Back to the 1930s...Art Deco city of Napier

On the way to Napier we first went to Cerosin Creek, at the end of which hot swimming holes were waiting for us. Yes, those were once really hot holes, the holes...stunk, foamed and bubbled - we decided against entering the refreshing water, took another deep breath - it still stank - and off we went, gladly someone else just!

Napier is a small, fine city directly on the Pacific, approx. 65,000 inhabitants, the Aschaffenburg of New Zealand, so to speak. Although: there are two serious differences to Aschebersch, on the one hand the Main is not an ocean and on the other hand the sidewalks fold up here at 5 p.m. - there's nothing going on anymore, the occasional bar or two is still open, but it's open by 9 p.m. at the latest empty there too. Maybe it's because the cruise ship tourists have to return to their cutter too early. But Napier is really cute, the city center could really have been used as a film set for "Coco Chanel", and the city celebrates this style too.

Napier has also had to endure a lot: in 1931, an earthquake destroyed almost the entire city and last year's Cyclone Gabrielle also caused extensive damage through flooding, which took almost a year to clear.

Our really beautiful hotel "Scenic Hotel Te Panai" is located directly on the beach promenade in the city center, with a great view of the Hawke's Bay beach and the Pacific Ocean, 200m away. Tomorrow morning we want to be on the beach at 6:30 a.m. and experience the sunrise... But there's no swimming here, the sea is so huge and the current is so strong that it would be really life-threatening... with our feet in the grey-black volcanic sand It's okay to be tickled by the outgoing waves.

A little anecdote on the side? With pleasure! Whenever I pack my suitcase, I always have a lot of T-shirts with the same motif: "Crew Love is true Love - FRIZZ Team" (by the way, THANKS Dirk from FRIZZ Das Magazine for the 12 T-shirts that I made on my own from your office-warehouse-clothes-closet). The child always rolls his eyes and the woman reacts slightly annoyed. Now I had to buy another T-shirt in her presence - with KIWIS on it. Child saw it, finally smiled again and reverently called me KIWI-Pitti.

By the way, I also have a black hooded jacket with the FRIZZ team on it, I'll wear it tomorrow, it should be fresher.

Morning? Wellington, the capital...5 hour drive...I'm excited.

Windshield wiper instead of indicator counter: 71

coming soon

PIDISI