Last weekend my parents and I went up toNapier in the Hawkes Bay, New Zealand; for the bi-annual Art Deco Weekend. Napier, was rebuilt in the early 1930s following a massive Richter 7.8 earthquake, subsequent fires destroyed most of its commercial heart. By the end of the decade, Napier was the newest city on the globe. Nowhere else can you see such a variety of buildings in the styles of the 1930s - Stripped Classical, Spanish Mission, and above all Art Deco, the style of the 20th Century - in such a concentrated area. And Napier's Art Deco is unique, with Maori motifs and the buildings of Louis Hay, admirer of the great Frank Lloyd Wright.
Art Deco weekend is a fun celebration of all things art deco, with loads of fun events. We enjoyed the vintage car rally, the Great Gatsby Picnic and generally wandering around and soaking up the wonderful atmosphere; people get really into it, great fun to be part of!
