Left today for Napier – a couple of hours drive away. I’m driving – usual hair-raising windey roads through beautiful countryside but then hit a traffic jam – am slowed down by a house! Yes – really! Someone is moving their house on a wide trailer. There is car traveling behind him with a sign helpfully proclaiming “House ahead”. Eventually manage to get safely around the house and on our way. Checked into our super luxury accommodation – Napier Prison! This former prison is now a backpackers and we couldn’t resist staying here (just for one night mind). We’re in the “Psych Ward” room. Our own bed, bunk beds and loo – so very well set up. We’re not real backpackers of course and don’t have any towels with us – forced to borrow a teatowel for our evening wash and skip showers in the morning! Spend the afternoon exploring Napier. This town was hit by a hugh earthquake (here we go again) in 1931 and most of the buildings were destroyed. The enlightened town planners of the day used this as a clean slate to improve public and utility services and call in new architects and designers to re-build their town. Consequently Napier has one of the largest collection of Art Deco style buildings in the world. We had a look at the Art Deco shop and watched a DVD about the town and then walked around admiring some of the particularly fine buildings. Napier is Art Deco crazy and hold annual weekends where people dress up in clothes of the era and hold all kinds of events associated with the 1920/30’s. Next we went to the New Zealand Wine Centre where we went on a short tour which consisted of the aroma room (crammed with samples of smells associated with wine), then a tasting alongside video explanation by the winemakers. It was great fun! Returned and had dinner at the prison in the yard! Then walked back into town hoping to find loads of quaint little cafes serving coffee, but alas the place is dead after 8.30pm so settle for a drink in the bar and back to the clink. Our room is actually fine – we’re at the back by the fire exit door and I’m lulled to sleep by the sound of the waves crashing onto the nearby beach.