One of the most interesting cities in New Zealand is the seaport of Napier, in the Hawke’s Bay region of the North Island. Among its many attractions, it is famous for the entire city being re-built in art-deco style after it was totally flattened by a massive earthquake in February 1931.

Napier is a city of contrasts, with an industrial seaport on its perimeter and a township of gardens and art-deco architecture.

We stayed two nights in a hotel directly opposite the beachfront, which made riding convenient. My wife did an architectural guided tour of the city while I had a four hour hire of a Canondale mid-drive eBike. Nick from Fish Bike Hire was really helpful and pointed out the best paths to try. There was so much to see that I stayed on the bike the entire time.

If you are a fan of art-deco, this is one town you must visit. They have a two-week Art Deco Festival in February each year, which is a great excuse for a return.

Napier has hundreds of kilometres of shared bike paths that run along its extended beachside zone and throughout the town and suburbs. It is a village-like town full of charm, friendly people, and lots of safe paths for cyclists. I could only cover a small part of the Napier region on a half-day ride so the next one will be longer.