If we could bring Percival Clay Neill back to life, I’m sure he would be mighty impressed with how his stables now look in autumn. Having died in 1936 at the age of 94, he might wonder what happened to some of the buildings on his once extensive estate which included a homestead, stables, dairy, and coach house. However, I’m confident any disappointment over the loss of some of the buildings on his estate would be overshadowed by the lovely autumnal scenes that now encompass the grounds.
Feeling in a bit of a creative mood, I decided to have a little bit of fun with this photo I took of the sea wall at the St Clair Esplanade. Starting in Lightroom, I gave it an orange and teal feel before exporting it to photoshop. At that point I hit it with a kind of black and white-bleach effect that I washed over the top before finishing it with some old school scratches for a bit of texture. Of course, it took a lot longer to do than I’m making it sound but you get the idea. I hope!
I had Tunnel Beach all to myself the evening I took this which makes taking photos so much easier. It’s become a really popular spot so to get it all to myself was really something. I timed my trip so the tide would be out which meant I had lots of options and choices as the sun made silhouettes out of the rocks and bounced light off the sand.
To get this angle of the glass dome in the Meridian Mall in Dunedin I had to shoot while on the escalator. It took several attempts to get one I was happy with and by the third time I had been up and down the escalators the security guards were starting to show some interest in what I was doing. It was at that point that I decided it was best to leave. The thing I love about this angle is the way all the different shapes interplay with the circular domes; however to be under the dead centre you need to be in a certain spot on the escalator.
A few weeks ago I spent the afternoon at Blackhead Beach. While most of my time was taken up with stumbling over stones and splashing through rock pools, I did find time to admire the local Sea Lions that were playing close by. I also spent time photographing the scenery, which is when I felt the inspiration to take a black and white photo or two. So, channelling the great American landscape photographer Ansel Adams, I switched modes on my trusty camera to black and white and set to work attempting to control the contrast between highlights and shadows.
This is another of Dunedin’s wonderful historic buildings and like so many others there’s an interesting wee story to it. As a result of the Otago gold rush, the Bank of Otago was established in late 1863. The first chief executive of the bank was a 54-year old Scottish solicitor named John Bathgate who diligently set about his work with the bank in Otago and Southland upon arrival. That was until 1866 when a financial panic in London set in. Believing that banks might fail, and wanting to protect their funds, a large number of investors withdrew their money causing numerous banks to slump. One of which was the Bank of Otago. Needing a scapegoat for the failings of the bank, the London-based directors singled out John Bathgate who reluctantly agreed to resign.
Needing someone to take over the running of the bank, the directors turned to a person by the name of William Larnach. Who, at the time, was branch manager of the Bank of New South Wales in Geelong, Australia. Having moved his family to Dunedin from the Australia gold fields and needing somewhere to live, Larnach moved his family into the upstairs rooms of the bank where he worked. The Bank of Otago lasted under William Laranach until April 1873 when it was finally absorbed by the National Bank of New Zealand with the building becoming the main branch for the Bank. Originally only two stories, a new four story building was constructed on the site in 1911 and is the same one that graces Princes Street in Dunedin today. William Larnach eventually moved out of the banking business and among other things, went on to build a nice wee home on the Otago Peninsula and had a career in politics. As for John Bathgate, he too went on to become a politician, holding the position of Minister of Justice and was Commissioner of Stamps which I’m sure at the time was a very important position!
Here in this part of the world it’s that lovely time of year when all the colours of trees start to change. The sun is now a fraction lower in the sky, the mornings and evenings are becoming a tad colder with a definite autumnal feel to the start of each day. Around the city, the autumn colour palette of warm yellow undertones mixed with oranges, reds, ochre and olive colours is starting to appear. Before long the inner city will be covered in leaves.
You would never know that the Bridge of Remembrance was once damaged in an earthquake. Located over the Avon River in Christchurch, it stands as a memorial to both World War I & II, along with the conflicts in Korea, Malaya, Borneo, and Vietnam. Structurally damaged in the February earthquake of 2011, when it was repaired, an 8 tonne beam was used to reinforce the arch and 27 metre piles were built so in any future earthquakes it rocks rather than twists.
