Bethunes Gully – Buy 

As it turns out, it’s possible to hurt yourself while walking, which is a rather silly thing to do, given all my walking experience! Having been exploring some bush tracks, I was about to finish my downhill descent, when I decided that it would be a good idea to step on a smallish rock that as it turns out wasn’t altogether stable. This resulted in my left leg moving involuntarily forward, my right leg stayed where it was while my right knee traveled in a completely different direction. Spending the next week complaining about the pain coming from my knee, I had the good sense to listen to my wife (and for her sanity) and seek treatment.

Dunedin Railway Station – Buy 

After a short walk I stopped and looked. A small army of tourists seemed to be gathering  in front of the Dunedin Railway Station. As far as the eye could see, the party of several hundred had broken up into groups of twos and threes and were carefully studying maps of their planned invasion of the city. This is what I love about seeing cruise ship passengers around New Zealand cities once again, they organise their time with military precision.

The Grand Casino – Buy 

Not being brave enough to venture into any of the shops on my own, I settled for enjoying the colours that were streaming through one of the nearby exits.

Filleul Street Alley Way – Buy 

I came across an empty alleyway with a ramp for cars that traversed two buildings. I’d been past it thousands of times before and never thought much of it, however on this occasion it caught my eye. It was filled with shapes and lines that went in all sorts of directions. On one side a singular brick wall created a tessellating pattern while on the other wall it appeared to be the exact opposite. Everywhere I looked there appeared lines and shapes. It was even free of pointless graffiti and rubbish. The mathematician in me was delighted!

The Otago Peninsula – Buy 

When I awoke, the first thing I did was to listen. I couldn’t hear any wind, nor rain. The next thing I noticed was a lack of morning sunshine streaming in through the windows. It was another, still day in Dunedin with low clouds blanketing the city. The surrounding hillsides were partially obscured by a silent haze and the city itself appeared to have been taken away in the night. There was nothing but dead sea and a kind of tumbling fog that ships in the Bermuda Triangle disappear into. It had been like this for four days and it was starting to feel like groundhog day. It was then that I made a brave and bold decision. I would headout on foot in search of colour!

Fine – Buy 

It was a summer’s day that had started off still and warm which had continued into the late afternoon. Since the calendar had ticked over to the start of summer, the weather so far had been somewhat fickle. A fine day with temperatures reaching into the 20’s would be followed with scattered showers and wind. Suspecting that this pattern might continue, I decided it would be a shame to not visit the beach on the way home.

Christmas in Wall Street – Buy 

On a random impulse, I went for a wander in the Wall Street mall. Something I was a little apprehensive about, having reached an age in life where I don’t fully understand the trends that are evolving around me. Fortunately, I had a large Christmas Tree and a glass reflection to keep me entertained.

Otago Harbour Lookout – Buy 

It’s hard to comprehend just how long ago 13 to 16 millions years really is. That’s a mind boggling length of time. I mention this because that’s how long it’s been since the Otago Harbour was active as a volcano. The highest point of the extinct volcano was around 1000m with the area between Port Chalmers and Portobello being the vent while the surrounding hills Mt Cargill, Flagstaff, Saddle Hill, Signal Hill and Harbour Cone are remnants of the volcanic crater. Then, over the next 11 million years the volcanic mountain was shaped by extensive erosion and fault activity, into valleys and hills that included the forming of harbour which was eventually filled in by the sea.

The Outram-Mosgiel Road – Buy 

The small town of Outram sprang to life as miners headed towards the Otago Goldfields after the rush began in May, 1861. Australian prospector Gabriel Read found gold in a creek bed near Lawrence and seven months later, 14,000 prospectors were found on the Tuapeka and Waipori fields. To get to the gold fields, a majority of the miners went through the small town of Outram. The settlement sprang up on the banks of the Taieri River where travellers were ferried across for a small fee. Later, a bridge and toll house were built but unfortunately a flood in 1863 swept these away. The response was to move the town to higher ground and into its current location.

