#dailyat6am, #fromthefootpath, Melbourne, Victoria, Wild Horses

The Bridge With It’s Own Morgue

August 17, 2026 John Caswell Leave a comment

Daily Photo – The Seafarers Bridge in Melbourne

This is one of the many bridges that span the Yarra River in Melbourne. I think it’s called the Seafarers Bridge. Now, while the rest of today’s post has nothing to do with the Seafarers Bridge, simply mentioning both the Yarra River and bridges enables me to share with you the fact that Melbourne once had a morgue built into a bridge.

In the 1850s, Melbourne had a rather unpleasant problem. The Yarra had a habit of giving up its dead, and someone had to deal with the bodies when they appeared. So, beneath what is now Federation Square, at the eastern end of Princes Bridge the city built a morgue into the riverbank. It contained a deadhouse, an inquest court and even a laboratory, all tucked away beneath the bridge. The planners apparently thought this was best kept out of sight and intended to hide the whole grisly business behind shrubs, presumably so pedestrians could cross the bridge without having to contemplate quite how much death was passing beneath their feet.

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#dailyat6am, #fromthefootpath, Central Otago, Ida Valley, Wild Horses

The Doors of Perception: Infinite

August 16, 2026 John Caswell Leave a comment

Daily Photo – The Doors of Perception: Infinite

When Jim Morrison and Ray Manzarek formed the band The Doors in 1965, Jim Morrison proposed the name ‘The Doors’ to symbolise breaking through everyday reality into the unknown. However, it wasn’t an entirely original concept. Morrison was blending two of his favourite literary influences, William Blake and Aldous Huxley. In his poem The Marriage of Heaven and Hell, William Blake wrote: “If the doors of perception were cleansed every thing would appear to man as it is, Infinite.” Whereas Aldous Huxley borrowed Blake’s phrase for the title of his famous book about psychedelic experiences, The Doors of Perception.

So, when a name for the band was needed, “The Doors” immediately came to mind. While they weren’t talking about physical doors, but rather how the mind receives, filters and processes reality through the cognitive filters of human consciousness, it’s still fun to wonder what might be beyond the random ones that pop up unexpectedly. In this case, I like to think a Dragon named Droofus but it’s more likely to be a stack of chairs.

#fromthefootpath, Dunedin, Wild Horses

Stream at Ross Creek

August 15, 2026 John Caswell Leave a comment

Daily Photo – Stream at Ross Creek

There are a few things you can be certain of in Dunedin, one of which is never being too far away from a bush walk. Thankfully when the city was first planned by surveyor Frederick Tuckett and then later Charles Kettle, the first European settlers were smart enough not to flatten every single piece of hill and bush before turning them into roads and buildings! In fact, they even had the foresight to block off large sections of bush near the city to create an extensive town belt. Even if it was to create open spaces and natural green areas to alleviate slums, disease and crime, today it has turned out rather well and if they were around to see it, I’m sure they’d be rather pleased! Within 5 minutes of leaving the city centre you can be walking in replanted forest that is filled with native birds and on tracks that lead from the city centre to the higher hills suburbs which I think is simply splendid.

#dailyat6am, #fromthefootpath, Dunedin, Ōtepoti, Wild Horses

The Short History of Speight’s

August 10, 2026 John Caswell Leave a comment

Daily Photo – J.Speight’s & Co

Here’s a photo I took one of of my wanderings.
In 1876, when James Speight, Charles Greenslade and William Dawson handed in their notices at Dunedin’s Wellpark Brewery, it all worked out rather well. Between them, they had a useful combination of skills. Dawson was a brewer, Greenslade a maltster, and Speight a businessman. They leased a building on Rattray Street and went into business for themselves.

They mixed some malt and hops together and, impressed with the results, named the beverage Speight’s. More than 150 years later, the brewery remains on Rattray Street, where it has been ever since.

#dailyat6am, #fromthefootpath, Dunedin, Ōtepoti, Wild Horses

Bridge On The Otago Harbour Cycleway

August 9, 2026 John Caswell Leave a comment

Daily Photo – Bridge On The Otago Harbour Cycleway

There’s something satisfying about a bridge that makes you stop and look before you cross it, or take a second look once across the other side.

This one is part of the Otago Harbour Cycleway and stretches across the Water of Leith with its cables pulling away in every direction. It turns what is essentially a fairly simple footbridge into something that looks rather more dramatic than it probably needs to be. From this angle, the lines all seem to converge on the centre, drawing you towards the other side.

I like places such as this. A bridge is usually somewhere you cross without thinking much about it. You are going from here to there, and the bit in between is simply something to get over. They’re not necessarily spectacular destinations, but they give you a reason to slow down.

