Having missed out on Napier’s renowned Art Deco Festival last year, being off riding the length of New Zealand for a couple of weeks, I was not going to let the same thing occur two years on the trot. So I bought a secondhand three-piece suit, pulled my fedora out from the wardrobe, snapped on some braces and rustled up a stripy bow-tie and prepared to check it all out.
Now in its twenty-ninth year, the festival celebrates Napier’s Art Deco heritage (much of the city was rebuilt in the style after a devastating earthquake, and fire, in 1931) with what seems to be a five-day long dress-up party – the twenties and thirties being the theme. Downtown is crowded with people in all sorts of elaborate outfits, there are vintage cars everywhere, and pages & pages worth of events & parties and more besides.
Thankfully for Hawke’s Bay’s countryside, the drought that was setting in broke heavily with over a hundred millimetres of rain in three days. This did however coincide with the height of the celebrations – most unfortunate. Countless events were moved inside and many cancelled – including the most renowned: all three vintage plane flight shows were done for as the planes couldn’t make it here. But the show did go on, and on it went in spectacular (if a little soggy) style.
Most of the public events centre around Marine Parade and the sound shell – opposite the wonderful Masonic, where many gathered.
Cars weren’t the only historic vehicles out and about.
Saturday afternoon’s vintage car parade was well attended by umbrellas. The Bentley club was in town from all over, impressive.
Beautiful cars, and many of them – those in open-topped ones looked decidedly damp.
There was plenty of opportunity to admire the vehicles afterwards.
This number plate caught my eye.
A few of the cars were originally from Napier.
Bikes even got a look in.
More Bentleys.
Apart from looking at cars, there were plenty of other interesting street scenes.
OK, there may have been more looking at cars.
I bumped into many people from work over the weekend – this time an American visitor, Jody, who I managed to get this photo (and the better ones in this post) from.
Sunday morning was finally dry and the Soap Box Derby went ahead. A pretty tame course down Tennyson St, the pushers had five metres to get their racers up to speed before letting gravity and momentum do the rest. Most of the soap boxes were elaborate and some made multiple appearances as different siblings from the same family raced in various age categories.
Yes, more cars – particularly struck by the body work on this one.
This was probably the oldest car around.
Sunday continued to warm, and was very humid. After a brief walk showing Jody some of the sights around Napier Hill and some lunch, it was time to get the town bike out for a little pootle. I’d foregone the organised bike ride Saturday morning on account of the persistent rain.
I did manage to get another photo of myself from an obliging passerby.
The Gatsby Picnic got moved off the soggy lawn it is always on, most picnicers went down the main street of town – this couple set up near Tom Parker Fountain and seemed to spend more time posing for photos than eating.
A most excellent weekend of fun and history – even if it was somewhat curtailed by the weather. I’m really looking forward participating more in next year’s celebrations.
South Dunedin a couple of days later was even less inviting – but Dad, Mum & I had a nice lunch – inside.
Wet weather is good for museum visiting – this time the Otago Settlers Museum, which is worth the visit and has this impressive art deco entrance way to the old bus station. 
We went home via Port Chalmers to check out the largest cruise ship to visit NZ – I can confirm it was in fact, large.
Things started to clear a little.
On the way I stopped to visit friends on their lifestyle block at Goodwood. It was unbelievably windy and cold up there.
I looked out across some of the many hills I was rather missing not to be riding around and between.
The drive over the Pigroot was lovely – until I discovered fresh snow around Naseby. Snow, in the first week of January!
Back in East Otago, we took a family outing for lunch and a walk. Here looking over Karitane to Waikouaiti Beach – it was nice not to bike up that rather steep hill from Karitane.
Behind Waitati, the view is down to Blueskin Bay.
The clouds at Carey’s Bay could most charitably be labelled atmospheric – but only when they weren’t dumping rain.
We had a wonderful family lunch at the historic Carey’s Bay Hotel.
Driving towards the mouth of Otago Harbour, it was my first visit to the sleepy seaside settlement of Aramoana. Infamous for the 1990 massacre, it would form one of my earliest memories/impressions of big NZ national news. We went for a nice walk on the beach and promptly got caught in a downpour. Funny times (the latter, not the former).
But gosh I was glad to be back in Hawke’s Bay, where it had really dried out and was actual, proper summer!
Apparently Ranfurly is an art deco town. I found this building to support that claim.
And perhaps this building. Not overly impressed, I may be a little spoilt by living in Napier.
We parked at this little bridge, it was a pleasant day – but not so warm I need take more than a bottle of water.
But my, it looked rocky and completely different to most of the riding I’ve done in NZ.
Still some fresh snow around.
Those rocks up there are where the first downhill section started.
We climbed again from the road, more steeply this time.
There are two riders in there somewhere.
The Naseby Royal for dinner? Why not – it was sure to be better than the previous night. We all ordered lamb shanks, they were excellent – when they arrived over an hour later. Strangely busy day in normally sleepy Naseby it would seem.
K-Lines!
Until the previous night, I’d not known there was local wine (very good it was too). The trail had been cunningly routed through a vineyard, past the shop.
A destination for boulderers and such people that like to climb things, there weren’t many around that day unfortunately.
The trail summited that climb, opening up big views south.
The clouds were light that day and with the wispy patterns, quite interesting to gaze at as the wheels rolled easily on.
It seemed less onerous than two years before.
It was suitably dark and dripping wet – but we found our way just fine to the light at the other end.
Enfield Church
Just like that, 290 km of riding in two and a half days was done. A great, easy trail with tremendous views; great riding buddy too.