Reading and Roaming
ART DECO IN NAPIER An earthquake and fires destroyed the town of Napier in 1931. The central business district was completely leveled and many people were without homes. The impetus to rebuild was strong and within about two years, new buildings were up and businesses active again. It was a monumental effort and the city …
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WAIHEKE—LAST DAY For our last day in Waiheke, we decided to hire the local guide, Chris, recommended by both Jen and Jack at The Boatshed and the New Jersey couple we met our first night. The weather was cloudy and cool, but not raining when Chris arrived at 10:00 am wearing a straw hat, shorts …
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LAST DINNER IN AUCKLAND On our last evening in Auckland, we dined at Hugo’s Bistro, a cozy new place (only opened four months ago) in “lawyers’ alley.” Wait staff was exceedingly friendly and the vibe was lively. The menu includes some tasty-looking mains, as they dub entrees, but we opted for small plates. We tried …
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AUCKLAND DAY 2 Last evening we had a very early bite to eat at the Occidental Belgian Beer Café, a rustic dark wood place with a long bar and lots of low and high tables. The menu had many options for mussels (green-lipped ones very popular here) with a variety of sauces, and of course, …
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