Aotearoa, Dunedin, Observation, Ōtepoti, Wild Horses

Exploring Olveston: Inside Dunedin’s Grand Historic Home

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Daily Photo – Dunedin’s Most Elegant Edwardian Home

After an hour or so of wandering aimlessly through the museum, my mind started to drift toward what else the city might be hiding. Curiosity eventually nudged me uphill, into the Dunedin suburbs, and toward the stately home of Olveston. Spread over one acre, the site originally held an eight-room villa purchased by the Theomin family on Royal Terrace in 1881. Twenty years later they bought an adjacent property, and in 1904 they acquired another, giving them enough land to plan a new house and garden across all three sections. Construction began soon after and, by 1907, David Theomin — a wealthy English merchant who wanted to create an English country house in the city for his wife Marie and their children, Edward and Dorothy — had completed the grand four-storey home.

The finished house featured reception rooms, a library, a kitchen, a dining room, downstairs guest rooms, and a galleried hall rising from the ground to the upper floors, which also served as a ballroom. There was a billiard room, a card room, and numerous bedrooms, with the servants’ quarters on the top floor and a large laundry in the basement. Olveston remained a family home from the time it was completed until 1966, when Dorothy, the last surviving member of the Theomin family, passed away. She bequeathed the property to the City of Dunedin, and it opened to the public the following year.

#dailyat6am, Dunedin, Observation, Ōtepoti, Wild Horses

Juvenile Fin Whale at Otago Musuem

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Daily Photo – Juvenile Fin Whale at Otago Musuem

I headed for the Otago Museum because it had started to rain and wandering around a Museum seemed just the thing for a lazy Saturday afternoon. In the main foyer of the Museum is a cafe called Precinct. It was busy and doing a brisk trade of coffee, hot chocolates and all manner of food orders that hungry customers were happily tucking into. I passed them by and headed up the staircase to the top floor of the museum which is labeled the Animal Attic – a room that contains some 3,000 historical specimens, with a mix of taxidermied animals, pinned insects, and preserved specimens. Tucked away in this room, in a small jar, is the single greatest thing on display in the entire museum – that being ‘The Rat King’. 

A Rat King is formed when the tails of a group of rats become tied together in a way so they can’t escape. Usually the tails are knotted and entangled with straw, hay, hair or other material found close to their nests. The largest Rat King ever discovered was in May 1828 when a miller in Buchheim, Germany, pulled apart the walls of his chimney and uncovered a mummified tangle of thirty-two rats. The animals were hairless, black with soot, and their tails had become tightly knotted together. The miller passed the strange find to the local natural history society and it eventually made its way to the Mauritianum Museum in Altenburg, where it is still kept on display to this day. The Rat King on display at Otago Museum isn’t quite as large as that, it is made up of only eight rats, but it’s very impressive none the less. It was donated to the museum in the 1930’s when the rats were found to have fallen from a nest that was located in a local shipping company shed and became tangled together with horse hair. 

The room one floor below the Animal Attic is called The Maritime Gallery which celebrates the seafaring stories of Otago. Pride of place is the skeleton of a 17 metre long juvenile fin whale which has been hanging peacefully from iron girders since 1883. Unusually for whale skeletons, this one has been kept in exceptional condition having been on display for more than 100 years and has an extremely colourful past. Originally it was found on the beach at the entrance to the Waimea River, Nelson, in 1882 by Captain William Jackson Barry. An ex-whaler who made a living from lecturing throughout New Zealand – he exhibited the skeleton at a store in Nelson, before touring the country with it.

In 1883 he sold it to the Otago Museum but before he did so, he did a rather strange and curious thing. While exhibiting the skeleton in a warehouse he hosted a number of invited groups to dine on a three course meal inside its ribcage. At the time of its acquisition by the museum, having a full whale skeleton was a big deal and suspending such an item in a historic building required some ingenious, out of the box thinking and quite a feat of engineering – where it has been fascinating people ever since.  

The thing that strikes you immediately about the specimen is the size – at 17 metres it isn’t even fully grown, adult fin whales can grow up to 27 to 30 metres in length. If nothing else, it shows you just how truly immense these creatures are and how vast the ocean must be. The thought is mind boggling! 

