A bit of a change today from my usual creative adventures on the Esplanade. This is St Paul’s Anglican Church in Arrowtown, which is inland from Dunedin in Central Otago. It’s been awhile since I’ve done a road trip so I might need to organise one once the weekends become free. St Paul’s in Arrowtown was built at the time of the Otago gold rush in September 1871 which makes it 150 years old. Before it was the built many of the miners wanted a dedicated Anglican Community and once they had raised the necessary funds and found a piece of land, the church was built. It has been holding services in the same place ever since. @johncaswellnz#lovindunners#majesticdunedin#johncaswellnz
On the Corner of High and Princess Streets in Dunedin’s chilly morning in air. Taking some time to listen to the rhythm of the traffic in city and lingering for a moment as the lights cast their glow. @johncaswellnz#lovindunners#majesticdunedin#johncaswellnz
I was watching people paddle out into the surf while taking this shot thinking that I had no idea what the surf conditions were like. In fact, if asked, I wouldn’t know where to start or what to say. I could describe what I saw easily enough, however it couldn’t be classified as an accurate report. Reflecting on this, I’ve decided to stick to the online forecasts which according to Magic Seaweed site for Thursday evening is a 5-7ft swell with a light offshore wind. #lovindunners#majesticdunedin#johncaswellnz
The days all get longer from this point onwards! Monday was the winter solstice here in NZ with Dunedin having only 8 hours 39 minutes and 11 seconds of daylight on the shortest day as the sun was at it’s lowest point in the sky for the whole year. This is the popular Catalyst Restaurant here in Dunedin which is open for breakfast. If you get the chance, try the waffles! #lovindunners#majesticdunedin#johncaswellnz
Late last month before autumn officially ended and winter began, I went on one last search for some autumn colour. There’s still some last pockets around the city however in general the trees are pretty well bare now. Fortunately around Queens Garden in Dunedin I found a few trees the still maintained a hint of the autumn colour palette. #lovindunners#majesticdunedin#johncaswellnz
Lights In This City Wandering finding curious and creative views as of Ōtepoti I amble down each charter’d street.
This is George Street in Dunedin where the main shopping area is if your after fashion and other such items. I liked the idea capturing the buildings with a bit of glow coming from shops while the early evening sky lights up with a bit of colour.
Any guesses what year the Jetty St overbridge was built? When it was opened it replaced the old Jetty to Vogel Street overbridge that spanned the train yards here in Dunedin. The original bridge was made of Port Chalmers bluestone and was built between 1883 and 1886 for horses and carts then later vehicles like cars and tracks. It was eventually demolished after the new Jetty St bridge was built. So, what year was that ….. > > > ….. the year was 1977, #lovindunners#majesticdunedin#johncaswellnz
@johncaswellnz – Eternity in ripples of reflection. Wandering finding curious and creative views as I amble down each charter’d street. #lovindunners#majesticdunedin#johncaswellnz
This image is all about the ripples and the reflections in the water. What I really liked was the way the wharf and boat were reflected in the water in such a a peaceful way.
@johncaswellnz – And thus I asked the former. Wandering finding curious and creative views as I amble down each charter’d street. #lovindunners#majesticdunedin#johncaswellnz
This is another of Dunedin’s lovely older buildings. Does anyone know it’s history?
@johncaswellnz – As does drop and shadows remain Wandering finding curious and creative views as I amble down each charter’d street.
I was chasing shadows across the Octagon earlier today as the sun dropped from sight. I originally started on lower Stuart Street and tracked the light and shadows as they shifted before ending with this wee scene. #lovindunners#majesticdunedin#johncaswellnz
@johncaswellnz – Because It’s So Wandering finding curious and creative views as I amble down each charter’d street.
Did you know that this building at the time of construction was the tallest in the southern hemisphere. Who would have thought in Dunedin’s quiet little Bond Street. It’s recently had beautiful golden foliage outside it throughout autumn.
@johncaswellnz – In the autumn, through the leaves. Wandering finding curious and creative views as I amble down each charter’d street.
This is a visit to my autumn colour palette. It’s based on warm yellow undertones mixed with oranges, reds, ochre and olive colours. It also discovered mixes wonderfully well with textures.
Day 5 – I’d spent the previous night enjoying the sights and sounds of Courtney Place. Earlier in the day I had enjoyed a delicious and wonderful lunch at Mr Go’s. Having been to Mr Go’s on previous trips, and with less than 24 hours left in the city, I simply had to enjoy the Asian Fusion Restaurant before I left. My taste buds had drawn me to the mouth wateringly good Pork Belly Bao Bun and Pork Dumplings. Now, many hours later I found myself sitting in a bar called the Welsh Dragon with my stomach hungry for food. Approaching the Welsh Dragon, I had initially thought it was a deserted building in the middle of a median strip. But, it turned out to be an old historic public toilet that has been converted into possibly the most laid back and down to earth pub in the whole CBD. There were no fancy flashing lights, drums hanging from the ceiling or large neon lights that were accompanied with extremely loud music. It was a friendly, hospitable pub, no more than that. I felt at home instantly.
