Wandering around the Victorian Heritage precinct of Oamaru, I had a delightful time exploring all the alleyways that connect the surrounding area. They were filled with doors that were clearly delivery entrances and the usual assortment of rubbish bins and other bits and pieces you might find in an alleyway next to a busy shopping area. Along one passageway that ran between two historic buildings I came across a ramp and door that looked slightly different than all the rest. The sign on the door said, Jam Night: Members, Guests. The sign above said ‘The Penguin Club.’ It was one of those places that appeared to be still in use, but then again it was hard to tell. Intrigued, I made a note and continued on exploring the heritage buildings.
Later, I read that the Penguin Entertainers Club started in 1990. Located in the annex of an old grain store, the space was made available for Oamaru musicians to practise, have a few drinks and mix with local talent and now, almost 35 years later the place is still going.
So, usually I’m pretty good at remembering where and when I was when I took a photo. It’s not often I can’t pinpoint an exact location, however this is one of those times. What I can tell you is that I was driving to Christchurch and somewhere beyond Timaru I stopped to stretch my legs. Spotting a walking track, I followed it and found myself under a bridge, with both railway tracks and a river next to me. It was fairly obvious from the surroundings that the river had recently flooded. This of course meant that I had to spend a lot of time avoiding puddles, something I wasn’t too successful at.
There are a great many things I’ve never wondered or thought about. Until recently, one of these was the meaning of the word ‘Avon’. I knew it was a popular name for a river, but it had never concerned me that it might actually mean something! My pondering about the word Avon took me down the intriguing rabbit hole of etymology. It seems that the name “Avon” is a Celtic word and survives from the Welsh word ‘afon’ meaning river. So, therefore we can say that Christchurch’s Avon River literally means ‘river river’.
Leaving Hagley Park, I crossed the Avon River and strolled along Rolleston Avenue before turning left onto Worcester Street. Passing the Christchurch Arts Centre while dodging trams, I continued until somehow met the Avon River again. From there, I found my way to Cathedral Square where I enjoyed a quiet moment or two taking in the various sculptures that are scattered around. One of which, located across from the Cathedral on the corner of Colombo and Hereford Street at the beginning of a pedestrian mall is a sculpture titled Flour Power by Regan Gentry. Gifted to the city in 2008, the steel structure stands an impressive 15 metres high and is kinda fun to stand under!
For no particular reason I detoured into the township of Moeraki, a small fishing village on the east coast of the South Island. It had been some time since I last visited the seaside port so after parking my car overlooking the beach, I went for a stroll. A few minutes later I found myself amongst boats, canoes, boat ramps, crayfish pots and other assorted items you generally find in a fishing village. There was also a nearby Fish and Chip shop that was doing a reasonable trade for a Saturday afternoon.
… from a Small City. My daily musings from Ōtepoti to get you inspired. Read the blog, view the photos, embrace the creativity.
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The Penguin Entertainers Club
