While Hawke's Bay is proving an increasingly popular haven for Aucklanders wanting to leave the big smoke and high house prices behind, one suburb in particular stands out — and that's Ahuriri.
It is one of Napier's most central coastal neighbourhoods, just a five minute drive from the CBD, and the site of one of the region's earliest colonial settlements, established in the 1830s around two spits — one to the north and one to the south — with swampland in between.
The earthquake of February 1931 dramatically changed the geography of the area, raising around 4000 hectares of sea-bed, and turning it into dry land. This bonus land was quickly used in the course of a painstaking rebuild of virtually the whole of urban Napier, one which cemented the region's place in Art Deco architectural history, and helped move it into a new industrial era.
Ahuriri's iconic National Tobacco Company (formerly, Rothmans) building is one of the city's most celebrated post-quake landmarks, while the elegant Crown Hotel, erected in 1932 is also widely admired.
The fascinating Ahuriri Estuary walk, which explores the natural habitat of birds, fish and other marine dwellers, is a hit with locals and visitors alike, along with excellent beaches, while the cafes, bars, restaurants, galleries and retail outlets in West Quay and Ahuriri Village are also significant attractions.
