Spring Tulips In Dunedin

Tulips at First Church

Before all that rain fell, the weather in Dunedin was actually rather fine, The preceding days had been warm, sunny and perfect for enjoying the delights of spring. For these reasons, and others that I can’t remember, I found my way into the central city in search of signs of spring. Upon arrival at the historic First Church, I discovered a delightfully elegant flower bed of tulips lining the entrance to the grand building.

Now For Something Highly Unusual

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?

Red Heavy Rain Warning Issued For Otago

Continued heavy rain creates flooding in Dunedin – Friday, 4th October, 2024
The Leith after torrential rain in DunedinThursday, 3rd October, 2024

The Water of Leith in flood mode.

Friday 4:40pm – Time to review! Here in Dunedin it started raining early yesterday morning and now some 30 hours later it’s still going! State Highways are closed to the north of the city, to the south of the city, many communities are now cut off and many local suburbs are in flood mode. A state of emergency is in place in Dunedin and Clutha while there is heavy flooding in Waikouaiti and Palmerston is completely cut off. All over the region there are landslides and rivers bursting their banks. Just another spring day in Dunedin.

Water of Leith after torrential rain

Friday 6am – So a red alert heavy rain warning with 120 to 150 mm of rain was released. Then warnings from the Metservice, travel warnings from Civil Defence, snow in the Lindis Pass, rising river levels, surface flooding, land slips, sandbags being filled and warnings of flooding in low lying areas.

Portobello

Portobello Post Office

I went for a drive on the Otago Peninsula, looking for boats. Dinghies to be exact. I had an idea for an image that involved an old dinghy gently drifting on the tide. However, I quickly came across two problems. Firstly, it was far too windy for anything to be simply ‘drifting’ and secondly, I couldn’t find a dingy. So, to overcome these problems I stopped in the peninsula settlement of Portobello and photographed the former post office and general store building instead. If I’m being honest, I’m not entirely convinced it’s not a private residence, meaning I was photographing someone’s home! But, since the original building dates back to at least 1867, I’d like to think the owners would be lenient.

The Esplanade Restaurant

The Esplanade Restaurant

For something different I set myself a challenge. So, I went down to the Esplanade at St Clair, picked a spot and let the world pass me by. The challenge was to see what photos I could create while staying as close as possible to a single spot. This is the entrance to the well known local Italian beachfront Pizza Restaurant & Bar ‘The Esplanade.’ It advertises itself as a piece of Italy perched on the New Zealand beachfront in St Clair, Dunedin.

Speight’s Brewery on Rattray Street

Morning light hits Speight’s Brewery

The historic Speight’s Brewery on Rattray Street, Central Dunedin is about to get a lot busier. The usual summer cruise ship season is due to get underway next month and Speight’s Brewery is always a popular location. Developed in 1876 when James Speight, while feeling a little thirsty, decided to see what would happen if he mixed a few malt and hops together. He then set-up a brewery with friends Charles Greenslade and William Dawson on Dunedin’s Rattray Street where it has been based ever since.

Peggy’s Hill

Otago Peninsula and Harbour Cone from Peggy’s Hill

It’s not hard to see why William Larnarch chose this spot to build his grand house and estate in 1871. The story goes that while out riding with his son, William Larnach came across a location near Peggy’s Hill which he immediately loved. After purchasing the land and much of the surrounding area, he then employed the well known architect Robert Lawson to complete the design. The site was then cleared and levelled, allowing construction to begin in 1871.

Farm Shed with Hay Bales

Farm Shed with Hay Bales

I came across this hayshed near Cape Saunders. After spending some time studying the scene, I started looking at the composition in the form of lines, squares, rectangles, circles and cylinders. It’s always interesting to see how the eye can be moved around inside the frame with the arrangement of elements that suggest habitation and time which I’ve always enjoyed. In this case, a corrugated metal shed on the right side and a row of wrapped hay bales in front of it is backdropped by a grassy field enclosed by a rustic fence.

Chimney Stack At Hereweka

Chimney Stack at Hereweka

While I enjoy walking through cities and towns transcribing what I see in words or images, I also enjoy getting out to more remote locations. Every so often I find myself drawn to creating photos that are more of a long stare than a quick glance. There are element’s of remoteness, past habitation, time, the passing of time and timelessness that I find myself coming back to again and again. It might be a fence line covered in mist, an old metal shed, an abandoned house or a stone wall on a rolling hill but they all hold deep and compelling meaning to me. In this case an old chimney stack on the former farmstead owned by William Larnach in the 1870’s made an interesting subject. In this image the challenge was ensuring the sunburst coming through the trees didn’t dominate the whole scene.

