The trip between Taupo and Napier was so uneventful that we didn’t stop off at a historic reserve and a scenic reserve we’d seen marked on the map as there were no obvious signs to them! The initial part of the journey was through infertile ash that only supported coniferous forest, most of which had been planted for commercial use.
The soil improved enough for grass to grow as pasture for cattle on the lower areas and sheep on the slopes.
What I really loved, though, were the bright yellows of the broom and gorse on the road sides and the more delicate yellow of the tree lupin, which flourished around the verges.
As we entered the Esk Valley in the Hawke's Bay area the landscape changed dramatically with a variety of fruit orchards and vineyards.
Napier was devastated in 1931 by a huge earthquake - 7.9 on the Richter scale - and the fires that followed. As the crust buckled, water drained out of the Ahuriri Lagoon, leaving trawlers high and dry and some of the land two metres higher than before. Despite this horrific event, the city authorities took the opportunity to re-design the city completely, with wider streets and buildings reflecting the Art Deco style. There’s probably not another settlement like it in the world.
Jean
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