February festivals: New Zealand’s art deco weekend

The New Zealand towns of Napier and Hastings are generally recognised as home to some of the best examples of art deco design in the world. Napier itself was almost entirely rebuilt in art deco style following a terrible earthquake, which all but destroyed the whole town.

Today, the inhabitants of Napier and Hastings are extremely proud of their art deco fame, and the four-day Art Deco Weekend is an occasion anticipated with much planning and excitement by the residents living there. The weekend features dinner dances, cocktail balls, guided walks, sight-seeing tours and big band music. Vintage cars and aircraft complete the scene in towns so obsessed with art deco, they even employ their own art deco ambassadors. So, if you like a bit of Gatsby-style fur trim, head for the southern hemisphere!