Tulips In Spring

Spring tulips in Queens Gardens

From the Dunedin Railway Station I walked the short distance to Queens Gardens. Situated on reclaimed land and developed in the late 19th Century, the gardens were officially named Victoria Gardens in 1904 but that name quickly developed into “The Queen’s Gardens”. The gardens have several notable statues including Queen Victoria, Donald M. Stuart, the Dunedin Cenotaph and the Dunedin Millennium Cross. Located directly in front of the cross is a lovely triangular shaped garden that on this occasion featured a lovely bed of tulips in the full joys of spring. It was this line of tulips nestled in front of the Celtic Cross that I had come to photograph.

The Equinox

Spring at Dunedin Railway Station

Let’s get scientific for a moment. There are two days every year when night and day are the same length. These are called the equinox or a solar equinox. That is to say that the sun appears directly above the equator, rather than north or south of it. Here in New Zealand the autumn equinox happens in March (March 20 this year) and the spring equinox happens in September (September 23 this year). Now, for those in the Northern Hemisphere they will obviously be reversed. What all this means is that for us folk who live in the Southern Hemisphere the daylight hours are now longer than the night time hours and for those that live in the Northern Hemisphere, the nighttime hours become longer than the daylight hours. So, while all the nations north of the equator are heading into the autumn and winter months, here in Aotearoa we are dusting off speedos, bikinis and bringing out the jandals because summer is just around the corner. 

To celebrate the equinox, the official start of spring and all the glorious colour that is returning to this part of the world, I risked a heavy dose of hay fever and went in search of some spring blossom.

Jetty Street Overbridge

Jetty Street Overbridge

It’s not often you can literally see the thinking of town planners in action, and that’s what I love about Dunedin’s Jetty Street overbridge. Opened in 1977 after the old bridge made of Port Chalmers bluestone was decommissioned, it is a wonderful example of urban development in its simplest form. By the 1970’s, the old bridge built between 1883 and 1886 for horses and carts was no longer fit for purpose and a new bridge was required. These days, if you stand below the bridge on Jetty Street, you can literally see their thinking of just squeezing it directly between two buildings. The upside of this grand design is that while driving over the bridge you can look into office windows on the second floor. 

The Terminus Hotel

The Railway Central Terminus Hotel

The next day the clouds had rolled in, the temperature had dropped and heavy rain had lashed the city from sometime the previous evening. I spent a lazy day hunkering inside where it was warm, however by mid afternoon I was ready for some fresh air. With the rain showing no sign of easing, I tucked myself into a jacket and headed out into the city streets looking for puddles. Upon arriving at Queens Gardens, I spotted the former “Railway Central Terminus Hotel” reflecting in a rather large puddle near a set of traffic lights on Cumberland Street. Built in 1880 and described at the time as a conspicuous object that was considered an important addition to the city’s hotel accommodation, it was recently redeveloped into New York style apartments. Now, the building is considered an important part of the city’s warehouse precinct.

Port Chalmers

Carey’s Bay Towards Aramoana 

As I arrived in Waitati, a settlement just north of Dunedin, I decided to detour off the main highway. Instead, I turned onto Mount Cargill Road, which used to be the main route north from Dunedin until the Dunedin–Waitati Highway (SH 1) was opened in 1957. After around 4 kilometres, I made the decision to take another diversion and ventured off Mount Cargill Road and onto Blueskin Road, eventually arriving at the harbour village of Port Chalmers and later on Dunedin.

Breakfast At Maggies

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.

