In 1931 the city of Napier was destroyed by a 7.8 earthquake followed by a fire. It was rebuilt in the Art Deco style that was popular at the time.
Today on a walking tour of the city, we saw examples of this style of architecture. Napier and South Beach, Miami are considered the two best-preserved Art Deco towns in the world.
An Art Deco Festival is held here every year. People dress in period costumes. Antique cars are brought from as far away as England. The Festival will be held next weekend, so we were able to see some of the preparations.
And---Napier has another claim to fame! It was the first city in the world to see the sun rise on the new millennium. The site is marked by a Millenium Arch on the beach.
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