Visited a few touristy things like the new Museum (called the MTG) opened recently. Got there just in time for a tour of the 1931 Earthquake exhibition so that took most of our time up. Some very interesting facts we were told were something like:
- All the land behind the Bay View spur was a vast lagoon right up to the hills all around. It was only a few meters deep and good for fishing. When it rose (2.7 meters to be exactish) in the earthquake it emptied and left a big stink which the locals feared from disease. This is now where the airport is.
- A ship that sank off the coast in 1874 (I recall) floated to the surface and bobbed around the sea for several minutes before sinking again. This scarred the bajesus out of the sailors as they were superstitious fellows.
- There were several fires set ablaze due to chemist gas burners. Initially the fires were tended but after a few minutes the main pressure on the water was lost due to breaks. They attempted to divert a swimming pool water but it was too far away from the fires for the hoses. Finally they used sea water but there was so much debris in the water from thr quake these hoses blocked. This is why they had to stand and watch the town burn away, which caused most of the damage.
We also walked along the front. Had seen the Pania of the Reef Statue (1954) on many photos of Napier but had forgotten where it was so went and had a look at that. It represents a Maori legend that tells how the Pania Reef was formed. Pania (a goddess I think) left the sea people to marry a mortal chief Karitoki. When he went off to fight a war with another tribe, she was tempted back into the sea by the Lord of the Sea and she got dragged down and transformed into a rocky reef. The moral is that you have got to watch those rip tides you know.
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| Pania of the Reef Statue |
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