Day Four … the Otago Peninsula and Dunedin

A slower start to the day had us leaving our hotel around 8.00 am. Our day was fairly central today with some exploring on the Otago Peninsula our furthest point to travel only 21 kms from the centre of Dunedin. The drive wound its way along the edge of the peninsula with the harbour to our left and the hills to our right. We passed through some beautiful little towns that hug the coastline. Each bus stop was painted with a beautiful mural connected to the area it was in … so there were albatrosses, penguins, seagulls and various maritime images. We had a giggle with the stop/go man who thought I was snapping pictures of him so decided to do the full pose!

Our first stop for the day was at the Harington Point fortifications. These were built in the 1880s to protect the port from a potential invasion by the Russians. There are gun emplacements, underground bunkers to store gunpowder and provide living quarters, searchlight emplacements (bunkers) and buried tunnels connecting the entire fort. We completed an Ad Lab which was described as ‘history, sightseeing and spooky’. It was a scramble at times but well worth it to see this incredible piece of history that is now filled with graffiti. The walk from No. 6 to No. 7 was 200m in an underground tunnel with only phone torches to light the way. I had to do the final clue on the adventure as Ian wasn’t feeling too comfortable about the scramble along the top of the cliff and then across the rocks below!

We drove to the end of the Peninsula to have our breakfast (oat bars at 9.50!) and to look out to catch a glimpses of the Taiaoro Lighthouse and to see the steep escarpments as the peninsula meets the Pacific Ocean (next stop South America). The area is a protected Albatross breeding area so access is quite limited. We then headed off for our next adventure which was to discover the pyramids of NZ.

The pyramids are located in the Okia Reserve and were formed as a result of volcanic activity. They rise out of the ground in a distinct pyramidal shape with huge columns of basalt running through them. The walk in was nice and easy (1.3 km in) and we wandered around the base of the small pyramid looking at the cave and the amazing geology of the area. We opted out of the hike to the top as Ian is keen to save his ankle for the hikes we have coming up next week.

Leaving the pyramids we travelled along Highcliff Rd (very aptly named) which took us from one side of the peninsula to the other with our end goal being Larnarch Castle. The road was very windy and narrow and poor Ian had to cope with me yelling stop so I could snap pictures along the way!

Larnarch Castle can only be described as stunning. Perched high above Dunedin it was built in 1871 by William Larnarch, a prominent NZ banker and politician. It had changed hands many times following his death but was bought in 1967 by the Barker family who have lovingly restored both the castle and the gardens. We stopped of for a sandwich and a coffee (for me) before exploring the expansive gardens and the castle itself. To say that it is beautiful is an understatement! (I wore my mum’s scarf today so that she could enjoy revisiting a place she had loved when she had been there many years ago).

We headed back to Dunedin and stopped at the iSite (tourist information centre) to grab the historic walks map (which we used later in the day). It just so happened that we walked right past a gelato shop so obviously we needed to buy a cone each to have a taste. Then we headed on to the Chinese Gardens. The gardens were constructed in 2008. The Garden was pre-fabricated and assembled in Shanghai on a site identical in size and shape to that in Dunedin, then dismantled and transported here where it was reconstructed by artisans and supervisors from Shanghai. They were stunning … such a small footprint but the feeling of serenity was incredible. If I lived in Dunedin I would purchase the 12 month membership (NZ$23) so I could visit as often as I liked. We even had time to complete a puzzle whilst at the tea pavilion. (Kirsty … when you read this … we need to talk!)

Our day ended with a walk around central Dunedin. We used our Heritage walk map to look at some of the significant buildings of the area. Interesting that buildings we thought looked interesting, historic and noteworthy were left off the map and some of the ones they had mapped were in the wrong locations! It was an interesting walk though and we were fascinated by the fire escape stairways on the outside of buildings (which would suggest that the buildings were not compliant!).

We also completed an Ad Lab that took in some of the street art scattered around the central octagon of streets in the very centre of town. Dinner was in a lovely Mexican restaurant which served delicious food … and yet for almost the entire time we were there we were the only diners.

Finally aBout Ad Labs … someone has asked what an Adventure Lab is so I thought I would pop in a little explanation. They are short activities that allow you to learn a little more about an area. Sometimes they are historical, geological, fun or adventurous. They are generally five locations that in most cases can be walked around. Each of the locations provides you with a brief description of whatever it is you are looking at - the history, purpose or reason behind it. At each location you are asked to find the answer to a question - for example in today’s art Ad Lab we had to find what number was located in the bottom left corner of the mural. When you get the answer right you can move on to the next location. We have love doing them … they are all over the world and more and more are appearing all the time. They generally take no more than half an hour but they encourage you to stop in places you would normally just drive through and not even know they existed (this was the case today with the Harington Point fortification … from the road you couldn’t even see them). There is an app that you use on your phone to help you find them. They are fun, they teach you new things and they make you stop and look at new places.

Today’s tally …

Photos … 646

Steps walked … 17,983

Kms walked …13.73 km

Ad labs completed … 2