Sunrise Over The Otago Peninsula

Sunrise over Otago Peninsula

I arose early the next day to find the world had returned to where it should be. In the preceding twenty fours the Universe had disappeared into a world of mist and fog but now, in the light of a new day, balance had been restored. To celebrate this unexpected turn of events, I wasted not a second longer and completing my morning ablutions in record time, I was out the door to enjoy every second the fresh, morning air. Having not been able to see the harbour the day before, today it was transformed into a near perfect mirror reflection of itself. I arrived to find the sun starting to peek its way over the distant horizon as the sky changed to a tranquil mix of yellow, orange and blue contrasted by the silent silhouette of the suburbs of the Otago Peninsula. It was still early and here I was with nothing much to do and so little time to do it in. I looked at my watch, coffee was needed and maybe a little bacon to get me going for the day. I was about to head off in search of breakfast when I thought to myself, what am I going to do with the day? It was just after 8am and I had already accomplished everything I had wanted to do for the day.

The Southern Motorway

Evening traffic on Dunedin’s Southern Motorway

The weather had turned! Gone was the previous few days of warmer temperatures and sunshine, only to be replaced with drizzly rain. It was the kind that brings in low lying apocalyptic mist and fog that makes everything apart from the two metres in front of your face disappear and you begin to wonder if something catastrophic is about to happen. 

Not to be deterred and wanting to keep up the early evening adventours I’d started several days previously, I went in search of traffic. My idea was to find a spot in the city where everything seemed to disappear into the distance, leaving nothing but a blaze of light behind. After all, even brainsucking, apocalyptic fog can be very moody under the right circumstances and if something momentous was about to happen, I wanted to be there to capture it. Looking out the window as I gathered my gear together, I noticed the drizzle was getting harder through the haze. ‘I’m about to get very wet’ I thought to myself as I headed out the front door into the unknown.

Glenfalloch in Dunedin

Evening on Otago Harbour from Glenfalloch

The next day, on impulse I headed for Portobello Road on the Otago Peninsula. Running along the edge of Otago Harbour from near the city to the peninsula suburb of Portobello, a distance of around 15 kilometres, the road has a popular shared walking and cycle path. A perfect place if your preference is for a lazy stroll along the flat. 

Having spent the last few days walking over hills and on beaches, on this occasion I opted for a more horizontal surface below my feet and the shared walk-cycleway of Portobello Road seemed just the ticket. Setting out from the local Vauxhall Yacht club on the edge of Otago Harbour, I followed the road which snakes along the base of the peninsula until sometime later I arrived at a popular spot called Glenfalloch as the hues of the evening sky took hold. There, I’d spent around half an hour photographing the sunset when it suddenly occurred to me I still had to go back to my car. And that was 6 kilometres away! So, as darkness took hold, I turned and headed for my vehicle, which felt quite some distance away.

St Kilda Beach

Sunset on St Kilda Beach

The next day there was wind in the forecast and they were right! I was meant to be heading for a walking track on the Otago Peninsula, this time heading south-east instead of the north-easterly direction I began with the previous day. However, as my intended path passed by several cliffs, I decided it would be prudent to wait until the wind was scheduled to ease in the afternoon. 

So it was that I found myself on the Otago Peninsula heading for the well known Karetai walking track and beyond to Smaills and Tomahawk Beaches late in the afternoon. By the time I reached the end of Tomahawk Beach, a distance of some 6 kilometres, I had the inclination to head over the hill to St Kilda Beach where if I was lucky, the sun might be setting and I could be in time to capture the sunset from the rocks at Lawyers Head. Several minutes later, having passed over a golf course, I arrived to find that the wind from earlier in the day had dropped to a gentle breeze carrying with it the scent of salt-air and seaweed. I stood and observed the varying swells that moved between the rock pools for a few minutes as the tide flowed back and forth. All the while, as I predicted, the sun was setting over the Dunedin hills. Setting my gear down, and having enjoyed my previous few days walking in the evenings, I set upon a decision. With nothing scheduled for the next several days at least, where possible I would headout to photograph the early evening sky.

Dunner Stunner Sunset

Sunset above Dunedin

I had made my way to the soldiers memorial on the Otago Peninsula. The monument stands an impressive 280 metres above sea level and recognises those who lost their lives in World War I and II. While it’s a steep climb, the end result is an impressive view of the Otago Harbour. From there, I took a track down the other side of the hill which led me through farmland to a very delightful lagoon on the opposite side of the peninsula. It was while I was wandering around this lagoon taking in the bird life, that I realised my car was still at the top of the hill. So, not fancying the idea of retracing my tracks back through the steep farm paddocks, I detoured to the not so steep Centre Road which links the road heading over the top of the Otago Peninsula to the suburbs of Ocean Grove and Tomahawk. A while later, after a slow walk back up to the top of the peninsula, I noticed that the sky was starting to turn a wonderful hue as the light faded into evening. Having come this far, I figured a few more steps wouldn’t hurt as I pushed on up to a lookout to view the evening sunset. 

