Napier is an eye-catching coastal town known as the "Art Deco Capital of the World". The architecture by which it gained this title was designed after a devastating earthquake hit the town on 3 February 1931. This completely destroyed the original picturesque Victorian town and also raised land around the city environs, which up to then had lagoons surrounding it.

When rebuilding the city the town councillors felt a more contemporary look was called for and so Napier was redesigned in the attractive Art Deco style of Santa Barbara, California. Many of these Mission-style buildings were pulled down to make way for development projects during the 1970's and early 80's. So great was the public outcry against this, however, that the Art Deco Trust was formed with the purpose of preserving the few examples left. Visitors can take a guided tour and learn all about the history of this noteworthy town. The "Art Deco Weekend" which is celebrated in February every year is a time when the city especially remembers its heritage.

Other very popular tourist must-sees are the round aquarium, "Marineland" a much smaller version of the US Sea World where for a small fee you can actually swim with the dolphins, and the Hawkes Bay Museum and Art Gallery which has a comprehensive display of contemporary and historical New Zealand art and textiles.

Only twenty minutes to the south of Napier is the city of Hastings. Perhaps not as interesting architecturally, it still offers a representative display of fine buildings including the wonderful Municipal Theatre with its plaster confection of an interior. Many fine international travelling productions have played here as well as some enthusiastic local performances.

Hastings has many attractions especially designed for children and people who are still a child at heart. "Fantasyland" is a children's playground with a pirate's ship, a miniature railway that people can ride on, as well as the ubiquitous inflatable castle. "SplashPlanet" is a newly built water park that has already proved extremely popular in the hot dry Hawkes Bay summers.

The land surrounding both these cities is mainly composed of orchards. This is where Hastings gained its title "The Fruitbowl of New Zealand". With many vineyards in the region which sell world-class award-winning wine in their boutiques, visitors can "tread the wine trail" taking a tour in a mini van around some of the more renown wineries without worrying about electing a designated driver.

Hawkes Bay is chiefly an agricultural region, so there are many "farm stays" available on stations often run by descendents of the original pioneers who founded them. Here tourists can obtain a first-hand look at farming as well as interacting with New Zealanders on a daily basis. Some farms offer pony-trekking as an added incentive, taking visitors on a unique tour of some extremely picturesque countryside.

The Maori were the original settlers of Aotearoa (The Land of the Long White Cloud) and settled Hawkes Bay several hundred years ago. Their culture is still represented in the many Marae (mar-rye) or sacred places that are scattered in mainly rural areas. The feature of these are the often ornately carved meeting-houses that are used as the focus of communal Maori society. Many Marae offer visitors a guided tour where they are greeted in a traditional Maori fashion (with the rubbing of noses) and are shown many aspects of traditional culture such as melodious singing, "poi" dancing, the "haka" (a rather frightening war dance performed by young males) as well as the "hangi" where vegetables and meat are steamed for several hours in a pit of heated stones.

Situated on the coast of Hawkes Bay, Cape Kidnappers is one of the largest Gannet colonies in the world. Summer tours are available for people interested in seeing this natural wonder, although the colony can only be reached by truck. Outdoor pursuits are very popular in Hawkes Bay from paragliding to sailing. There are many fine restaurants offering a wide range of cuisines from nouvelle to the good old steak dinner. The locals are extremely outgoing, friendly and helpful plus, compared to many overseas destinations, Hawkes Bay has a relatively low crime rate.