Month: January 2018

Tuesday, 2^nd January 2018

 

Another busy and interesting day getting to know how the first settlers came to Dunedin and how they began building Dunedin to be the wonderful city it is today. We also took a train journey in the afternoon to the Taieri Gorge – a railway built in 1870’s to link the central Otagu agricultural areas with Dunedin. 

We started off the day with again a good breakfast prepared by Eve and Ralph (he’s the fried eggs champion!) and then drove down to Dunedin Train Station area. We’ve been blessed with another wonderfully warm and sunny day so our walk around was quite pleasant. Today it’s also a public holiday in NZ – Most probably the kiwis need an extra day to recuperate from their January 1^st celebrations??? Anyway this meant free parking close to the station and the museum we were visiting! Also all museums have free entrance which make them accessible to everyone, however we did leave a donation!

The Toitū Otago Settlers Museum is a museum of social history dedicated to telling the story of the people of Dunedin and the surrounding area, whose character, culture, technology, art, fashion and transport shaped New Zealand’s first great city.

It is set out chronologically, from the first Kai Tahu explorers right up to modern times. The museum traces the development of the City of Dunedin and the province of Otago.

The museum has fourteen themed galleries with interactive displays and powerful narratives tracing the human history of the area, from the earliest settlers to the most recent arrivals.

It is most fascinating to see how the early Scottish settlers sailed to Dunedin and how they started building the city – most of the settlers were Presbyterians from Edinburgh and in fact the town would have been called New Edinburgh as many of the buildings look as though they have been plucked out of the old town. One of the exhibition rooms was built as a ship transporting the early settlers across the ocean waves and their shipboard experience: how they lived on board through storms, sickness, fights and love till they arrived to Dunedin.

We were able to experience the rough passage of migration, the boom period of gold, the glamour of Victorian Dunedin and the changing world of transport and technology! Our visit was only a couple of hours but we could have spent much more time – there is so much to see and experience. 

Before we went to our next event of the day, we had coffee and a snack at the outdoor museum café. We thoroughly enjoyed sitting outdoors enjoying the sun, although it took quite a while to get our coffee……

We strolled to the train station which was only a few meters away from the Museum and after exchanging my voucher for the tickets, we spent some time looking around the station – unfortunately I could not take any pictures of the building outside as there were a number of tourist busses parked outside and they spoilt the view. However indoors it was magnificent – it was as though time stood still! The foyer and booking hall’s elaborate ornamentation is bathed in a soft golden light that reinforces the wealth of the city of Dunedin at the time.

Dunedin Station is an example of the city’s wealthy inheritance and in its prosperous years handled some 100 trains daily. Construction was started in 1903 and officially opened in 1906 . The combination of over the top decoration and the intricate use of contrasting dark basalt and white Oamaru limestone earned its architect the nickname “Gingerbread George”.

Nowadays, a farmers market runs in Anzac Square just outside the station every Saturday morning; unfortunately we are leaving Dunedin before we get to see the farmers’ market. But we did get the sightseeing train which runs from the station through the Taieri Gorge this afternoon. 

The trip to Pukerangi is 58 km and we slowly climbed some 250 meters on the way along the gorge. One of the largest wrought iron structures in the southern hemisphere is the Wingatui Viaduct, which is some 190meters long and 47 meters high above the Mullocky stream. The other structure of such magnitude and containing so much wrought iron is the Eiffel Tower in Paris

Today is 1^st January 2018! I have celebrated New Year’s Day in many different countries but I never thought I would be doing this in New Zealand and together with, now our very dear friends, Eve and Ralph. And today was a very special day as today’s tour in Dunedin was to include Gerry’s Memory Lane – places where he had lived and been to when he lived in Dunedin and friends with the “other” Dutch boy, Ralph. And to add the fun of going down memory lane, we had fantastic warm and sunny weather!!

The first memory that Ralph drove us to was King Edward Technical College where both Ralph and Gerry attended school and became friends. Well as the story goes, when Gerry arrived in New Zeland, he did not speak any English, so he was allocated to Ralph, the other Dutch boy, so that he could help him to adjust to his new surroundings. And that’s when their friendship started!! Photos taken and anecdotes told!

Then Ralph drove us to the first place where Gerry had lived together with his parents and brother, Rob back in 1959. Gerry knew exactly which street it was and the house was still standing there on a corner – This was located on Cosy Dell nr 4 and of course when we were out of the car and walking around, Gerry was full of stories of what had all happened during those days – they had a neighbor at the back of the garden who came from (then) Czechoslovakia who guarded his fruit trees at night as the possums searched for ripe fruit.

Well after taking some pictures here we went onto memory nr.3

We drove along the North East valley on the North Road to get to the second house where Gerry had lived with his family. But before getting to North Road 462, we stopped in front of the steepest street in the world – also mentioned in the Guinness Book of Records – Baldwin Street! Of course there were quite a number of (Asian) tourists visiting and taking pictures

Driving further on the North Road, Gerry asked to stop at a certain point as this was where a pathway led up the hill to their second home. So we all got out of the car and climbed this really steep hill which left me out of breath! I can imagine as a kid you wouldn’t have a problem climbing this pathway but as a 65 plusser, it was quite strenuous!!

The pathway was quite overgrown with bushes and Ralph thought that Gerry had got the wrong place but no – Gerry was very certain and we arrive to North Road 462. The house was tucked away among all the shrubs and trees so we could not get a good look at it and being New year’s day we were not going to disturb the residents!!

Ralph then took us to the next stop – Signal Hill – however this is not a place they came to as kids so this was a new memory for all of us. The hill is some 330 meters high and is capped by a monument to the New Zealand Centennial of 1940, a large structure including two large bronze figures representing “History” and “The Thread of Life”. Although commissioned for the centenary of the signing of the  Treaty of Waitangi (signed between Maori chiefs and the British crown) the monument was not constructed until the 1950s, owing to the enforced strictures of World War 2. A large stone from Edinburgh in Scotland, is also incorporated in the monument.