Portobello Road – Buy 

Flying across the Otago Peninsula we started tracking Portobello Road which runs the length of Otago Peninsula to the small village of Portobello. The bays and inlets looked stunning with long views down to the blue sea, with shades of green, separated only by a road that snaked its way along the base of the land by the sea shore. Perhaps it was the time of day, the weather or the sense of experiencing the world from a different view but it seemed perfect. The land rolling down to the water in splendid hues of colour. I could have looked at it for hours.

St Kilda Beach Sunset – Buy 

I wasn’t quite sure why I had the beach to myself, I began to wonder if people knew something I didn’t. The day had been a complete contrast to the forecast. We were told to expect wind, strong around on the coast with a chance of light showers in the evening. The high being 12 degrees (53 for those of you that work in fahrenheit). However, the rain never arrived and neither did the wind. So, what we were left with was a still, clear day with high clouds and the temperature hitting the late teens. With the light, and heat lingering into the evening, I decided to enjoy the beach.

Olveston Garedn In Rain– Buy 

It had been raining for some time and having gone insearch of an indoor location to dry off I found myself at Olveston. A stately home built between 1904 and 1907 for wealthy merchant English David Theomin who wanted to create an English country house in the city for his family.

The Taieri River – Buy 

This is the Taieri River. Isn’t  it amazing! It starts in the Lammerlaw Range and ambles, meanders and drifts its way from Central Otago, across the Taieri Plains out to Henley before meeting up with the Waipori River and heading out to the South Pacific Ocean.

The Mediterranean Garden – Buy 

I ended up standing on an Italianate terrace in the Mediterranean Garden at the Dunedin Botanical Gardens. Looking beyond the water feature out towards Leith Valley the wind began to pick up and the clouds threatened rain. Maybe it was the weather, however feeling a bit uninspired by everything and unsure what I wanted to see next, I decided to leave the gardens for another day.

First Church – Buy 

I ended with one last look at the spiral of First Church that was reaching into the sky and could be seen through the gaps in the trees. Then, since it was late afternoon and feeling I had done enough walking for one day, I went in search of beer and a bite to eat.

View From The Dowling Street Steps – Buy 

Leaving Burlington Street, I headed along Moray Place before turning left into Princes Street and shortly thereafter I came to Dowling Street. To my left, the street quickly headed down hill to more or less where I had just come from, whereas on my right, I found the Dowling Street steps which gave access to the streets on the hill above. This was to be my next stop on my unplanned, self guided tour of the inner city.

I remember once reading a description of the Dowling Street steps that said ‘the area can attract less desirable attention at night.’ This is code for; if you want to get wasted on cheap liquor in the chilly Dunedin night air, this is the place to be. During the day, it’s a wonderful spot to look into the backyards of buildings along Princes Street. It also provides a view of the tops of people’s heads as they stroll purposefully to meetings, appointments and other places of importance. 

My main reason for waiting to visit these steps was to see the spot where a disarmed World War 1 field gun once stood. It was placed there after the steps were built in 1927 and stayed in place until World War II. Then, people started to fear that the gun might attract the attention of the Japanese Military on a bombing raid so it was taken down in 1943. 

Back in 1927 when the original steps were built to provide a pedestrian thoroughfare, they were also used as an outdoor arena for public addresses. After all, there really is nothing better when you’re giving a rousing public speech than having a WW1 German field gun as a visual aid!

Burns Hall – Buy 

My unscheduled and unplanned tiki-tour of Dunedin buildings led me up Burlington Street which I ascended now. I recently read that Burlington Street is listed in the New Zealand Historical Places list due to its historical significance. At the top of Burlington Street I came across Burns Hall, an impressive multi-story community building that is available for hire. I looked it up and found that among the features listed are trestle tables and cushioned bench seats which would certainly seal the deal for me if I was in the market to hire a community hall.

Otago Harbour – Buy 

I took a detour along the Otago Peninsula. The wind was fairly gusting its way across the harbour and a large bank of dark, ominous clouds hung overhead. However, to my astonishment it didn’t rain, it just threatened to rain all afternoon. The other thought I found somewhat bewildering was the wonderful blue colour of the harbour.