Aotearoa, Owaka, South Otago, The Catlins, Travel

Owaka

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Cornish Piano in the Owaka Museum

Here’s what I can tell you about this piano (organ) which I discovered in the Owaka Museum. The antique organ is carved and turned in wood and finished with red fabric along the front while the keys are constructed of wood with white plastic and ebony. Made by the Cornish Piano & Organ company, the business was established in Washington, New Jersey in 1879. Once production started, the reputation of the company quickly grew and it was known for producing products with excellent craftsmanship.  So popular were the pianos and organs, by the 1890’s, the Cornish company was producing over 10,000 instruments a year, shipping them all over the world. 

Unfortunately, in 1922 a devastating fire ripped through the Cornish company, bruning the factory to the ground. The company was never rebuilt, instead replaced over time by a gas station and later a food store. These days, the pianos and organs made by the company can be found all over the world, including this one in the Owaka museum. 

Owaka, Purakaunui Falls, The Catlins

The Purakaunui Falls

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The Purakaunui Falls – Buy 

Heading back to Dunedin, I decided to detour back through the Catlins and stop off at Purakaunui Falls. The falls have long been an iconic image of the Catlins and have appeared on everything from book covers to stamps and can be found south of Owaka, within the Purakaunui Scenic Reserve. 

The walk to the falls was short but delightful as the track wound its way through the podocarp and beech forest, accompanied by the Purakaunui River. The falls themselves are an impressive 20 metres high as the river cascades over three tiers of rock before flowing through the Catlins and out into Purakaunui Bay.