#dailyat6am, Dunedin, Observation, Ōtepoti, Wild Horses

New Zealand Centennial Commemorative Lookout

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Daily Photo – New Zealand Centennial Commemorative Lookout

Back in the 1840s, when a group of Scots became disgruntled with life in their bonny wee part of the world, they did what any sane, rational human would do. They packed up all their worldly possessions, bundled them into a boat, and sailed 14,000 miles to begin a new life in a place they had never seen and probably could not have found on a map. Fortunately for them, a few of their English counterparts from down the road in London had recently signed a treaty with local indigenous chiefs at their intended destination. This at least gave the newcomers the sense that settling would be reasonably straightforward.

So, when the first of these settlers arrived on the shores of what would later become the city of Dunedin in 1848, they wasted no time in making everything look nice and homely. Over the years, from the trees and mudflats on the edge of their new home, a delightful wee town slowly rose with all the charm and industriousness you would expect from a determined group of Scots keen to recreate a slice of Scotland at the bottom of the world.

One hundred years later, keen to celebrate what a wonderful job their ancestors had done and to mark the centenary of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi, everyone agreed that a New Zealand Centennial Commemorative Lookout would be the perfect way to give the city a well-deserved pat on the back. Plans moved along swiftly and a local hill called Signal Hill was chosen as the site of the new landmark. Its height and commanding views over the Otago Harbour were obvious advantages. It was also accessible by road and already an important navigation and communication point, since a coal beacon signal station and flagstaff on its summit had long helped guide ships through the narrow harbour. It was, in all respects, an ideal location.

Needing an architect to complete the design, the job went to Henry McDowell Smith, somewhat of a celebrity in South Island architectural circles, he quickly got to work. The foundation stone was laid by the Mayor in February 1940 and the official inauguration followed in April. Unfortunately, things did not go smoothly after that. The entire project would not be finished for another fifteen years, a full decade later than planned. The main delay was caused by a certain German fellow with a small moustache who decided he would try to take over the world, starting with Europe. Understandably, this held things up for quite some time while the mess was being dealt with.

Things got back on track in the 1950s when progress finally picked up again. The site was completed and two bronze sculptures were commissioned to stand on either side of the monument. The entire project was finished in 1957. Today, residents have a commanding stone Centennial Memorial, flanked by impressive bronze figures, that offers spectacular panoramic views of Dunedin City and the Otago Harbour.

#dailyat6am, Creativity, Dunedin, Observation, Ōtepoti, Wild Horses

The Quiet Night Air of the Esplanade

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Daily Photo – The Quiet Night Air of the Esplanade

I waited a few moments for a light rain shower to pass before strolling along the beachfront. I passed both the St Clair Surf Lifesaving club and the statue of ‘Mum’ (a famous local Sea Lion) and looked out beyond rows of sand sausages – massive long tubes made of mesh, filled with sand and put in place to help slow coastal erosion. I watched the incoming tide for a few minutes, turned and headed for the far opposite end of the Esplanade. The whole area was quiet in the fading light as the street lights started to take hold. Reaching the end of the Esplanade by the Salt Water Pool, I paused beside a cafe that must have closed several hours ago. Once again I stood and watched the tide roll in, breaking against the rocks before receding out into the backwash. Every so often patches of sand became exposed, revealing leftover seaweed and driftwood that would shift and move with the tide. I took a moment to look out across the ocean. As the light had continued to fade, the sea had taken on a moody grey-blue complexion. Suddenly to my left the lights of the Hotel St Clair came on and drew my attention back to the Esplanade. In the blue hour of evening, I walked in the salty sea air as darkness held. The lights from the hotel reflected off the road’s glossy surface, created from light misty rain that had recently passed through. The glow of the lights from the hotel revealed a cleaning crew packing up from the day while the restaurant was just starting to become busy. Occasionally, a passing vehicle would slowly pass along couples holding hands, walking in the calm and quiet night air.

#dailyat6am, Creativity, Dunedin, Observation, Ōtepoti, Wild Horses

Otago Harbour Sunset

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Daily Photo – Otago Harbour Sunset

That evening I went for a slow walk along one of the tracks on the top ridgeline of the peninsula. It was late in the day and, with just enough time left before sunset, I spent a short while making random stops, pushing my way through long grass and tripping over hidden rocks while the sky shifted through a range of colours. It had been a long day and my feet were tired, I was hungry and ready for a drink. I found a rock and sat for a moment letting the last light disappear while I paused to take in a final view of Otago Harbour. It had been a good day.

