The University of Otago Registry Building – Buy
The University of Otago is a grand place in spring. There’s old buildings to wander around and through with spring colour popping up all over the place.
Night Moves
The Baker’s Dozen – Buy
Earlier this year I developed a series of images called Night Moves. All the photos were taken after night fall and before sunrise. I based them all around a street here in Dunedin called Musselburgh Rise. This one was taken early in the morning after the Bakery had started for the day around 6am.
City Heritage Walks
Public Trust Offices In Moray Place – Buy
If you like heritage and architecture, then there are a couple of good city heritage walks that you can do. Even if you don’t like buildings it is still a great way to navigate around the city. One walk takes you on a tour of the heritage buildings in Central Dunedin, another heads around North Dunedin and the University Campus while a third option is to tackle the now famous Street Art walk. This building, the former Public Trust Office building in Moray Place, while not on the list makes an interesting photo.
Evening Walk At The Beach
The Beach Locals – Buy
I took an evening stroll at the beach as the light was fading from sight. The day had been warm and long and the thought of spending a few minutes walking with the sand between my toes seemed very delightful. Given it was midweek and the surf was better than average, I expected there to be more people hanging around than there were. Apart from the occasional couple casualing strolling to one of the nearby restaurants, there was hardly a soul around.
The Indigo Room & Pequeno
The Indigo Room and Pequeno – Buy
By day it is a mostly empty alleyway with a few cars, odd dimensions and some interesting pieces of street art that attract city walkers. In the early evening and into the night it’s a popular spot with unique bars like the Indigo Room and Pequeno Wine & Cocktail Bar which offer a nice relaxed ambience, a great range of cocktails and a wonderful vibe. If you’re looking for a spot to grab a few drinks after dinner or before heading out, these are some great options.
Lady Thorn Rhododendron Dell
The Lady Thorn Dell – Buy
Sir John Thorn was born in Dunedin in 1911 and by the time he reached his late teens he had moved to the suburb of Port Chalmers to begin a plumbing apprenticeship. Living in the area, he went on to own a number of businesses that included a plumbing firm, a betting agency (TAB) and a bookshop. He married his wife Constance in 1936 and became Mayor of Port Chalmers in 1956. This was a position he went on to hold for 33 years until the borough of Port Chalmers and the surrounding district was amalgamated into the enlarged City of Dunedin in 1989. In total, he and his wife served the Port Chalmers community for nearly half a century, something he was knighted for in 1984. While his wife Lady Constance Thorn passed away in 1997, Sir John Thorn lived to the age of 97 until his death in 2008.
When Lady Thorn passed away, the community wanted to do something to recognise her commitment and service to the Port Chalmers District. Nearby at the Port, there stood a disused quarry site that was used to supply bluish-grey stone to public works projects in the Port and around Dunedin city. It was this site that was chosen to develop into a Rhododendron Dell in honour of the Late Lady Thorn.
Nowadays, the Dell features a numerous array of plants, bushes and flowers that have transformed the former quarry into something rather beautiful. It also features an elevated lookout that provides panoramic views of the harbour and Port Chalmers area.
Having never been to the Lady Thorn Dell, upon my return from a trip out to Aramoana, I stopped and spent a lovely half an hour taking in every inch of the garden which really is a hidden gem.
Ramblin In The Dell
Pontic Rhododendron – Buy I’m putting together a new gallery in my collection called ‘Ramblin in The Dell’. I’ll let you know when it’s finished, however in the meantime, here’s a sample to get you excited.
Am I Scared Boy (eh)
by Colin McCahon – Buy
… because you can’t go wrong with a bit of art from the great Colin McCahon.
Tautuku Bay
Tautuku Bay – Buy
At the end of Tautuku Bay is a peninsula that’s full of wildlife and history. It’s a wonderful walk and a great way to explore a section of The Catlins coastline. Near the neck of the peninsula a whaling station ran for 7 years from 1839 and when the timber industry grew a port was developed as well. I’m pretty sure William Larnach was a major investor in the timber industry and used timber from this area on part of his castle in Dunedin.
Interislander or Bluebridge?
Recently while I was travelling around the Wairarapa in the North Island of New Zealand, I crossed Cook Strait. For a change, instead of going on the Interislander I went Bluebridge and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. I would definitely cross with them again. Do people have a preference?