Dunedin’s Corduroy Causeway

Wall Street in Dunedin

It’s not often I visit the city centre, but doing so gave me a chance to see the Dunedin Corduroy Causeway. An historical path 12 metres-long and 4 metres-wide made from native timbers and laid across what was once a boggy flax strewn marshland. Dating back to between 1848 and 1859, the timber causeway is the oldest known surviving structure from the days of Dunedin’s first european settlement. Uncovered 1 metre below ground in 2008 after shops on the main street were demolished so a new mall could be constructed, the Corduroy Causeway is considered nationally significant and is stated as a site of outstanding archaeological, historical and social value. These days it sits within a shopping mall called Wall Street, under protective glass in the exact position it was found. It really is a marvellous thing and it is a spot that I make a point of seeing, whenever I’m nearby. 

On this occasion it wasn’t the historical causeway that I had come to see but I was meeting a friend for a cup of tea and to discuss the state of world affairs. Something we do every so often yet always fail to reach a formal conclusion. On this occasion after an hour of heated debate we decided to adjourned proceedings until another time, and with that I headed out into the afternoon sunshine.

Steamer Basin In Dunedin

Steamer Basin in Dunedin

The day was bright, clear and crisp and I had every intention of enjoying the sunshine for as long as I could. I parked my car near an art sculpture called ‘Harbour Mouth Molars.’ It’s one of those permanent art installations that city councils fund which locals either love or hate. Personally, I love them however where local opinion is concerned, I am very much in the minority. On this occasion, the harbour was as still as a mill pond and looked quite delicious as I took in the views of the Upper Harbour. I ambled through the mostly empty streets until I came to a section of wharf called the Steamer Basin. Located right beside the railway lines on the eastern edge of the main business district, it was here that cargo was once loaded, unloaded and passed through the Customs Department Wharf Office. Thus, showing the importance of the area as a transit point between markets in the first decade of the twentieth century. 

A few families were scattered along the wharf, fishing and enjoying the sunshine and so I joined them in ambling along the dock. I had come to see the memorial to HMS Neptune. The HMS Neptune was a British cruiser in World War 2 and was assigned, along with the 150 New Zealanders on board, to the New Zealand Naval Squadron which was in the Pacific. In early December the HMS Neptune headed to the Mediterranean to replace naval losses suffered during the Crete campaign. On the night of the 18th December, 1941 the HMS Neptune intercepted an Italian supply convoy headed for Tripoli. She then proceeded to enter an uncharted minefield where after striking several mines she sank, taking all but one of the 764 people on board with her. Of those 763 personnel who died (including all 150 New Zealanders), 20 were from Otago. To this day, it remains New Zealand’s worst naval tragedy. 

Now, a memorial stands at Steamer Basin to honour those from Otago who went down with the HMS Neptune. It’s also a delightful spot to stand and watch the world pass by on a sunny Dunedin day. At a nearby pontoon, a family were having a lovely time fishing. Every so often they would reel in their lines and eagerly check the hook before recasting out into the water. They did seem to be enjoying themselves. Every so often someone would stop and chat to them before venturing off into the sunshine along the wharf. Further on, the same scene was being played out at various spots all around the basin, while every so often a cyclist would whizz past looking very serious. Why is it that cyclists always look so serious? I understand why people might choose to cycle instead of owning a car, however they always look like they are suffering extreme torture. Take the Tour De France for example, or any famous bike race for that matter. Can you honestly tell me, any of them look like they’re getting the slightest bit of pleasure from what they’re doing? I made a mental note of this and decided I would try and spot cyclists who actually looked happy, on the rest of my walk into town. With that thought in mind, I headed for the city centre.

Larnach’s Farmstead At Hereweka

The byre at the former Larnach farmstead

I spent a good part of the day exploring the tracks around the Hereweka property near Harbour Cone on the Otago Peninsula. I walked up and down hills, climbed over and under things, took wrong turns, stepped over and in sheep poo and generally rather enjoyed myself. At one point I considered climbing the summit of Harbour Cone but at the last minute thought better of it. 

