The rain from yesterday had blown away overnight but the lack of cloud meant there was a touch of frost on the grass but the day was bright so we set off to drive to Napier,the best Art Deco city on Earth. The first part of the drive was through rolling countryside primarily dairy but also fruit until we had to cross the mountains to get to the Eastern side of the island. We drove through a narrow gorge for many miles the road perched on one side and the railway clinging on to the other side. Once through the countryside was similar to the South Island and empty again. Sheep,deer and beef herds were in evidence and we started to see the occasional vineyard as we were now in the Hawkes Bay appellation. Just before noon we arrived in Hastings,a town that also suffered from the earthquake in 1931. They also have some Art Deco buildings and we had a coffee and snack in an Art Deco cafe. A few miles up the coast was Napier,our main destination. A town completely flattened by the earthquake with the most loss of life in NZ's history. The town was rebuilt in the Art Deco style and even with a few bits of architectural vandalism has managed to retain its magnificent buildings. Ones that had been modernised or had cosmetic changes are being brought back to their original condition with many features being hidden by walls,paint etc. We arrived in time for a guided tour from the Art Deco trust who have helped transform the city by preserving it and sure enough the tourist dollar has followed...