Mellor Laboratories
Mellor Laboratories– Buy or view the Ōtepoti | Dunedin gallery
With a mind to having a stroll through North Dunedin, I set off on a warmish kind of day that looked like it might break into both glorious sunshine and also rain, both at the same time! After a while, on my return journey I detoured through the University of Otago where among other things the entrance to Mellor Laboratories caught my eye. I admired the entrance structure which is a cross between mathematics, science and sculpture. While I was doing this, I recalled reading somewhere that the building was renamed after Joseph Mellor. Now, I’m not sure who Joseph Mellor is, but assuming he is no longer with us, I’m sure he’d be mighty impressed to have a building named after him.
Spanish Bluebell In The Rhododendron Dell
Spanish Bluebell – Buy or view the Ōtepoti | Dunedin gallery
I went for a ramble in the Rhododendron Dell at the Dunedin Botanic gardens. There was quite a wind racing down the harbour that was hitting almost every corner of the city, however in the dell, it was calm, peaceful and full of colour.
University of Otago In Bloom
University of Otago In Bloom – Buy or view the Ōtepoti | Dunedin gallery
I took this while wandering around Otago University looking for spring colours and blossoms. Don’t the colours of pink, yellow, green and blue looking wonderful. It’s very refreshing after winter!
Picton to Dunedin
South Island Sunset – Buy or view the Ōtepoti | Dunedin gallery
The ferry docked in Picton on a stunning day. All the little bays and inlets that made up the Marlborough Sounds near Picton looked ideal for swimming and soaking up the sun. Driving off the ferry, it was the type of day that made me realise why so many people decide to spend an extra day or two in the area.
Once off the ferry I stopped to refuel both the car and myself before starting the 692km journey home. Leaving Picton, I passed by Mount Pleasant, Koromiko and Spring Creek before taking the wrong exit at a roundabout in Blenheim, eventually finding the correct road that took me through the Weld Pass and on to Kaikoura.
It was somewhere along the Kaikoura coast, near the famous food truck Nin’s Bin that I started randomly pondering about the sights that I was passing. This led me to the conclusion that it’s amazing what you remember that you forget when you’re looking out a window. It also led me to several observations about driving in New Zealand:
Keeping left unless overtaking in a passing lane is apparently quite hard.
Fields of Rapeseed are very pretty but have such an unfortunate name.
The three waters bill doesn’t appear to be very popular.
You can always tell buildings that were once a petrol station.
Fonterra trucks turn often.
There are plenty of places to buy bales of hay and horse poo.
If we are living in the digital age, how come there are parts of State Highway 1 where I can’t get coverage?
State Highway 1 is no place for a restored steam tractor to be towing a caravan and a car, no matter how lovely and old it is.
Snow capped peaks and high mountain ranges that sit on the edge of the horizon alway look lonely yet strangely enticing.
I love the sight of Dunedin from the Northern Motorway when you’re travelling south.
Cook Strait
Cook Strait – Buy or view the Ōtepoti | Dunedin gallery
On the ferry from Wellington to Picton they were showing the movie Frozen. I have some questions.
1. In the movie, is the way the snowflakes fall in the wind scientifically accurate?
2. What about hypothermia?
3. What about climate change?
4. Wouldn’t Elsa’s ice castle be amazingly boring?
5. Just how close can a snowman get to a fire without melting?
I wanted to address these questions with the other passengers. These were questions that needed answers and so I looked around to see who I could converse with. The dad’s were mostly asleep, the children were engrossed in the TV while the mum’s had that disturb me at your peril look. Deciding that I was the only one questioning what was being shown, I left these ponderings and I went for a walk outside before returning to my seat and settling back into my book until arriving in Picton.
The Wellington to Picton Ferry
Bluebridge Ferry – Buy or view the Ōtepoti | Dunedin gallery
I slept wonderfully. Apart from between 12:00am and 2:00am when three large gangs of middle aged women who had attended the World of WearableArt Show arrived back at the hotel. The first group treated the rest of the building to renditions of songs from Grease and Abba at obnoxiously high volumes. A second group got a trifle confused with what floor their room was on. This they solved by phoning a friend who was clearly deaf! While a third group in fits of giggling and laughter bounced their way off doors and walls down the corridor to the end of the hall. To show my appreciation, the next morning I replied in kind with several long blasts of my car horn as I departed for the Ferry at 6:00am! ‘I hope the show was terrible’ I muttered as I went in search of coffee!