Day 4 – It’s interesting in Aotearoa that so much of our national history seems to start with European Explorers. For example, Able Tasman is credited with the discovery of New Zealand in 1642. The story goes that the good Mr Tasman, having sailed for nearly 140 days, and upon sighting the West Coast of the South Island, he decided he couldn’t really be bothered stopping and kept sailing. Our history books then jump to Captain Cook’s navigation of New Zealand in 1769. From there, we’re told about European encounters with Māori until the lead-up to the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840.
Until more recent times, it appears that everyone forgot that Polynesian migration and settlement in Aotearoa occurred between 1250 – 1300. A good 350 years before Able Tasman decided he was feeling adventurous and set sail and around 450 years before Captain Cook landed in Poverty Bay. Having spent the previous day wandering around Matiu Island, I decided some further personal education of Māori settlement was in order.
Day 3 – Matiu/Somes Island’s claim to fame is wide and varied. Lying in Wellington Harbour it’s history dates back to the early Polynesian Explorer Kupe, and since then it has been a Maori Pa site, a quarantine station, an internment camp, a military defensive position and is now a wildlife reserve and sanctuary looked after by the Department of Conservation.
My plan for the day was to ferry across the harbour to Days Bay and an area called Eastbourne. I had purchased my ticket from a young lady who was without a doubt one of the most friendly, helpful and polite receptionist I’ve ever met. Upon my inquiry for a return ticket across the harbour she politely informed me that the next ferry was actually stopping at Matiu/Somes Island which apparently wasn’t very big ‘but definitely worth a visit’. ‘Well, why not I said’. So, after a short but enjoyable board ride I found myself standing on an island in the middle of Wellington Harbour.
Day 2 – I awoke in the morning feeling refreshed and very well rested. The previous day I’d spent 90 minutes flying and 480 minutes at Christchurch Airport so now I was more than ready for a walk and something to eat.
I ate breakfast at a very retro place called Midnight Espresso. After ordering, I sat in the window watching rain fall and Cuba Street slowly come to life, passing the time marveling at how maple syrup instantly improves bacon and banana pancakes. When finally my stomach was full, and my plate empty, I set off into the sleepy Wellington streets.
Day 1 continued – It all started with a noise that didn’t sound quite right. Clearly this is not something you want to be thinking having just taken off on an A320 Airbus heading to 30,000 feet. The next thing that happen was the captain and cabin crew informed us that there was a problem with the landing gear and our flight to Wellington would be making an unscheduled stop in Christchurch. As I sat there watching the coast and listening to a plane that seemed to be rattling more than a car I once owned, two thoughts crossed my mind. Firstly, it was moments like this that you wish Harrison Ford or Bruce Willis are on the plane. Secondly, having watched Mayday, I was confident I knew what to do.
Day 1 – I like Wellington, I think it’s the waterfront that grabs me the most. Whenever I’m in there I always make a point of having at least one wander along and around the harbour area. You see, I always find myself feeling a little bit jealous that Dunedin hasn’t made the most of its own harbour area. They say you can’t beat Wellington on a good day, and this certainly is true. When the weather is fine, and the wind is calm it’s one of my favourite places to amble. There’s always a pop-up store or two to enjoy, various markets and a wide variety of funky art installations to capture the imagination. Of all the art installations, my personal favorite is Max Patte’s statute ‘Solace In The Wind’.
I’ve photographed the Steeples Of First Church before. Usually it’s in the early morning or late in the evening. However, I’ve been meaning to taken a day time image of First Church for a while. It’s one of those land mark locations here in Dunedin that’s an important part of the city. It’s primary congregation was the Scottish Free Church settlers who first landed in Dunedin in the 1840’s. Plus, it’s got an awesome gothic feel to it. There’s little wonder it’s is regarded as one of the most impressive nineteenth-century churches in New Zealand.
In yesterday’s blog post Autumn In The Inner City I mentioned that after identifying an Autumn colour palette, I then went out in search of Autumn in the inner city. My goal was to find Autumn scene’s that also showed parts of the city. This is an image I found at Otago University with the old University clocktower reflecting in the windows of the Centre of Innovation with a Japanese Cherry tree sits in front.
I was watching a home decorating show the other day. Just why I was doing such a thing I can’t recall however it was one of those shows where a designer is given a hopelessly inadequate budget in which to update a mammoth amount of rooms in the space of only a few weeks. The project, from memory, was started in November and of course the family wanted it to be finished in time for Christmas. When they presented the designer with this timeline and budget, after much rolling around on the floor laughing, she politely told them they were being a tad hopeful and optimistic. This I discovered was interior designer code for not standing a snowball’s chance in hell of getting it done.
To sum things up and skipping to the end of the show, they went massively over budget and apparently two years later the job is still not finished. However, I did learn a few things from this programme. Firstly, I have no understanding how to place furniture in a room. If furnitureplacementdyslexia was a thing, then I’d have it! Secondly, I wanted to start thinking in terms of colour palettes.
