Onward to Napier.

Today the weather is really bleak so it was a case a driving to Napier for lunch with a couple of wee breaks on the way.

Quick lunch of pizza - we had to muster at 2.30 for a walking tour of the town.

Napier was flattened by an earthquake in 1931. Most of the rebuilding is in the ArtDeco style of the era. We watched a short film showing before and after earthquake scenes. The town was flattened.

The government quickly realised that the Napier borough council would be overwhelmed with organising the rebuild and appointed two commissioners for this task, John Barton and Lachlan Bain Campbell. Nicknamed the benevolent dictators, they took charge and the town got on with rebuilding - hence the reason so many buildings were rebuilt in the Art Deco style.

A Wave in Time is made up of two bronze sculptures, located in Napier’s city centre on Emerson Street. Both pieces of artwork were created by Mark Whyte of Lyttleton commissioned by the Napier City Council.

The first installation was commissioned in 2009. The statue is modelled on Miss Sheila Williams, daughter of E A Williams, one of the notable architects of the era.

The second bronze piece is of a little boy who appears to have climbed a pole and is waving. It complements the first art deco piece, as the little boy appears to be waving to the sculpture modelled on Miss Sheila Williams

As with bronze sculptures worldwide, patting the dog's nose is purported to bring good luck ??? I patted it just in case…Read more