American couple have ongoing love affair with Napier

Texas couple Phillip Krueger and Judy Newman have been coming back to Napier since the 1990s. Photo / Supplied.

Texas based Phillip Krueger and his wife Judy Newman fell in love with Napier the moment they drove through during the 90s and have been coming back ever since.

"In 1994, we were shown all around New Zealand and we were looking for a house.

We went to Waihi, found a place but it needed renovations. Then we arrived in Napier and I said 'Holy Cow! Look at this, the gardens, the water, the hill'."

The couple recently decided to express their affection for the Hawke's Bay town through a kind financial gesture, which now means Napier residents aged 65 plus who are SuperGold cardholders have to pay only $1 entry to the Napier Aquatic Centre.

Over a long distance call to Phil in the early hours of the morning, I asked him why.

"Well why not?" He fires back.

"I've been a competitive swimmer all my life and it brings me joy every day. In Texas, if you live in a school district, you're over 65, you can swim, and use other athletic facilities, for free.

"We just wanted to do something good for the people who enjoy swimming as much as we do."

Phil met his wife Judy while swimming at his local pool and finally found an excuse to speak to her.

"I kept seeing this good looking girl and she was running in and out of the pool, then I saw another girl in a green jaguar and I love cars so I went over to speak to her. Turns out it was the same girl."

That's where the adventure began.

They dated for a number of years and Phil proposed to her when she finally made her way back from a work trip in South America after 9/11.

"She was stuck in Honduras and she had no idea what happened because she was in a Third World country, no TV, no radio. The airport had stopped all flights and it took weeks to get back.

"She hadn't had any wine for weeks-she loves wine. I got down on one knee and said if you agree to marry me then you can have this wine. She said yes straight away."

Phillip and Judy were married on Bluff hill in Napier and stay in their Napier hill home every January and February. When they're not there, they lease it out.

They've not only given money to the Napier Aquatic Centre, but to many other Napier-based landmarks, including the cemetery and the botanical gardens.

"We loved the bird aviary on the hill and I remember one day someone came in and let all the birds out, one got eaten by a cat pretty much straight away. So we gave money for new cages to be built for them.

"We just love Napier, it's out second home, people treat us like natives. Everyone is just so nice and friendly and we can't wait to come back next year."