It turns out that in home decorating, colour palettes are extremely important and while I wasn’t too fussed about home decorating with delicately placed objects or cushions, transferring a seasonal colour palette into art form seemed a very interesting idea. I thus set myself a mission. To identify a autumn seasonal colour palette and then use it in a photo.
A few days later after much reading I identified my autumn colour palette as based on warm yellow undertones mixed with oranges, reds, ochre and olive colours. It is also offset with earthly brown’s taken from the natural world such as rusts. I also discovered that this colour palette mixes wonderfully well with textures. And so, with my palette identified, I went out in search of autumn in the inner city.
I’ve been out hunting the Autumn vibes around Dunedin recently. Usually I head out into the bush and take in a few walking tracks while listening to bird life. This year however I’ve been more focused on finding signs of Autumn in the inner city and seeing how I can combine the two elements.
Taking photos in the city always feels rushed for some reason, no matter how much time I take. I think it’s the constant flows of traffic and people. For a change of pace I headed up to Ross Creek to watch and listen to the bush. After sometime I found part of a stream where the Autumn leaves kept getting trapped in the rocks before getting swept away. I wander where they end up?
I spent a pleasant morning casually wandering around various buildings that made up the city centre. I’m not sure when, but at some stage I headed through a mall that seemed to have a very interesting structure to it. In it I found this very funky ceiling. It’s outside the vegetarian and vegan deli Let Them Eat Vegan. It’s a very popular locally owned vegan deli here in Dunedin with lots of yummy homemade meats, cheeses, mayos, sandwiches and baked goods. If you wanted to call in and see them here are the details: What’s Good? The Baguettes are outstanding! The great thing is their menu changes everyday so you knows it’s fresh and never boring. Address: Albion Lane, Dunedin, New Zealand 9016 Open: Tuesday to Friday 11;00am – 8:00pm, Saturday 9:00 – 3:00pm
I wandered past the various eating establishments that had an abundance of offers for foot traffic like myself. They all seemed very enticing but considering I hadn’t actually done anything that morning beyond get up, they all seemed a bit lavish. In the end, after wandering in the delicious warmth that can only be provided from the sun on a public holiday I settled for a coffee from a local cafe called Star Fish. Happy and content I went on way.
I went for a walk at dawn the other day. Here in Dunedin there’s been a few good sunrises recently so I thought I should capture at least one of them. The great thing about being surrounded by so many hills is that there’s always lots of good options to view them from. Personally, I enjoy the beaches at St Kilda and St Clair. I took this looking over the Long Dog Cafe and Salt Water Pool on the Esplanade as people were coming and going for their early morning dips. It’s not a bad spot to have a coffee and read the paper on a Monday morning.
Yesterday I mentioned how wonderful the Otago Harbour is and a few of the things that make it simply splendid. Well, the Otago Peninsula is just as good. There’s all sorts of tracks and paths to adventure along, old buildings to explore and sights to be seen. If you’re after wildlife, a little bit of preplanning is the way to go but as long as you have good walking shoes there’s heaps to see and do. Even on days like the one above when the low cloud, mist and drizzle take hold it’s a unique experience. It’s little wonder so many artists have used it as inspiration.
One of the best things about Dunedin is the Harbour. It’s simply splendid in so many ways. It may not be the big, grand showpiece that is Sydney Harbour, however there’s something close, personal and intimate about Dunedin’s Harbour. In one day you can see Albatrosses, Seals, Sea Lions, Penguins, go for a ferry ride, go fishing, visit art galleries, undertake any number of water sports, enjoy the many picnic areas, walk, run, cycle and of course enjoy any one of the many cafes, bars and restaurants that can be found at various locations.
Also, if you get up early in August you can have a view like this from the Ravensbourne over bridge as the sun comes up.
This week I’m having a change of pace. No words (well, no more than 26) or travel story/writing. Just some of my favourite creative images involving textures.
I’ve got a number of ideas on how to photograph this small jetty however all of them involve either sunrise or night time. So, I’m having to be patient.
This jetty here in Dunedin is called the Adam Scott Jetty. I did some digging but I couldn’t find any reference to further information about it. It left me wondering who Adam Scott is. The only one I know of is Adam Scott the Australian golfer. Thanks to Google, I am now also aware of an actor called Adam Scott and I now know there are at least 317 (that’s when I stopped counting) people called Adam Scott on Facebook. There are also many more many more called Scott Adam. I also found out that in White Cloud, Michigan there is an annual rodeo held for Adam Scott who at the age of 18 passed away during a bull riding accident in 2002. While it seemed unlikely that any of these Adam Scott’s was the person the jetty was named after, I need to come to some conclusion to satisfy my curiosity.
So, I’ve decided to make and believe the following widely untrue assumptions about the naming of the jetty. In 2013, having been so impressed with Australian golfer Adam Scott’s 2013 Masters win at Augusta, Dunedin residents named the Jetty after him in recognition of his wonderful achievement. The jetty was chosen as a symbol to the famous 16th hole water hazard on the Augusta course.
I ask again, who is Adam Scott?
… 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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St Paul’s.
