Dunedin, Ōtepoti, Wild Horses

The Chinese New Year In Dunedin

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The Chinese New Year at Lan Yuan in Dunedin 

It was the Chinese New Year. So, as a way to celebrate I visited the Dunedin Chinese Gardens. Opened in 2008, the gardens were created with the support of the Shanghai Municipal Government, are New Zealand’s only authentic Chinese Garden and when it opened, one of only three outside China. They are well worth a visit and so, that’s just what I did! 

The place was peaceful and quiet. An inner city oasis filled with tranquil waterfalls and ponds, connected with calm and serene walkways that make all thoughts of the busy city outside its walls, drift away.  Inside the gardens were in festive preparation mode with decorative lanterns gently swaying in the light breeze. All around, there were signs that a busy evening was in store yet the place remained calm and peaceful. If this was anywhere else, with thousands of people expected in a few hours, it would be mayhem!  Yet, here nothing seemed a bother. Everything was happening in a placid, slow motion sort of way, it was all rather nice. 

While I was there I decided to brush up on my knowledge of the Chinese zodiac signs. This year is the year of the Snake however there are twelve in total, all of which have lucky meanings and characteristics. It is believed that people born in a given year have the personality of that year’s animal. If you are an Ox you’re diligent, dependable and strong while those who are a Dog are lovely, honest and prudent. I was born in the year of the Dragon, meaning not only am I the coolest of all the animals, but I’m also confident, intelligent and enthusiastic. They also seem to have missed out devilishly handsome, but I’m willing to let that one slide. 

The festivities in the evening began at 7pm sharp with the gardens open to visitors while outside a Dragon parade made its way a short distance from the centre of the city to the main entrance. At that point a Dragon Dance took place before other various cultural dances and performance celebrations were held, culminating in a grand fireworks display that lit-up the evening sky.        

All of this I missed due to a prior engagement, except for the spectacular 10 minute fireworks display over the harbour basin and could be seen all over the city.

Dunedin, Ōtepoti, Wild Horses

Life Happens, Coffee Helps

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Crawford Street in Dunedin

It was 5:30am and I was functioning without a morning injection of black coffee into my system. I wasn’t even sure what I was doing up! It had all seemed such a good idea the previous evening, getting up early and photographing the city before sunrise! Now, here I was, standing near a set of traffic lights, barely able to string together a coherent thought. I vowed to seek out a cup of joe as soon as possible. Despite my sluggish brain at such an early hour, one question kept nagging at me; how did we become so addicted to coffee? It can’t have always been like this, right? Surely, there must have been a point in history when the consumption of coffee in the morning skyrocketed and people worked out they might actually be able to make a tidy profit selling the stuff. I pondered this a little longer before setting to see if I could find a coffee vendor at such an hour!

Aotearoa, Dunedin, Ōtepoti, Travel, Wild Horses

The Glow Worms at Nicols Creek

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The Glow Worms at Nicols Creek

I left Nicols Falls and stopped off at the Glow worms on my way back down the hill. During my time at the falls, the rain had gotten harder, the track more slippery and to make matters worse, a breeze had picked up. This had the annoying effect of shaking large amounts of rain off the leaves above-directly onto me! No matter where I stood, the water would hit me in sudden bursts. Thump! Thump! Thump! It felt like being shot from a mega charged water-pistol! 

Just as I began to think the rain might ease, it would bucket down again, followed by gusts of wind that shook the trees- Thump! Thump! Thump! By the time I reached the Glow worms, I was soaked from head to toe. Worse still, I realised I wouldn’t even be able to see the glow worms. Instead, l found myself standing in the rain, photographing a forest path beside a small stream and waterfall that tumbled over moss-covered rocks, surrounded by lush green foliage.

Oddly enough, it was all rather satisfying!

Aotearoa, Dunedin, Ōtepoti, Travel, Wild Horses

Nicols Falls In Dunedin

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Nicols Falls in Dunedin

It was Sunday morning and low clouds, mist and rain hung over the city like a bad hangover. This wasn’t the summer I’d been hoping for, or expecting. What I wanted was long, endless days of sunshine that ran for weeks and weeks at a time. That was back when summer was a sparkle on the horizon during a dreary spring day and everyone eagerly looked forward to wearing bikinis, speedos and board shorts at the beach or beside a lake from dawn to dusk. The day would then be completed with a BBQ that ran late into the night. Then, the next day, you’d do it all over again because that’s what summer’s for. 

Some months back, I remember reading predictions from experts about what we could expect, weather wise for summer. There’d been much talk about climate cycles and weather patterns. Experts had used terms I didn’t completely understand like La Niña, El Niño, El Paso, El Taco and El Capitán (some of those might not be quite right!). Now, I’m not sure what all that means, but what we got was long periods of El shitty weather and La crappie days of rain.

On this occasion, I didn’t want to be stuck in doors, I needed exercise, I needed to walk-regardless of how hard it was raining. A thought that had been lingering in the back of my mind for a few weeks was a stroll up to Nicols Falls located in the Glenleith, Leith Valley area of Dunedin. And so, that’s just what I did. I have to say, the falls aren’t actually that impressive, but it’s fun bounding over the boulders and through the streams along the way.