While I was in the seaside village of Moeraki I called past Fleur’s Place, a rustic style restaurant that specialises in fresh seafood. Unfortunately, it closed during the Covid 19 pandemic when the whole hospitality industry struggled to stay open. In fact, I don’t know if it ever reopened?
Fleur’s Place gained a great reputation for fantastic sea food and regularly received rave reviews by visitors from all over the world, including Britain’s own popular TV chef Rick Stein. In fact, when British newspaper the Daily Mail offered to fly him anywhere in the world to eat, he chose Fleur’s Place! That’s impressive.
After passing through Outram Glen, the town of Outram and ambling across the Taieri Plains, the Taieri River arrives at Henley. At Henley, the river merges with the Waipori River which then flows to Taieri Mouth. In the early days of Otago, as settlers were pushing inland searching for gold, there used to be a river barge at Henley. It took travellers and their belongings across the river as they headed into the gold fields of the Tuapeka and the Dunstan.
Speaking of the Taieri River, as far as rivers go, only three in Aotearoa are longer! It starts from seemingly nowhere in the Lammerlaw Range and flows north, then east, then south-east on its 288 kilometre journey to the sea at Taieri Mouth. It passes through at least six towns, two gorges, it links with two lakes, the fish are plentiful, there are some lovely picnic spots along its banks and it is part of the fabric of the farming community. So, with all that in mind, I thought I’d follow it through various photos I’ve taken with different cameras.
About 28 kilometres west of central Dunedin on the edge of the Taieri Plains is the town of Outram and the popular swimming spot of Outram Glen. It sits close to the foot of Maungatua Hill Range and the banks of the Taieri River.
166 Portobello Road, aka The White House, aka The Waverly House, aka The Dandie Dinmont was constructed in 1880 for businessman and politician William Larnach. Designed by Dunedin architectural firm Mason and Wales, the building was intended to be a hotel with transport across the harbour being by way of a harbour steamer. However, due to an economic depression and the failure of the steamer service, along with the building failing to get a liquor licence it was instead used as a stopover for guests travelling to Larnach’s Castle further down the Peninsula. William Larnach eventually lost interest in the venture and after the death of his first wife, he started to focus his attention on other projects.
One of the places I visited recently was Taieri Mouth, a small fishing village at the mouth of the Taieri River. There are a number of walking tracks there, one of which is the Taieri River track. The track passes through forest that arrives at the John Bull Gully picnic area. From there, if you’re feeling energetic you can continue further to Taieri Ferry Road, near Henley.
While I was at the Dunedin Gasworks Museum the forge was working which was surprisingly interesting. I really didn’t think much of it when I was told it was operating at reception, however it was fascinating to see. After several minutes I decided that it isn’t often you see something made from a lot of heat and physical labour these days. Also, on a side note the gasworks are the oldest in the country being the first in New Zealand and also the last to cease production operating from 1863 – 1987.
Next stop on the tour of Dunedin, seen through early colour film is Tunnel Beach. The hidden beach is an amazingly popular spot for tourists. For this photo I used a preset based on the process called Autochrome. The early colour photography process of Autochrome was introduced by the Lumière brothers Auguste and Louis of France in 1907. In this process a colour image is created by combining microscopic layers of dyed potato starch grains on a glass plate.
If there’s one text you should read at Christmas time it’s the letter eight-year-old Virginia O’Hanlon wrote to the editor of New York’s Sun newspaper in September, 1897. The response by Francis Church has since become one of the most reprinted newspaper editorials in history. Here it is in full: “Yes, Virgina, there is a Santa Claus”
Have a very Happy Christmas and a wonderful New Year.
I wanted to have a little bit of fun editing this image. It’s taken from the top of a very steep lookout in the Lindis Pass. While finishing the image, I began to wonder what it would look like without the road passing through it. So, I took it out!! Doesn’t it look like another world? I imagine this is what the surface of Mars might look like.