#dailyat6am, Creativity, Dunedin, Observation, Ōtepoti, Wild Horses

King Edward Technical College

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Daily Photo – King Edward Technical College

Later in the day I went into a café near the Octagon, bought a Coke, and sat in the window with the book I’d been reading. I read for a minute or two before finding myself simply watching the passing scene. It was surprisingly busy for a weekday afternoon. People stood in large groups on the footpath, looking lost and pointing in all sorts of directions before  shuffling off at more or less the same time in more or less the same direction.

I watched all this with great fascination, occasionally sipping my drink and abandoning my book entirely. Then it hit me like a bolt of lightning. I knew exactly who these people were: cruise ship passengers. Suddenly everything made sense. The guidebooks, the cameras, the maps, the heavy jackets, the peaked sun caps, and the expressions that hovered somewhere between confusion and forced interest. Dunedin had entered cruise ship season, and for the next five months the city would be crawling with people who didn’t quite know where they were or what they were doing here. Come to think of it, that could also describe a fair number of the city’s university students.

Having finished my drink, I gathered my things and made my way up Stuart Street, passing the stunning St Paul’s Cathedral and the old Fortune Theatre. After crossing Moray Place and Smith Street, I found myself opposite the former King Edward Technical College. It is a truly impressive building when you stop and take it all in, yet it seems oddly forgotten about in recent times until it made the news when a truck crashed into it or the owner floated the idea of selling it. Suddenly, everyone leaped up in outrage about what a travesty it would be to lose such a place. Then the news faded and people went back to ignoring it.

The building really is remarkable. For twenty years it was New Zealand’s largest secondary school. It boasted a saltwater swimming pool, which was quite fancy for a school at the time, a walk-in safe, which is not something you expect in a school, and it is listed as a Category I historic place, meaning it holds special or outstanding historical or cultural significance. Yet when it went up for sale in 2022, the local council chose not to buy it due to financial limitations, competing priorities, and risk. That left the way clear for a private buyer to swoop in and purchase it for $2.9 million and do whatever he likes with it.

Is it just me, or is that a tiny bit sad?

Creativity, Observation, Wild Horses

S T I L L

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Daily Photo – Reflections

Behold the passive tide. 
On these tranquil waters, lie our reflections of the day. 
Solidarity in the afternoon sun, our thoughts gone from us a long while.
Me, I have no opinion o dreamer in this thoughtful moment.
I’ll only stay a short while and you no minute longer, mind lost in experience or wonder.

Dunedin, Observation, Ōtepoti, Wild Horses

Dunedin’s Quiet Moments: Overbridge Sunrise

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Overbridge sunrise

The forecast for the day was for long periods of fine weather with evening high cloud, light northeasterlies, and a high of a delicious 20 degrees.

Now 20 degrees — for Dunedin at any time of year — is practically tropical, but in May is simply unheard of. The city’s infrastructure simply isn’t built to handle such extreme weather. When you take into consideration that this was the third day of the current run of fine weather, Dunedin was approaching, it must be said — a heatwave. 

In fact, we were teetering on the brink of what I like to call the John Caswell Heatwave Threshold —  an entirely unscientific, arbitrary benchmark that is based on nothing but my own personal feelings about the weather! To be clear, my own personal threshold for heatwave in Dunedin is as follows: any spell of weather that is better than the previous summer. So, while my system might not be as reliable as the official one, it’s my rule, so I get to make-up the parameters.

Now, the previous summer, and I will be quite frank here, was simply awful. It was a masterclass in disappointment. Throughout most of December, January, and into February, there hadn’t been more than three days in a row where the weather was fine, warm, and pleasant. What you might traditionally associate with summer. Most of the time, there had been low cloud, wind and long periods of rain hanging around the city like it had nowhere better to be.

Yet, here I was, on a warm Dunedin morning in May, watching the sun appear over the peninsula, with another long, fine day in prospect, wondering if we’d need to declare a state of emergency if the mercury hit 21 degrees. The only question was, what was I going to do with it? A completely rhetorical question I can assure you.

Dunedin, Observation, Ōtepoti, Wild Horses

Erricks & the One Man Skiffle Band.

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Closing time at Erricks

In the evening I went to Erricks, a music, hospitality, entertainment and accommodation venue that hosts anything from 50th birthdays, to music concerts for up to 500 people. On this occasion, I was there to see Li’l Chuck, who is advertised as a one man skiffle band. Now, to be completely honest, I wasn’t entirely sure what a skiffle band was, or what to expect from a one man operation. However, I figured he would either be really good or I’d be spending a lot of time at the bar! 

