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.