Dunedin, Ōtepoti, Wild Horses

Hydro Surf Shop at Dawn

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Hydro Surf Shop at dawn

I spent the first hours of the day walking along the beach. It was that eerie period, just before sunrise when the light shifts and the world seems neither awake nor asleep-stuck between a world of dreams and the realities of life. 

The beach was quiet. Most people were sensibly still in bed-it was 5:30am, after all. Even the cafe’s weren’t open yet. I left the beach with the low tide splashing around my feet and trudged up a set of steps, my soaked shoes squelching as I went. I continued along the Esplanade, occasionally I would pass someone and we’d give each other a look that said ‘thank god I’m not the only one crazy enough to be up at this hour!’  

I stood for a few moments and watched the light shift once more, was it worth the 5:00am start? Yes! 

Dunedin, Ōtepoti, Wild Horses

Tom or Steve From Accounts

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Ancestral Figure – Carved from soft trachyte – Easter Island

I’d been rummaging through the shelves at a local bookshop. Not knowing what I was looking for or finding it, I departed out onto the footpath. I was due to meet my wife at 2:45 pm and with 30 minutes to spare, I decided to fill the time with a wander around a nearby museum. Once inside, for no particular reason I made my way to Pacific Island Gallery. I strolled around for a while, looked in display cases, read labels, mispronounced words written in other languages and generally tried to look knowledgeable and thoughtful. It was then that I came across a series of stone statues typically associated with Easter Island and other Polynesian cultures. Unfortunately, due to the display lacking an information sign, I didn’t know what they were. All it said was ‘Ancestral Figure – Carved from soft trachyte – Easter Island.’ They could be ancient fertility figures or figures representing masculinity for all I knew! Then again, it might be Tom or Steve from accounts. But, I really don’t know!

Beach, Dunedin, Ōtepoti, Wild Horses

Dune Protection at Smails Beach

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Dune protection at Smails Beach

While driving along the winding roads of the Otago Peninsula, I stopped at a number of scenic spots. One of them was Smails Beach. Nestled on the Otago coast near the start of the peninsula, it features long stretches of smooth white sand, great surf, sweeping views, and a variety of wildlife.

Apart from a few lazy sea lions and a gathering of overly aggressive red-billed gulls, I had the beach to myself. The tide had left large mounds of seaweed scattered across the sand from high tide. With time on my hands, I strolled to the far end of the beach, clumsily climbing a few sand dunes to get a different perspective on the way back. It was while descending one of these dunes that I spotted an old fence line, half-buried in the sand. Intrigued by the angles, I set up my tripod and camera. As I focused on the vista in front of me, lost in thought, I felt a tap on my shoulder.

I looked up to see a smartly dressed man in his mid-thirties grinning at me like he’d just won the lottery or on some really fantastic drug.
“Say, what type of camera have you got?” he asked.
“A black one,” I always think about replying.

I won’t bore you with the rest of the conversation, but seriously—why? Why do people feel compelled to interrupt me mid-photo just to talk about their own camera and its features? I don’t go around interrupting people on the phone, saying:
“Hey, I’ve got an iPhone 11 Pro. Mine’s space gray! Does yours have the Super Retina XDR display with a 5.8-inch OLED Multi-Touch screen with HDR and True Tone wide color?”

Thankfully, just as I began to think I’d be stuck in that conversation forever, a DOC ranger appeared, and suddenly sea lion pups became much more interesting to my new friend. I took this opportune moment to beat a hasty retreat or should I say escape.

Dunedin, Otago Peninsula, Wild Horses

Sandymount Recreational Reserve

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Sandy Mount Recreational Reserve walking track

I spent the morning exploring the Otago Peninsula. Eventually coming across the Sandymount Recreational Reserve. There used to be tracks that led to natural land features called the Chasm and Lover’s Leap but those old tracks are now closed and there are mean spirited warning signs that tell you so; ‘Warning significant falls exist.’ ‘High winds and falling trees – beware!’ ‘Unstable land and high cliffs-keep to marked tracks’ and ‘Brodifacoum Poison do not eat!’

Fortunately the new track leads to a viewing platform that offers a stunning vista looking out over Allans Beach, Hoopers Inlet, Mt Charles and inland to Harbour Cone, so you’re not really missing too much. However, on this occasion, the track was closed as the farmer was separating Lambs from Ewes or doing some other farm-ish activity I didn’t understand. So, I amused myself by walking through the trees trying to guess how old they were. My estimate was 376 years, 4 months and 17 days. Though, I’m willing to admit I might be slightly off!

Beach, Beach Life, Dunedin, Ōtepoti, Wild Horses

Summer Change At Lawyers Head

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Summer change at Lawyers Head

The warmth of the afternoon that had seemingly lingered forever, finally gave way late in the day. The clear blue skies had been engulfed by a dark, mood bank of cloud that had rolled in, bringing with it intense wind gusts that seemed intent on battering everything in its path. The once calm and peaceful blue ocean had been transformed into a brooding, angry mass that was beginning to churn and swell into the rocky shoreline of Lawyers Head and beyond to St Kilda beach. Far off in the distance the gathering clouds gave an ominous prediction of heavy rain. The once lovely summer’s day had suddenly changed, almost as if by the flick of a switch.