But I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised. I have certainly paid a lot more, to see much more well known artists, who have played a lot worse. After several hours, when the concert finished, I walked away in a very contented frame of mind. 

Creativity, Dunedin, Observation, Ōtepoti, Wild Horses

Hollis Brown

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Homestead near Dunedin

In 1964, Bob Dylan released his third album, titled The Times They Are A-Changin’. On that album was a song called The Ballad of Hollis Brown. In that song he told the fictitious story of Hollis Brown, a South Dakota farmer who, overwhelmed by the desperation of poverty, took a shotgun and shot his five young children, his wife, and finally himself. When I listen to that song, in my mind’s eye, I like to think that Hollis Brown’s cabin and surrounding farmland looked something like this.

The Ballad of Hollis Brown. (song: Bob Dylan, 1964)

Dunedin, Observation, Otago, Ōtepoti, Wild Horses

In the Shadows of Morning

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Twilight on Lower Stuart Street

After I’d spent some time photographing trucks barreling along the city’s one-way system, I took the time to casually wander around some of the city’s historic buildings that have been lovingly restored to show-off their magnificence and glory. They all looked rather fetching, lit-up in the half-light.

As the twilight faded and vanished from sight, the sky seemed to sing in a golden chorus of echoes that hung in the air and  lingered in the empty streets and dimly-lit lanes. It was that strange time of day when the shadows of morning took hold, and the city wasn’t really awake, yet no longer asleep.

Creativity, Dunedin, Dunedin Street Art, Observation, Wild Horses

Chasing the Thin White Cloud

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Dunedin Street Art

Near the heart of Dunedin, vibrant murals have transformed some of the urban walls into a gallery of wonder. One titled ‘Chasing the Thin White Cloud‘ by Fintan Magee is a stunning five-storey mural, while another by the artist Bezet is an amazing three-story creation of a young woman lying in a bed of flowers in a forest. With a backdrop of historic architecture, the art street scene has added a creative soul into the city’s urban identity.

Dunedin, Observation, Ōtepoti, Wild Horses

Tomahawk Beach & Ocean Grove

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Dunedin’s eastern coastline at dusk.

It was one of those days that required an evening walk, simply because it was just too nice to not be outside. The route took me through a cemetery, a golf course, along a beach and up a road before coming across a view of Dunedin’s eastern coastline as dusk took hold. With caution, I pushed my way through the bush on the side of the road until I came to a clearing that gave an uninterrupted vantage point of Tomahawk Beach to the south. Watching the sun set, it wasn’t a bad way to end the day.

Dunedin, Observation, Ōtepoti, Wild Horses

Now For Something Highly Unusual

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Ross Creek during torrential rain on Friday morning.

Water of Leith near George Street on Friday morning.

Here’s a statistic for you, yesterday Dunedin had its wettest day in over a century. Three times the usual rainfall expected in October fell in the city in just 48 hours causing 38 road closures. It seems that the Metservice got it spot on with their heavy rain warnings earlier in the week. That really was a significant amount of rain that fell and was definitely a highly unusual event. Now, remind me again what sunshine looks like?

Aotearoa, Dunedin, Observation, Ōtepoti, Travel, Wild Horses

Breakfast At Maggies

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Maggie’s Tearoom – Bar – Arcade

While I pondered what to do for the rest of the day, I called into a local cafe called Maggies. Needing coffee and breakfast after taking photos on the harbour, I ordered and pushed my way into a booth to consider my options. The place was already reasonably busy with the morning work crowd, so I happily watched people rush around for a while as I fueled myself for the day. As I finished off the last pieces of bacon in front of me, while scrolling through my phone, I found a few notes I’d forgotten about. One of which said, Naseby – curling. Not recalling where or when I wrote this, or even many of the details as to why I wanted to visit the small town, I flicked my phone over to google maps. A search and a few seconds later, I was informed that the drive would take around 1 hour 45 minutes at a distance of almost 150 kilometres. Not having anything else planned for the day, ‘well why not’ I thought to myself. So with that, I left the busy cafe, settled into my car and headed for the small town of Naseby.

Creativity, Dunedin, Observation, Ōtepoti, Wild Horses

Street Art By Phlegm

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Street Art by UK artist Phlegm

The Dunedin street art scene kicked off in around 2014 when local and international artists were invited to add colour to some of the city walls. Since then, murals have appeared all over the city. It’s really not hard to come across street art in Dunedin. One of the earlier pieces was this one by Welsh-born Sheffield-based muralist and artist Phlegm that can be found on Vogel Street on the exterior wall of Vogel Street Kitchen. 

