Day 3: Dunedin

Started the day with a trip to Lanarch Castle, in the hills of the Otago Peninsula, a short drive up from where I am staying. This is a sort of mini-castle built for a rich banker of Scottish descent from Sydney, who came out here to sort out the Kiwi banking industry, fathered six children, married three times and eventually shot himself in the Wellington Houses of Parliament. No doubt the shareholders and borrowers of Otago were pleased to see their profits and interest payments invested in dragging Venetian glass and Italian marble up a bloody great hill.

But the results are quite impressive. The building itself is a sort of mini-castle with a basement, glassed-in verandahs on the ground floor, a tiny second floor and a staircase up to a tower. It's been carefully restored by one family since 1967, when they bought it in a derelict state, and it's now a staple part of the visit for cruise ships, which dock in the harbour opposite. I was almost the first there, but it soon became quite busy.

The grounds are nicely laid out, particularly one slope on the seaward side they call the South Seas Garden. And there are the remains of an early methane plant, where horses and servants contributed to generating gases which were used to light the lamps. An external ballroom which now forms the cafe was commissioned by Lanarch as a birthday present for his daughter. It must have been rather hard to keep it a surprise.

Drove back to Dunedin along the ridge road at the top of the peninsula--very spectacular views, although not many places to stop and look at them. In town I had some time to wait before my booked train trip, so I wandered around, had sushi for lunch, and visited the library. Most libraries here have some books for sale, and I have been lucky so  far; In Glenavy I found a book by James Harkin from No Such Thing as a Fish, and here I found Laughing Ann and Other Poems by AP Herbert. 

Despite its small size, Dunedin has parking problems, and I had to drive quite a way out of town to find a spot. From here I walked back to the station for the afternoon train trip through the Taieri Gorge and back. This is an old route which is now run by a private company just for tourists, but they seem to be doing all right. It was a proper train with four carriages, and passengers had their choice of an authentic experience in old wooden dogboxes at the back, or more comfortable upholstered seats in more modern carriages at the front. The crowds clustered at the back, and I opted for the front, with peace and comfort.

I had my first and only beer of the day on the train -- a special spiced brew by local brewery Emerson's, celebrating the Gorge Railway, on which the founder's father was apparently quite keen.

A very spectacular trip once in the gorge -- two hours  each way at no great speed, and quite reminiscent of the train trip up to the Atherton Tableland from Cairns. Commentary was contributed over the PA by the train guide, who made some rather feeble jokes and tended to swallow his words, so I don't know what the Chinese tourists made of it. And at last we came out of the mountains into the windswept high plains.

Saw some feral goats on the way back, but no wild pigs, which are apparently also present. Back in Dunedin about 7:40, I first went to get the car, then came into town to look for food; but I couldn't find anything that looked inviting. Luckily I had bought some provisions earlier, so I drove back to the accommodation and made pasta for dinner. 

And so to bed.





--

Jon Jermey
Indexer and database consultant
042 535 0422
webindexing.com.au

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Tolldown to Bath via the American Museum: 25/4/23

 Tolldown's full English breakfast at the Crown was less generous than most other places, with only one small slice of toast and a single egg, but it was adequate, and I set out for the drive towards Bath in bright sunshine and a good mood -- which abated as I wrestled with the traffic. I had decided to come in obliquely via the large recreation areas to the south-east of Bath, but even getting there involved lots of narrow roads, up and down hills, one-way traffic lights for roadworks, and crossing the centre line to get around parked cars. On the way I drove through Bathhampton, which is where Arthur Phillip came from, and is buried, though I didn't know it at the time. This is also where they have a genuine private toll bridge, with two collectors holding out a bag and getting GBP1 from every car that comes through. At about 9:30 I reached my first destination, the American Museum, set up on the outskirts of Bath by yet another couple of rich gay Americans. This claims to be...
Read more

Day 5: Dunedin

Started the day with a walk down from the ridge of the Otago Peninsula. All the walks here either go straight up a mountain or straight down to the sea, so I went down as far as I could in the time available and then toiled back up again. Nice views over the sea and green farmlands, including some geese waddling uphill in a long line to be fed. In Dunedin I booked the coastal rail trip for 11.10 and then just strolled around a bit. They have closed off the famous Octagon to traffic, and the retailers aren't happy about it. Even with bunting and a stage it doesn't look particularly glamorous; I can't see it becoming a tourist mecca, even wth the visiting cruise liners. Caught the train along the coast and got to see the other side of the bay. Again, very spectacular views, with the same train captain giving his travelogue; but a much shorter trip which doesn't actually end anywhere important; just stops and turns around. Back in Dunedin I had fish and chips for lunch and...
Read more

Day 14: Te Anau to Alexandra

Quite a long drive, with a choice of routes. I chose to avoid the long windy mountain route with sections called things like 'The Devil's Staircase' and took the slightly longer (+15 mins) alternative back through Gore. The splendid weather continues, with bright sunshine all day and sunburn a real hazard. By the evening the temperature had risen to 29, and then the breeze kicked in. I stopped once for coffee in the morning, then continued on to Gore, where I had a pork burrito for lunch. Everything was open this time but I was still unable to find a place where I could get just, say, a Caesar salad. But the burrito was nice, and I ate it beside the river which was bursting its banks just a couple of days ago. Turned north at Gore and followed the Clutha River through the middle of the island. There was a bit of up-and-down but not too much, and some nice towns along the way. I stopped at Roxburgh for a stroll around, anf again at Alexandra itself, which has its o...
Read more