The whole area and a substantial block of land beyond, was once purchased by William Larnach in the 1870’s where he eventually built his grand home (Castle) on a spot called Peggy’s Hill. Close by, Larnarch also established a substantial farm with a farmhouse overlooking a farmyard that featured an archway entrance, cow byre, stable and barn that created a square cobbled courtyard. The farmstead was a busy place, not only supplying goods to the Castle but it was home to a large selection of award winning livestock. After Larnach’s death in 1898 his son Douglas broke up and sold off large parts of the estate to local landowners.

Nowadays, all you’ll find remaining of the farmstead is the access road, the cow byre, a few stone walls and a chimney stack that was once part of the farm house. The stables were pulled down long ago while the barn collapsed after a landslip destroyed much of the foundations, the barn itself being dismantled sometime around 2018. If there’s one thing about the farmstead it is this, while the views from the former farmyard aren’t as impressive as up at the Castle, they are still fairly decent by anyone’s standard.

The Meridian In Dunedin

The Meridian Mall in Dunedin

It really was a delightful afternoon to be casually wandering around central Dunedin. When I had set out my intention was simply to see the newly created sections of the city centre along George Street. So, I took the time to take in my surroundings. Happy walking, watching the world pass by, I started sorting the shops into three categories. The first was shops I recognised or remembered. The second was places I didn’t recognise or remember and the third was reserved for places which I couldn’t tell what they were selling! Eventually, I came to the conclusion that I don’t really have a reason to go into the city centre anymore and that’s something I feel is a little sad. By the time I arrived at a set of traffic lights I had come to the decision that I would make more of an effort to visit the city centre. It felt like my civic duty, the council had just spent over $100 million on the whole project!

George Street In Dunedin

George Street and Wall Street in Dunedin

I turned onto Dunedin’s main street which has recently been upgraded at a cost of over $100 million with the aim of creating a people-friendly space in the city centre by way of adding new paving, street furniture, lighting, public art and a playground. Realising that I hadn’t actually done the area justice by way of a proper look, on my way home one day I decided to park several blocks away and walk to the main street for a closer inspection.

I walked along this newly developed section of street now which was rather charming and inviting. The redesign had created an atmosphere that encouraged ambling and strolling instead of traffic dodging. I passed familiar shops and buildings  that had received a fresh coat of paint, American style hamburger and pizza joints, restaurants featuring Asian cuisine along with cafes, clothing shops and all other manner of business you’d expect to see on the main street of a small city. As I strolled, I passed a series of malls, more clothing stores and eating establishments to name a few. Places I’d forgotten even existed. It was about this time that I crossed the road and started making my way back from where I came as music came thumping from a speaker, somewhere in the distance. While the foot traffic could best be described as light, I couldn’t help but notice not many people seemed to be carrying purchases. 

I began to wonder how these businesses even survived when I couldn’t help noticing a man sitting not far from me, in the very direction I was heading. He was short in stature with toothbrush style moustache wearing a brown suede leather jacket with the lettering WA studded into the back. Completing the ensemble, and the reason why I spotted him was of the round, black bowler hat that sat snuggly on top of his head. I had to admit, it looked quite stylish and rather fetching. Feeling annoyed that I hadn’t thought to wear my on top hat, I continued past the traditional outlets like Starbucks and McDonald’s, when suddenly a Subaru Legacy sped past in a blur of noise and speed in what  I could only assume it was an attempt at setting a land speed record down the main street of Dunedin. Next, a Toyota Ute came barreling past and judging by the good natured obscenities that were being exchanged between the two vehicles, I deduced the ute must have been the support vehicle in the attempt.

As calm settled to the shopping district once again, I noticed that not only had some vehicles forgotten about the 10 km speed limit but a lot of the University students seemed to have forgotten their clothing and while it was an unseasonably warm Saturday afternoon, there seemed to be an awful lot of midriffs, arms, legs and spray tans on show from both genders. I continued to walk feeling a little overdressed when it occurred to me that the music coming from the far end of the street seemed to be getting louder. I could see that it was being controlled by a man with a large afro and a black leather jacket, who was rolling a cigarette next to a trolley which I assumed was his. As I got closer and the ending notes of Dire Straits ‘Sultans of Swing’ made their way down the street, he started fiddling with an ipad which was connected to one of the largest speakers outside of a concert venue I had ever seen. What was even more impressive was his ability to stack and balance items on top of each other. In no particular order on his trolley was the very large speaker and ipad but also a tarpaulin, blanket, microphone, roll-up foam mattress, sleeping bag and what looked to me to be a blender! As I moved away and started to turn the corner I left him happily puffing away on a cigarette as the opening riff of Britney Spears ‘Baby One More Time’ came blasting out of the speakers. He seemed very happy I thought to myself as I turned the corner.