#dailyat6am, #fromthefootpath, Dunedin, Ōtepoti, Wild Horses

Dunedin Harbour Walk

August 6, 2026 John Caswell Leave a comment

Daily Photo – Along the Otago Harbour

Dunedin isn’t a bad place to live if you like walking. You’re never far from the beach, the bush or the harbour. You can head up into the hills for sweeping views or stay down on the flat, depending on what sort of walk you’re in the mood for.

This is one of my favourite harbour tracks, a place where several paths branch off in different directions, making it easy to turn a short stroll into a much longer wander. It can be a wild place when the wind funnels down the harbour, strong enough to make you lean into every step. But on a calm day, with the water shimmering and the hills reflected in the harbour, it’s a pretty good spot.

#dailyat6am, #fromthefootpath, Auckland, North Island, Wild Horses

Wandering On Queen Street In Auckland

July 29, 2026 John Caswell Leave a comment

Daily Photo – Queen Street in Auckland

On a drizzly afternoon on Queen Street, I found myself standing in front of a rather wonderful reminder that Auckland wasn’t always made of glass, steel and buildings that look as though they were designed by the same person.

The Guardian building sits among the modern towers of the CBD, an ornate survivor from another Auckland, when buildings were built from completely different materials. Its neo-Renaissance façade is covered in the sort of detail that seems increasingly rare these days, from the grand columns of the entrance to the rather splendid copper-clad clock that hangs above the street. Once the home of the Auckland Stock Exchange, and the New Zealand Insurance Company’s administration, the only housing in the building was the caretaker’s flat on the eighth floor.

In the wet, the building seemed to take on an entirely different character. The rain-darkened pavement reflected the grey sky and the facade, softening the whole scene and making it look even more like a survivor from another time.

#dailyat6am, #fromthefootpath, Creativity, Dunedin, Wild Horses

An Astonishing Piece of Bad Luck

July 26, 2026 John Caswell Leave a comment

Daily Photo – Geometric Dunedin

Not far from where I took this wonderfully geometric photograph is Dowling Street, a street that owes its origins to the need to make central Dunedin a more accessible place. It was while looking for information for my current series, Tales from the Devil’s Half-Acre, that I came across an interesting wee tale that I’d like to share.

When Dowling Street was first created, a substantial amount of blasting was required to form the cutting. The mayor at the time, John Barnes, awarded the job of supervising the work to his son, William, who, importantly as it turns out, had no qualifications whatsoever for the position.

What transpired was nothing more than an astonishing piece of bad luck and sensational tragedy. The blasting that took place, naturally enough, sent massive pieces of rock and boulders flying in all directions. One of these was catapulted through the air before crashing through the ceiling of a nearby business, striking a Mrs Finch.

Mrs Finch, the poor thing, just happened to be working quietly upstairs when the huge rock came crashing in from above. Naturally, it killed her instantly, and I dare say she wouldn’t have had the faintest idea what hit her!

#dailyat6am, #fromthefootpath, Aotearoa, Beach, Beach Life, Dunedin, New Zealand, Wild Horses

The Pizza, Beer & Bus Experiment

July 25, 2026 John Caswell Leave a comment

Daily Photo – Evening tail lights at St Clair

I’d spent the evening dining on pizza and beer and, when at last it was time to depart, I settled the bill and went in search of a bus! Not more than a few minutes later, I spotted my means of transportation disappearing into the distance. I took this as a sign from the Universe, and one that must be followed immediately! So, I went back to the establishment I had just departed from, ordered another beer, and decided to study the bus timetable a little more carefully!

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#fromthefootpath, #fromtheroad, Creativity, iphone, Wild Horses

Another Visit To My Live Feed

July 23, 2026 John Caswell Leave a comment

Another selection from my Live Feed with a mostly wintery feel and a few that haven’t been published yet. You can head over to the page right now using this link: Live Feed

Daily Photo – “I wander thro’ each charter’d street”

#dailyat6am, #fromthefootpath, Akaroa, Aotearoa, Banks Peninusla, South Island

Peninusla General Store in Akaroa

July 16, 2026 John Caswell Leave a comment

Daily Photo – Peninusla General Store in Akaroa

The first morning I was in Akaroa, I called into the farmers’ market and took the opportunity to have a slow wander around the various stalls. After poking my nose around for a while, I stopped at a food truck called Zed’s Shed and ordered a bacon butty for brunch before setting off in search of caffeine.

One of the good things about Akaroa is that the township is wonderfully suited to walking. Spread across several bays, you can happily spend your time aimlessly drifting in and out of shops, rummaging through shelves, or doing what I did: sit on a park bench while dripping grease and coffee down the front of my shirt, making it abundantly clear to everyone I met that I really shouldn’t be allowed to eat in public without a bib.

#fromthefootpath, Creativity, iphone, Wild Horses