject with your choice of filling: cherry jelly, custard, or chocolate cream |
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| Yum! |
Beautiful Architecture
And some nice statues (and Julias) too!
The National Aquarium of New Zealand is in Napier and was an excellent way to spend a rainy afternoon.
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| Finally, a penguin! |
We stayed at yet another Holiday Park. Thankfully the pool was heated and the bouncy pillows and play area were under a canopy! So we took full advantage of the amenities despite the rain.
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| Julia has made great improvement on her swimming this year since taking swim lessons at school. |
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| Underwater splits |
Another spot Mimi found online was St Beads. We could have spent an entire day making cool necklaces and bracelets at this awesome bead shop.
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| Mmmm… "pizza pazzi" |
