Napier, New Zealand

We arrived in Napier around noon and took a walk in this scenic bay city. As part of our excursion, we attended the Hawkes Bay Wine Tasting. At the tasting, they offered us bread, cheese, sausage, and fruit. Cathy purchased some very healthy (#25!) Manuka honey.

We took the free shuttle to the National Aquarium of NZ. Small, quite nice. and located right on the lovely waterfront. We arrived in time to watch the aquarium team feed the fish and sting rays. Cool to see the sting rays feed – facial expressions and mouths up close and personal – the team confidentially handled the sting rays.

We saw little brown kiwi birds with their long beaks. They are nocturnal, so they are kept in dark spaces. We saw large turtles swimming in the tank – including an interesting gold-face turtle; penguins, and so many interesting fish; large lizards that have been around since the dinosaur days. We saw lots of coral and sea creatures.

Following our visit to the aquarium, we walked downtown, hoping to see the art deco architecture for which Napier is known. Not much to see on that count.Read more