Napier

Founded in 1858 as a garrison for two regiments, Napier today has plenty of women. I counted three quilting shops, three fiber arts shops, and one “Husband Parking Area” within one block. In 1924 the city fathers built the area’s first Women’s Rest Station with public toilets, an excellent claim to fame. 

In the cemetery, mostly the husbands died first, with the wife’s name on the tombstone after “Also.”  Dog walkers, some lovely sentimental Victorian epitaphs and statuary, and lots of birds, trees and flowers made it a very pleasant place to walk. 

We had an extensive chat with Rod, retired tour guide, walking Teddy and Georgie, a Bichon frisé and a Bichon/poodle mix. Rod thinks that coddling the Māori has gotten out of hand. Twenty years ago, nothing was bilingual, there were no Māori TV channels, and there were no special favors granted like there are now. Too many live on public assistance. (Oo, really? It’s that much? I innocently murmured.) The eke, chieftains, keep the aid money and the poor use drugs on the street. He bemoaned the loss of the Napier local hospital, which had served his community of 60-70 thousand. Now he and others needing hospital care must drive an hour to Hastings. That’s the ugly flip side of universal healthcare; it is rationed. 

Napier has charming streets named after poets and scientists: Carlyle, Milton, Chaucer, Harvey and Faraday.

In the botanical garden we spoke with this lady, who was allowing her deaf beagle a blissful moment to stand in the stream. She heard we were Americans and praised RFK Jr and Trump. It takes all kinds, even the tinfoil-hat royalists who freely surrender democracy. 

For fun, locals could go to the casino or the indoor archery and ax-throwing facility. There is a mini-golf course next to a beautiful outdoor swimming pool. I have seen lots of children and teens on this holiday, Waitangi Day.