This is the view from the stage at Dunedin’s Regent Theatre. It must be a surreal feeling to walk out on stage when the place is full with its 1600 seat capacity. In fact, the theatre’s stage was the largest in New Zealand until the Aotea Centre in Auckland opened in 1990.
Dating back to 1928, The Regent Theatre was registered as a Category 1 historic building in 1987 meaning it is a national place of outstanding historical and cultural significance and value. It’s also reported to be haunted with ghost stories including tales of “the lady in the dressing rooms.”
The corner of Cannongate and Serpentine Avenue– Buy
When I had last walked around this area of Dunedin it was the middle of winter and the area had a bit of a drab feel to it. Now that the trees (and bush) are full of summer colour and life it looks completely different. Actually, this image is more of a test run to see how the composition sits. I like the curved shapes, it’s something a bit different. I think I’ll revisit it at some point as I have a few other ideas I want to try out.
Lies of life step forth, Like lost faces in the night. Forgotten memories with musketeers, In the dawn I would rewrite. Silent voices echo, Void in space and time. Absent beliefs of innocence, Hidden and doubtful, sometimes.
Light in darkened shadows, Guard the empty road ahead. Before the places nothing moved, In the moment that I fed. Thoughts bring forth confusion, Voices echo within a technicolor dream, And I must seek for mine, Hidden and doubtful, It would seem.
Kings Emporium and Vintage Clothing is located on Otepopo Street in Herbert. That’s about 22 kilometres or 17 minutes (depending on your driving speed) from Oamaru. According to the shop’s Facebook page, the Emporium is currently closed while some house renovations happen. I can’t say I’ve ever been into the store, however I’ve always thought it would make interesting subject matter for a photo.
At one point in history, The Dunstan Hotel, or ‘The Dunstan’ as it was known locally was the most popular spot in Otago and possibly the entire country. At the height of the Otago Rush, miners from all over New Zealand and the world were flocking to the Otago region, as news of the ‘The Rush’ spread. The gold rush caused many small towns to grow rapidly, one of which was Cylde, known at the time as Dunstan. The Dunstan Hotel was originally built in 1863 and not only featured accommodation but dining, drawing and smoking rooms, as well as a theatre for Saturday night entertainment. It was also the stopping point for the famed Cobb & Co’s coaches that ran from Dunedin to ‘The Dunstan’ and journeyed further on to Arrowtown and Queenstown.
It feels a long time since I spent time going walkabout in the bush. I’m not sure why that is. Having no real photographic home, or location to stick to, I think at some point I simply arrived in town and started wandering the city streets from place to place and never stopped. So, the other day, feeling the need for a change in surroundings I headed into the bush.
Well, it’s fair to say that on this occasion I hadn’t really been staying in one spot for very long until the sun dropped below the horizon. Not being able to settle in one spot, the scene of a low skyline with the silhouette of the hills in the distance formed in front of me. It was then that I found a place to stop for a moment.
With a bit of time to spare and not having to be in any specific place for the time being, I went wandering. If you haven’t spent time idly wandering and aimlessly strolling through a city, then I strongly suggest you do. There’s nothing like letting your soul be carefree for a while and your thoughts drift where they may.
I was going for an aimless stroll, drifting from place to place in central Dunedin with no real purpose when I came across the Carnegie Centre on Moray Place. Noticing a door was open, I wandered inside for a look before spotting an arrow on the floor pointing down the stairs that seemed to be made of masking tape. Taking it as a beacon of light that needed to be followed, I headed down the stairs before finding my way into a sunlit courtyard. Not knowing if I was now officially trespassing or not, I decided it was probably best that I retraced my steps and beg forgiveness if questioned.
… from a Small City. My daily musings from Ōtepoti to get you inspired. Read the blog, view the photos, embrace the creativity.
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The Chingford Stables
The Meridian’s glass dome.
Fleur’s Place in Moeraki
The Dunedin Gasworks Forge
The Lindis Pass – 