Aotearoa, Beach, Beach Life, Dunedin, Observation, Ōtepoti, Wild Horses

Hotel St Clair & Tītī Restaurant

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Hotel St Clair & Tītī Restaurant

Without any real intention or set purpose, I returned to the Esplanade at St Clair. I’d been there only a few days earlier, only this time was different. On the previous occasion, I’d spent a glorious afternoon exploring the rock pools surrounding the St Clair Salt Water Pool at low tide. This time however, for reasons I wasn’t sure about and with no-set agenda, I needed to walk. Now, sitting in my car, I waited a few moments for a light rain shower to pass before strolling along the beachfront. I passed both the St Clair Surf Lifesaving club and the statue of ‘Mum’ (a famous local Sea Lion) and looked out beyond rows of sand sausages – massive long tubes made of mesh, filled with sand and put in place to help slow coastal erosion. I watched the incoming tide for a few minutes, turned and headed for the far opposite end of the Esplanade. The whole area was quiet in the fading light as the street lights started to take hold. Reaching the end of the Esplanade by the Salt Water Pool, I paused beside a cafe that must have closed several hours ago. Once again I stood and watched the tide roll in, breaking against the rocks before receding out into the backwash. Every so often patches of sand became exposed, revealing leftover seaweed and driftwood that would shift and move with the tide. I took a moment to look out across the ocean. As the light had continued to fade, the sea had taken on a moody grey-blue complexion. Suddenly to my left the lights of the Hotel St Clair came on and drew my attention back to the Esplanade. In the blue hour of evening, I walked in the salty sea air as darkness held. The lights from the hotel reflected off the road’s glossy surface, created from light misty rain that had recently passed through. The glow of the lights from the hotel revealed a cleaning crew packing up from the day while the restaurant was just starting to become busy. Occasionally, a passing vehicle would slowly pass along couples holding hands, walking in the calm and quiet night air.

Creativity, Dunedin, Observation, Ōtepoti, Silent Observations

School of Dentistry

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School of Dentistry

The other day I was feeling a bit creatively uninspired. So, to spark my thinking I spent some time reading a bit of poetry by William Blake before going for a walk listening to Blues musicians such as Muddy Waters, Howlin Wolf,  BB King, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Blind Willie Johnson and Robert Johnson to name a few. At some point on my walk I passed the University School of Dentistry which I decided looked interesting in Black & White.

Aotearoa, Creativity, Dunedin, Observation, Ōtepoti

Otago University Library

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Otago University Library

I found my way to the Otago University Library. Mainly because it was raining and I was wanting to wander around somewhere interesting. The rain had started while I was walking down Dunedin’s Castle Street and by the time I was approaching the Otago University, it was getting responsibly hard. Needing to find some shelter, I ducked into the Otago University Library where I figured I might as well see what creative angles I could find. 

Aotearoa, Dunedin, Observation, Ōtepoti, Travel

The Dunedin Railway Station

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The Dunedin Railway Station

Leaving the Octagon in central Dunedin, I walked along lower Stuart Street before arriving at Dunedin Railway Station. A grand masterpiece of a building that really is magnificent in its splendour. Looking out across ANZAC Square, I couldn’t help but imagine what a hive of activity the place must have been when the station was the busiest in the country. At one time up to 100 trains a day used to arrive at the various platforms which included services from Mosgiel, Port Chalmers, Palmerston, Oamaru, Central Otago, Christchurch, Gore and Invercargill.

Dublin, Ireland, Observation, Travel

The Great Irish Hunger

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The Irish Famine Sculptures of Dublin

This is another unpublished photo I came across. While in Dublin, I was walking alongside the River Liffey in the city’s Docklands on Custom House Quay. It was then that I came across the Irish Famine statues. An event that had a profound effect on Ireland and the worldwide Irish Community. There are a great many stories of the Great Irish Famine (1845-1849), many of which are hard to read due to the level of suffering that was involved.

One story is that of Rodger Cantwell and his family who survived the Irish famine that began in 1845. At the age of 30, living and working as farm laborer on the estate of Englisman George Fawcett in Toomevara, Tipperary, he and his wife Mary had come to rely on the potato as their main source of sustenance.

