When we left Palmerston North this morning, it was 17 degrees, with a light drizzle. For the next two hours it rained more often than not, and the temperature struggled to hit 19 degrees. The forecast said Napier would be 28 degrees and mostly sunny but we were beginning to have our doubts. And then, about twenty minutes from Napier, the skies magically cleared and the temperature shot up. Just in the nick of time.

We checked into our hotel early, and after unpacking we went in search of lunch. It didn’t take long – just down the street we found a lovely little cafe with outdoor seating.

We’re planning to eat out tonight, so we wanted something light, and they had just the ticket.

Once we finished lunch we headed down to the aquarium. As usual, we were treated to flowering plants while walking along the city streets.

… and growing wild along the beach.

The National Aquarium in Napier has lovely murals on the outside of the building, which is fairly common in New Zealand. I like the way the art takes advantage of the structure of the building.

As I suspected, the aquarium is more than just an aquarium. Parts of it were more like a natural history museum, telling us about New Zealand during the dinosaur age. But it had the usual aquarium stuff as well. Here is one example.

There’s also a kiwi section and we managed to see another kiwi … sort of. It was hiding in the brush and we caught glimpses of its feet as it was feeding. Zealandia was much more impressive. But we were also in for an unexpected treat – the penguins.

It’s kind of funny. You see so many pictures of penguins walking awkwardly on the land, or swimming under water, that I kind of forget that they are actually seabirds. But here, we saw them swimming on the surface, and they look like ducks with seagull beaks. Not at all what I was expecting.

We also had a chance to see them under water too, and it leaves little doubt as to why they are flightless. The wings look more like fins.

By accident, we timed our visit perfectly, arriving just before feeding time. Once the staff came out with dinner, everything changed.

We learned that the staff know each of the penguins and ensure that they all get at least one small fish, and no more than four or five. Once a month each penguin is weighed and depending on the results, for the next month they will get a little more … or less … food.

We learned lots more – about how they molt, and why the birds came to the sanctuary. But if you want to learn all of that, you will have to visit on your own.

Then it was back to our room to relax, have a drink, and decide where to eat. I tried an unusual beer that I picked up at The Garage Project.

It was … unusual. I know that some people would say “that’s not beer” (I’m looking at you, Stu) but it wasn’t bad. I won’t get more, but I’m glad I tried it.

Tomorrow it’s the Art Deco tour.