Napier was settled on an island in the harbour , known as Scinde Island ( present day Bluff Hill ) and soon became a prosperous region on New Zealand 's East Coast . Napier 's growth then haltered , as there was not enough flat land to construct on . The southern end of Ahuriri stretched between Scinde Island and the mainland , separating Napier from the settlement of Taradale and many people moving into the region chose Taradale over Napier because of the abundance of land . In the 1931 Hawke 's Bay earthquake much of Ahuriri was uplifted , exposing roughly 30 km ( 3000ha ) of seabed . This included a new land bridge between Napier and Taradale and in the years to come the towns grew in size . In 1968 , Taradale amalgamated with Napier , forming Napier City
1931 Hawke 's Bay earthquake
1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake
Ahuriri Harbour