This beachfront reserve is a very recent addition to the New Zealand coastline. A very small portion of it was reclaimed after the 1931 earthquake by depositing rubble from the devastated inner city. The bulk of the reserve, however, has been created since through natural beach accretion. The process has extended the stable beach area an average of 70 metres east of the pre-earthquake sea wall.

The reserve's attractions include the Spirit of Napier Fountain, the National Aquarium of New Zealand, Marineland, the Skating Ring, Par 2 Mini Golf and the Ocean Spa saltwater pool complex. A section of the Rotary Pathway provides a walking and cycling route on the reserve's seaward side. This extends from the Seaman's Mission by the Port of Napier's southern entrance to the Tutaekuri River at Awatoto.

A Hidden gem, Pungahuru Falls is located on the Mohaka River, a halfway between Taupo and Napier. It’s an incredibly popular place among the fishermen.

This stretch of waterfront was known as the Town Spit in the early days of European settlement. In the 1870s, the former Hawke's Bay Provincial Council began sea protection works to stabilise and build up the beach. Remains of the timber pilings can still be seen just off the beachfront.

In the 1950s, Spriggs Park was developed between Battery Road and Stafford Street. The strip was grassed and a children's play area established.

More recently, the play area was upgraded to meet modern safety standards and offer a greater variety of equipment for different age groups. The Rotary Club of Ahuriri has assisted with this, securing a substantial donation from local benefactor and businessman Rodney Green to provide equipment designed to challenge adolescents and teenagers.

Work started on building a boardwalk from Stafford Street to Perfume Point in 1991. This very popular feature has subsequently been widened and extended to better meet a diverse range of recreational needs.

In 1994, the Council bought 1.45 hectares alongside the Ahuriri Channel to add to the foreshore reserve. The former petroleum storage tank depot was cleared away and a grassed area, bordered by marine-hardy planting, was created.

The reserve is a popular viewing area for sailing and boating events on Hawke Bay. The Napier Sailing Club's starter box is located at the mouth of the Inner Harbour - an area whimsically known as Perfume Point because it was formerly the site of a sewer outfall. Other buildings in the vicinity feature marine-themed murals painted by Napier artist Brenda Morrell.

The foreshore reserve is a popular area for passive recreational activities, and it also provides walking and cycling links to the Inner Harbour and the coastal strip skirting Bluff Hill to connect with Marine Parade.

From Napier CBD travel north along Marine Parade which becomes Breakwater Rd) until you reach an intersection with Coote Rd - and you've arrived!

The gardens were developed in 1974 to commemorate the centenary of the establishment of Napier, but they were once a quarry manned by prison labour.

Water is a significant landscaping feature. From the lower pool, water is pumped to the main pool and then to the top of the cliff where it cascades in down the 40-metre rock face.

Spray from the waterfall has encouraged the growth of plants on the limestone cliff face. At night, when lit with green illumination, the scene is one of almost primeval beauty.

Top tip

Opposite the gardens on a hillside across Coote Road, the historic former prison has been preserved and now has a new life as a tourist site and backpackers accommodation. A cost-effective and historic place to stay when in Napier.

View a community of wading birds, fish, mud dwellers and aquatic plant life from the estuary track and boardwalk. Over 70 species of resident and migratory waterbirds use the estuary as a feeding and resting area.

Follow the track and boardwalk across the estuary.

The boardwalk stretches out across the water for good viewing. Take your binoculars.

With its kaleidoscopic play of colourful lights and jets of water, this fountain is among Napier's most popular Art Deco landmarks, located in the Marine Parade Gardens, Marine Parade. It often features in period-style photo shots and video footage.

The fountain was officially opened on the night before Christmas Eve in 1936. Having gone through the Depression, locals and visitors alike were drawn to this visual treat, particularly after dusk when the coloured lights transformed the attraction into a magical sight.

Its donor was the owner of a men's outfitters shop in Hastings Street. Tom Parker was a colourful Napier character who made many gifts to worthy causes and to the city.

On one of his regular visits to Britain, he was impressed by a modern illuminated fountain in Bournemouth. Returning to Napier, he donated £1000 for a similar fountain, which was designed by Napier architect J T Watson and built on Marine Parade on an area previously occupied by a children's playground.

The fountain was powered by a General Electric Company Novalux 15 Projector electric motor imported from the USA.

When it plays, the fountain's kaleidoscopic changes of coloured lights are synchronised with the sequences of the water jets.

The council redeveloped the remaining play area north of the fountain as lawns and gardens to match those south of the water feature. Beneath this area lies the rubble of the old Napier destroyed in the 1931 earthquake.

Pandora Pond in Napier is not really a pond, but is a small sheltered and shallow area of Ahuriri Estuary, partially separated from the main estuary by a sand spit. It is tidal and also has freshwater flowing into it. Pandora Pond is a high use area year round for swimming, kayaking, rowing, paddleboarding, sailing and waka ama.