day one: napier
Key
- Destinations
- Apex Locations
Marineland is at the top of our list of activities. Why? Because I’ve discovered
that the dolphins I watched in awe at eight years of age are the very same ladies
performing today! Bob and I join the 9.30 am ‘Touch and Feed’ and Marineland’s Education
Officer, Bridey White, takes us behind the scenes. Bob and Bridey hit it off immediately
and we discover that she began work here as a twelve-year-old volunteer. Quarter
of a century later, she still shares an intimate relationship with her old friends,
Kelly and Shona.
“They’re the oldest common dolphins in the world to be housed in a marine park,”
says Bridey. “Most common dolphins live to around 15 to 18 years of age so they’re
doing well in their mid-thirties.” We make our way over to their pool where the
dolphins appear in fine fettle and consume our fishy gifts with gusto.
Seated on a grandstand we watch them play ball just as I did once as a little girl
many moons ago, then take a walk around the centre which is home to injured creatures,
from sea lions through to sea gulls. Those who recover adequately are released back
into the wild while others, like little Onion, a blue penguin who has constant inner
ear infections, become permanent residents.
After a relaxing lunch at a café on Napier’s Marine Parade we view Hawke’s Bay Museum
and Exhibition Centre. There are extensive exhibits of contemporary and traditional
Maori art, ceramics, textiles and the social history of the region, but we agree
that the highlight is Survivors’ Stories, a riveting video telling the tale of Napier’s
devastating 1931 earthquake. Measuring 7.9 on the Richter Scale, the quake hit the
city at 10.46 am on 3rd February, 1931. In two-and-a-half minutes, Napier and nearby
Hastings were literally shaken to the ground and 258 people lost their lives in
what remains NZ’s worst natural disaster.
The town was rebuilt and the former ornate Victorian architecture replaced with
the clean lines of concrete buildings of art deco design. In search of some lighter
entertainment we continue with our morning’s aquatic theme with a visit to the National
Aquarium of NZ. It’s home to a wide range of NZ marine animals and other native
species, including the tuatara and kiwi...
please click the link to download the full
Hawkes Bay to Wellington scenic drive, courtesy of apex car rentals
new zealand... the kiwi way
to read more extracts from our driving holiday's guidebook please click on any of
the following links:
north island scenic drives
south island scenic drives