Discover Napier Scavenger Hunt
Discover the Art Deco capital of the world with a scavenger hunt across Napier. Walk the pastel facades of Tennyson Street, find Pania of the Reef on Marine Parade, watch the surf from the Soundshell and toast a glass of Hawke's Bay Syrah at sunset. A city rebuilt in two years after the 1931 quake, frozen in 1930s glamour.
Stops on this hunt
The geo-tagged checkpoints that anchor this route. You can rearrange, replace or remove any stop after using the template.
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1
Tennyson Street
Navigate to Tennyson Street in the Napier CBD and check in by the Art Deco Trust shop or the Daily Telegraph building.
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2
Marine Parade Soundshell
Walk east one block to Marine Parade and check in at the Soundshell, the open-air bandstand on the foreshore.
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3
National Aquarium
Walk south along Marine Parade to the National Aquarium of New Zealand and check in at the entrance.
Challenges (20)
Napier kick-off
The hunt begins! Find a classic Napier backdrop (a sunburst over a doorway, a chevron facade, a Norfolk pine on Marine Parade) and take a group photo with the whole team in shot.
Checkpoint: Tennyson Street
Navigate to Tennyson Street in the Napier CBD and check in by the Art Deco Trust shop or the Daily Telegraph building.
Art Deco facade pose
Tennyson Street is one of the densest stretches of Art Deco architecture in the world. Find a striking facade (the Daily Telegraph, the Municipal Theatre, the T&G building) and take a group photo with the team posed under the sunburst or chevron pattern.
Trivia: Napier earthquake
The Hawke's Bay earthquake that levelled Napier and led to the Art Deco rebuild struck on 3 February of what year?
Answer: 1931
Daily Telegraph building shot
The Daily Telegraph building on Tennyson Street is one of Napier's finest Art Deco gems. Find the front facade and take a group photo with the team posed in front, mimicking the geometric symmetry.
Checkpoint: Marine Parade Soundshell
Walk east one block to Marine Parade and check in at the Soundshell, the open-air bandstand on the foreshore.
Soundshell pose
The white Soundshell faces the sea and was built as part of the post-quake rebuild. Find a vantage point on the lawn, line the team up and take a group photo with the shell behind everyone.
Pania of the Reef pose
On Marine Parade stands the small bronze of Pania of the Reef, a Maori legendary figure who is to Napier what the Little Mermaid is to Copenhagen. Find Pania and take a respectful group photo with the team posed alongside.
Norfolk pines walk
Marine Parade is lined with Norfolk pines that survived the quake. Walk the boulevard and take a group photo where the team walks toward the camera with the pines arching overhead.
Trivia: Rebuild style
Napier was rebuilt in 1931-1933 in two related architectural styles. Name the more famous of the two (two words; the same style as Miami's South Beach).
Answers: Art Deco / art deco
Checkpoint: National Aquarium
Walk south along Marine Parade to the National Aquarium of New Zealand and check in at the entrance.
Underwater tunnel pose
The National Aquarium has a curved underwater tunnel where rays and sharks glide overhead. Buy the admission, find the tunnel and take a group photo with a fish passing above the team.
Hawke's Bay wine toast
Hawke's Bay is one of New Zealand's premier wine regions, famous for Syrah and Chardonnay. Order a glass at any Napier wine bar (Mister D, Bistronomy, Pacifica) and take a group photo with everyone holding their glass up in a toast.
Vintage car spot
Napier is the only place in the world where you can rent a 1930s vintage car as a tourist. Find a vintage car (or a vintage-car tour board) on Tennyson Street or Marine Parade and take a group photo with the car behind the team.
Trivia: Pania legend
Pania of the Reef is a figure from which culture's legendary tradition (one word)?
Answers: Maori / maori / Māori
Marine Parade fountain shot
The Tom Parker Fountain on Marine Parade lights up at night in changing colours. Find the fountain (or any of the Parade's smaller fountains) and take a group photo with the spray behind the team.
Art Deco hat moment
The Art Deco Trust shop and several Tennyson Street boutiques sell vintage-style hats, scarves and cigarette holders. Try one on per teammate and take a group photo where the team poses in 1930s glamour.
Hawke's Bay plate
Hawke's Bay produces some of NZ's best lamb, stone fruit and seafood. Order a plate at Mister D, Bistronomy or any cafe (the lamb shoulder, the Hawke's Bay platter, a Bostock's chicken sandwich) and take a group photo with everyone taking the first bite at the same time.
Local Napierite tip
Convince a local Napier resident to share a tip about the city. Take a photo with your impromptu guide and remember the tip.
Napier finale
Final challenge. Find a beautiful Napier spot (Marine Parade at golden hour, the Soundshell at dusk, a sunlit Art Deco facade) and take an amazing closing group photo. Kia ora from the Art Deco capital!
Frequently asked questions
Three to four hours covers the Art Deco district, Marine Parade, the Soundshell and the National Aquarium at a relaxed pace. The CBD is small and flat, so most of the route is walkable; the Aquarium sits at the southern end of Marine Parade, a 20-minute stroll from Tennyson Street.
It is worth the extra hour. The Art Deco Trust runs guided walks from the Daily Telegraph building twice a day with a local guide who points out the Maori motifs, sunbursts and chevrons that distinguish Napier from Miami or Paris Art Deco. The self-guided map is free at the Trust shop and works on this hunt too.
Mid-February each year. The Art Deco Festival takes over the city for five days with vintage cars, period costume, swing dancing on the Soundshell and a fly-over of pre-war biplanes. Book accommodation six months ahead for that week. Outside the festival the city is just as photogenic and far quieter.
Tennyson Street is the natural opener: free street parking, the Daily Telegraph building anchors the kickoff photo and you can walk to Marine Parade and the Soundshell in five minutes. From there it is a short walk south to the National Aquarium and the lawn cricket pitch on Marine Parade.
Yes. Marine Parade has free playgrounds, Pania of the Reef and the Soundshell, the National Aquarium has shark feeds and a kiwi enclosure that kids love. The Norfolk-pine boulevards are pram-friendly. No alcohol stops are required, though the wine challenge is easy to skip.