Napier, New Zealand

Napier
Ahuriri (Māori)
City
Various sites around Napier
Flag of Napier
Flag
Coat of arms of Napier
Coat of arms
Motto(s): 
Faith and Courage[1]
Napier is located in New Zealand
Napier
Napier
Location of Napier
Coordinates: 39°29′25″S 176°55′04″E / 39.49028°S 176.91778°E / -39.49028; 176.91778
CountryNew Zealand
RegionHawke's Bay
Established1851
Government
 • MayorKirsten Wise
 • Deputy MayorAnnette Brosnan
 • Territorial authorityNapier City Council
Area
 • Territorial
105.05 km2 (40.56 sq mi)
 • Urban
105.05 km2 (40.56 sq mi)
Population
 (June 2024)[2]
 • Territorial
67,500
 • Density640/km2 (1,700/sq mi)
 • Urban
67,500
 • Urban density640/km2 (1,700/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+12 (NZST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+13 (NZDT)
Area code06
WebsiteNapier.govt.nz

Napier (/ˈneɪpiər/ NAY-pee-ər; Māori: Ahuriri) is a city on the eastern coast of the North Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Hawke's Bay region. It is a beachside city with a seaport, known for its sunny climate,[3] esplanade lined with Norfolk pines, and extensive Art Deco architecture. For these attributes, Napier is sometimes romantically referred to as the "Nice of the Pacific".[4][5]

Napier is located on the territory of Ngāti Kahungunu, one of the country's largest iwi, and as a city has been shaped by nearly two centuries of migration. Its population is about 67,500 as of June 2024.[2] About 18 km (11 mi) south of Napier is the inland city of Hastings. These two neighbouring cities are often called "The Bay Cities" or "The Twin Cities" of New Zealand, with the two cities and the surrounding towns of Havelock North and Clive having a combined population of 136,720. The City of Napier has a land area of 106 km2 (41 sq mi) and a population density of 540.0 per square kilometre.

Napier is the nexus of the largest wool centre in the Southern Hemisphere, and it has the primary export seaport for northeastern New Zealand – which is the largest producer of apples, pears, and stone fruit in New Zealand. The Hawke's Bay wine region is now the second largest in New Zealand after Marlborough, and grapes grown around Hastings and Napier are sent through the Port of Napier for export. Large amounts of sheep's wool, frozen meat, wood pulp, and timber also pass through Napier annually for export. Smaller amounts of these materials are shipped via road and railway to the large metropolitan areas of New Zealand itself, such as Auckland, Wellington and Hamilton.

Napier is a popular tourist city, with a unique concentration of 1930s Art Deco, and to a lesser extent Spanish Mission, architecture, built after much of the city was razed in the 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake. It also has one of the most photographed tourist attractions in the country, a statue of the figure in local Ngāti Kahungunu mythology, Pania, on Marine Parade, Pania of the Reef. Thousands of people flock to Napier every February for the Tremains Art Deco Weekend event, a celebration of its Art Deco heritage and history.[6] Other notable tourist events attracting many outsiders to the region annually include F.A.W.C! Food and Wine Classic events, and the Mission Estate Concert at Mission Estate Winery in the suburb of Taradale.

  1. ^ Napier City Council, 'Our crest and logo'
  2. ^ a b "Aotearoa Data Explorer". Statistics New Zealand. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
  3. ^ Chappell, P. R. (2013). "The climate and weather of Hawke's Bay". NIWA Science and Technology Series (58). NIWA / Taihoro Nukurangi: 29. Retrieved 2 February 2022. The extensive sheltering by the western high country from the prevailing westerly winds, makes much of Hawke's Bay a very sunny region
  4. ^ Smedhall, Sandra (20 May 2016). "How a devastating quake gave way to this modern-day Art Deco wonderland". CNN. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  5. ^ "On Eve of Disaster: Newspaper's Diamond Jubilee". Evening Star. No. 20709. Allied Press Ltd. 4 February 1931. p. 6. Retrieved 2 February 2022 – via Papers Past, National Library of New Zealand. 'Modern Napier,' 'The Nice of the Pacific' are captions given a panoramic view of the city of Napier
  6. ^ Wane, Joanna (May 2018). "Why you should go to Napier's Art Deco Festival". North & South. 386: 110–116.