On a bleak October morning in 1845, after a prolonged period of heavy rain, he awoke to find a dense blue fog had settled over his fields. The air filled with the scent of decay. He was soon to discover, like his many neighbors, that his entire potato crop had been destroyed. For Rodger and his wife, the next few years were miserable. Often hungry, underweight and in ill health, the Indian corn and maize provided by the English as relief only managed to cause abdominal pain and diarrhea. To make matters worse, while the Irish farmers were starving, food exports to England that included oats, bacon, eggs, butter and beef continued. Eventually, many Irish farm laborers were dislodged from their homes by English landlords who hired crews to destroy their lodgings. Overnight, families found themselves starving and homeless. For people like Mary and Rodger, they joined the many waves of migrants fleeing starvation by immigrating overseas to places like America. 

Rodger and Mary Cantwell went on to settle in Rochester, New York before shifting to Milwaukee where they raised a family. Rodger eventually passed away at the age of 55 in 1870 while his wife Mary lived to the age 76. 

Following the Irish famine, between 1845 and 1855, the population of 8.2 million was reduced by one-third with 1 million dying of starvation and disease. Another 2 million emigrated to other countries. The Famine statues on Custom House Quay, are a somber and poignant commemoration of one of the most profound disasters in Irish history.

Dublin, Ireland, Observation, Travel

Daniel of Dublin

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Daniel of Dublin

Amongst the jigsaw puzzle streets of Dublin that twist and turn across the city, you’ll find St Stephen’s Green. Within St Stephen’s Green, I found a man called Daniel. The few items that he was carrying with him were carefully placed on a park bench while he chatted to anyone who would stop by to talk. He was polite and friendly and spoke in a gravelly tone that told of a less than comfortable life on the streets of Dublin. He spoke of having many favourite spots in the city centre but this spot was by far his favourite. Manly because of how peaceful it is and the calmness of the place. Then just as he spoke they arrived, pigeons. Lots and lots of pigeons. 

It turns out that Daniel works for one of the homeless shelters in Dublin. Collecting money and donations, along with doing other ‘odds and ends’ that need to be done. But, what he really likes to do is feed the pigeons. As he threw seed out for them and gently poured it into the hands of strangers who stopped, the pigeons were quick to find the food source. In an instant, three to five pigeons were on heads, shoulders and arms, gently pecking. Suddenly, as quickly as they had arrived they were off into the sky. They swooped in a massive loop before landing in exactly the same spot and continuing their hunt for food.

Only then in the peace and beauty in Dublin’s St Stephen’s Green did he ask for a small donation.

Creativity, Dunedin, Night Moves, Observation, Ōtepoti

The Town Belt At Night

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City & Silgo Walkway

It’s fair to say that at the moment, here in Dunedin the mornings aren’t exactly tropical! In fact, they’re simply cold! Fortunately the rain passed through overnight, however the wind that has been present since Friday remains. On this occasion, for some silly reason I decided to go for a walk, I left my car near Sligo Terrace in the Town Belt and made my way in the wind along Scarba Street before turning on Leven and Ross Streets. From there and with the wind at my back, it was a short downhill canter before joining the walkway heading back up City Road to Sligo Terrace. Along the way I took several photos, one of which is featured today. Note to self, wear gloves next time!

Creativity, Dunedin, Night Moves, Observation, Ōtepoti

In The Depths Of Morning

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Braid Road

There’s a strange time of morning at the end of autumn and the beginning of winter when it’s not quite light, yet not completely dark. It’s a curious time of day, the depths of morning. This is a time where shadows creep and the night lingers on paths that seem twisted with form. The wind whispers, dark corners betray our thoughts yet light seems to have a friendly, welcoming glow.

Aotearoa, Beach, Beach Life, Dunedin, Observation, Ōtepoti

Aramoana

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Aramoana view.

To get to this vantage point its a bit of a hike. Not difficult, just awkward more than anything else. That’s because I had to slog my way uphill through dense sand dunes that were heavily overgrown. The problem that created was that I couldn’t always see where I was stepping. However, the uphill struggle was worth the effort because the views from the small rocky ledge were very rewarding.

Aotearoa, Dunedin, Observation, Ōtepoti

Otago Harbour At Dawn

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Otago Harbour – Buy 

How I like still, clear and undisturbed water on a tranquil morning. There’s something rather soothing about looking out across a lake, harbour or ocean that is as calm as a mill pond. It’s a very positive feeling. It makes me think that today everything is going to be ok, the sun will shine and it’ll only get better from this point.