Strolls Near Streams

Ross Creek in Dunedin

There are several things you can be certain of when living in Dunedin. The first is that you’re never far away from water and the second is that you’re never short of a decent scenic view! In fact, come to think of it, you can add cold winters – not Antarctic snow-blizzard cold, but with temperatures sitting below 10 degrees long enough to encourage locals to take off to somewhere warm like Fiji or Bali for a week two! You also be certain some insane local will be swimming at the beach (not matter what the weather), that groups of tourist will be lurking around the train station looking very lost and confused, that a new piece of street art will suddenly pop up seeming out of nowhere and that one of the local sport franchises will be going through another ‘rebuilding year.’ I hate that term ‘rebuilding year’, why can’t they simply come-out and say that this year we’re going to suck! They certainly would get my respect, for honesty if nothing else! 

Another thing you can be certain of in Dunedin is bush walks. Thankfully when the city was 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.

Having this thought of never being too far away from water and walking through the bush in mind, on a mild Dunedin I set out to combine the two and went in search of strolls near streams.

Corner of Rattray and Princess Street

Corner of Rattray and Princess Street in Dunedin

The city streets had an unhurried feel about them in the early morning air. I made my way past buildings of various sizes, the smell of coffee and bacon drifting from an establishment across the road on the gentle morning breeze. As I got closer to the source of the alluring morning aroma, I could see a nearby cafe bustling with people. Clearly it had already been open for some time as it was filled with a varying degree of customers waiting for their morning fix. Moving on, the city itself was surprisingly warm for pre-7am in winter, the crisp morning air and the clear skies gaving an indication that the day was going to be what locals called a stunning winter’s day.

Orokonui Lagoon

Orokanui Lagoon

As I strolled along the wooden path, which had been thoughtfully placed to guide visitors through this natural haven, I couldn’t help but marvel at the surroundings. The boardwalk itself, weathered yet sturdy, meandered gracefully through a landscape that could best be described as a symphony of greens. The air filled with the earthy scent of damp grass, mingling with the faint, sweet perfume from flowers that seemed to peek shyly from beneath the undergrowth.

On either side of the path, tall grasses swayed lazily in the gentle breeze, casting playful shadows across the weathered wood. The sunlight filtered through the trees, dappling the ground in a pattern so enchanting it looked as if nature itself had taken up painting as a hobby. When the canopy above parted, the hills in the distance came into view as though beckoning me to explore further.

The lagoon made its presence known through the occasional appearance of bird life. It was a place where time seemed to slow down, allowing you to drink in the quiet beauty of the world around you. In that moment, surrounded by the gentle hum of nature, I felt an overwhelming sense of peace, as if I had stumbled upon a secret that only the lucky few would ever discover.

St Clair Salt Water Pool

St Clair Salt Water Pool

The thing about winter is that the daylight hours are shorter. Cold weather I can handle, however what I find difficult to accept is the lack of daylight. Every winter, there is always a point when I realise I’ve become something akin to mole. For me, it’s just been and so when Saturday arrived, I was delighted with the fact that it was daylight and I wasn’t at work! In celebration, I spent the first few hours familiarising myself with what the house looked like in natural light before heading out into the garden. Later, with the day sunny and still with all my holdhouse chores taken care of, I made up my mind to venture down to the beach. So, with my camera in hand, I headed out the door into a warm Saturday afternoon.

Lan Yuan, Dunedin Chinese Garden

Lan Yuan, Dunedin Chinese Garden

Because I strayed from my intended path, I ended up in the tranquillity of Lan Yuan, Dunedin Chinese Garden. The gardens were quiet with the only other visitors being two men playing chess in the tearooms. It really was peaceful and serene. Created with the support of the Shanghai Municipal Government, the gardens are New Zealand’s only authentic Chinese Garden and when it was opened, one of only three outside China.