Our next stop was at South Street in Cavensham as this was the third house where Gerry’s family moved to, however due to the new highway built behind the housing area, Gerry was not able to locate the house, but we will be going back to search for this house on  another day before we leave Dunedin.

We drove further to St. Claire – the beach where the boys used to go swimming. This looked completely different to Gerry as there were houses built along the beach front but the scenery was fantastic. The sea was rough especially as the tide was in but we were not going to get wet again so we walked away from the sea front and drove to the next  hilltop: Mount Cargill. This again was a very high point having Dunedin sprawled below.

We had fantastic views even though the wind was very blustery but we managed to take some great pictures and take in the great views.

Our final stop was back in the city of Dunedin and this time at the University Campus – not that Gerry attended this university! He had already left New Zealand prior to finishing High School here. The University of Dunedin has magnificent buildings and started accepting students in 1871 making it the oldest university in New Zealand and the third oldest in Oceania. The campus was very quiet as all the students are away for their summer holidays and apparently this is also noticeable in the city too as normally it is buzzing with students.

After our Down Memory Lane tour we went over to Kim and Murray’s house for drinks before getting back for our dinner at Eve and Ralph’s place. This was an exciting day for all of us but certainly most of all for Gerry as he could re-live those adventurous years he had spent in New Zealand. Thanks Eve and Ralph for making this day happen!

 

 

 

 

Sunday, 31st December 2017

Today it’s the last day of the year and we spent it with Kim (Ralph and Eve’s daughter) and Murray, her husband. They were taking us for a drive to Oamaru and then onto Moeraki to view the boulders laying around on the beach.

Kim and Murray picked us up round 9.30 am  and driving through Dunedin, Gerry was reminded of his years that he lived in Dunedin. The first sight he had was of King Edward Technical College and he immediately wanted to get out of the car to take a picture but he was stopped by Kim as she made him aware that this would be on tomorrow’s tour with her parents – that was the Down Memory Lane Tour!

We had a pleasant drive through the hills, and although the weather was wet, the luscious emerald green meadows and clusters of fir trees along the road were a great sight to watch. After about an hour on a scenic route, we arrived in Oamaru –  a seaside town which has caught on the uniqueness of being so Victorian. Down  by the harbour, the Victoria Precinct is a treasure trove of once neglected buildings now filled with offbeat galleries, fascinating shops and other hip venues and museums.

In order to escape the rain, we visited a the Steampunk HQ – a museum which imaginatively  up cycled ancient machines and industrial clatter of the last century.Oamaru is an ideal setting for Steampunk art and activities, given the wonderfully preserved and thriving Victorian buildings. Examples are machines like those in the writing of H. G. Wells and Jules Verne, and in tv shows such as Dr. Who.
The building was originally called Meeks Grain Elevator and was built in 1883. Oamaru was at that time a flourishing sea port, and bigger than Los Angeles.

After walking along the market and the coastline, we made our way back to the car to continue our drive. The next stop was at Moeraki – a Maori name meaning “a place to sleep by day” – which gave us a clue as to the pace of this little fishing village. This was one of the first European settlements in New Zealand. The reason we were here was to see the huge boulders lying off the beach. These  are a large collection of spherical boulders scattered along the beach. Normally these boulders are best viewed when the tide is low, however when we got there, it was high tide and in no time, we were quite wet! But none the less we enjoyed exploring these boulders.

According to Maori legend, the Moeraki boulders were once food baskets and gourds used by ancient people aboard a famous canoe. When the canoe crashed, however, its survivors were transformed into the area’s surrounding hills, while the baskets and gourds became these gray, round boulders.

Scientists, on the other hand, offer a different idea as to how these curiously round rocks came to be. Millions of years ago, the rocks were hidden inside the area’s cliffs, but as erosion occurred, they were gradually revealed. Essentially, the sandstone-type rock was held together with calcium carbonate, while an extremely slow chemical reaction gave them their unique roundness. Finally, after about 60 million years, the stones became the fantastic landmarks they are today.

Finally back on dry land but completely soaked, it was time to have a bite to eat so we headed to Hampden for the “world’s best fish and chips”.

This little fishing village is famous for its blue cod fishing and in fact the taste of our fried blue cod was heavenly! It had stopped raining by now, so we could sit outside and enjoy our meal and Gerry could enjoy his “puff” – smoking his rolled cigarette! Here in NZ, it is ever so difficult to find places where smoking is allowed and it sometimes seems that Gerry is being isolated from the rest of the public…

 

Once we were feeling much better after our delicious meal, we made our way back to Moeraki and headed north to visit the Kaiks Wildlife trail which led to a lovely little white wooden lighthouse at the edge of the cliff. Katiki Point Lighthouse (built in 1878) stands on Katiki Point Historic Reserve.

The lighthouse keeper’s house is used as a private rehabilitation centre for sick and injured penguins and other birds. The centre is run by Katiki Point Penguin Trust. The trust and its volunteers protect penguins from predation by trapping feral cats, ferrets and stoats.  

From here, we walked towards the cliff edge and looking down to the beach, we spotted a number of seals lazing on the beach while the huge waves beat against the rocks. I was really thrilled to see these seals and started taking pictures of them, but Kim spotted a whole load more seals just lazing around on another beach and on the cliffs. This was so incredible – we were walking among all these seals and they just lifted their heads out of curiosity and then just went back to lazing around. We also spotted a number of seals swimming gracefully in the waves and then just as we were walking back, we also spotted a family of yellow eyed penguins. This was such an amazing experience………