That morning the Wellington waterfront and harbour was a true sight to behold. The day was breaking still and calm. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky, nor a ripple on the water. It was so nice I didn’t even mind the ferry to Picton was 45 minutes late, this was Wellington on a good day.
World of WearableArt In Wellington
Wellington CBD – Buy or view the Ōtepoti | Dunedin gallery
By the time I arrived at my pre-booked accommodation in Wellington, I was ready to sit down and wet my whistle. This thought turned out to be a bit premature as it transpired that what I had booked, and what I was presented with, were vastly different. Upon entering the establishment I checked my confirmation email that read “double with ensuite – superior comfort with a double bed and ensuite bathroom.” What in fact I was given was a single, top bunk in a dorm with eight other individuals and a small locker to store my belongings. The thought of staying a second longer, didn’t even enter my consciousness. Being beyond a station in life where I want to share a bedroom with seven complete strangers in bunk beds, I simply collected my belongings, politely bid everyone good day and walked out the door.
Fortunately for me, after a quick Google search and a few phone calls later I found myself walking into the lobby of a nice block of hotel apartments that were only a few minutes away from Lambton Quay and nearby Courtenay Place. The staff were friendly and the room was spacious and clean with everything that is required of a decent room. It was free of bunks, it had an ensuite and I didn’t have to share it with anyone. Dropping my bags on the bed, I went in search of food and beer.
Having been to Wellington a few times, I felt like I knew the city fairly well. However, this time it felt different. The city seemed almost frightened. Over the streets and business there hung a shroud of angst and apprehension. Fear of a new kind seemed to be terrorizing the city. Large gangs of middle aged women had invaded for the 2022 World of WearableArt Show.
Taking over the city streets in numbers of up to eight or nine at a time, they walked giggling and laughing, forcing passers-by onto the pavement. The bars, nightclubs and cocktail lounges had been compelled to stock extra supplies of Merlot, Lindauer, Sauvignon Blanc and Shiraz while the once calm and peaceful streets of Wellington weren’t going to be safe after 7:00pm. These ladies had their husbands at home and were ready to flirt with the 18 year old bartender and dance inappropriately to Rock DJ by Robbie Williams.
This was a situation I wanted no part of. Taking shelter in a quiet restaurant that featured cuisine from South East Asia, I washed it all down with a few Heineken, then beat a hasty retreat to my hotel for the rest of the evening.
Featherston & The Rimutaka Hills
The Rimutaka Hills – Buy or view the Ōtepoti | Dunedin gallery
I stopped in Featherston and ate before I found a place called Loco. A delightful place that was not only a second hand bookshop but it was also a coffee shop. I instantly adored it. The shelves were piled with books from every genre spread out over two rooms that filled all the spaces inbetween. There were couches, sofas and chairs set out around a coffee table in the shop window while at the back of the store a more extensive reading area had been created with plenty of nooks and crannies to tuck yourself into.
It wasn’t long before I had found a copy of Truman Capote’s 1966 non-fiction novel, In Cold Blood and armed with a delicious cup of joe, I settled myself for a chapter or two.
Later, remembering I still had nearly 70 kilometres left until I got to Wellington, I pointed my car in the direction of the Rimutaka Hills, the Hutt Valley and Wellington.
Carterton & Masterton
Bizarre Attractions in Carterton – Buy or view the Ōtepoti | Dunedin gallery
The drive from Martinborough to Masterton took about 40 minutes and was uneventful. Which is just what you want to be able to say when the national road toll regularly reaches around 300 deaths per year. It rained the whole way, apart from when it was snowing and hailing. I can’t say the journey was boring, more unremarkable! Which is a good way to describe Masterton. Maybe it was the rain, hail and snow however I drove from one side of the town to the other, went around a round-about and drove out again without finding a single reason to stop. I just couldn’t find one. I really tried, I really did, however I just couldn’t for the life of me convince myself that it would add to my day or life in any conceivable way. So, leaving Masterton behind, I headed for Carterton and a coffee.
Carterton is a pleasant small town and unlike Masterton holds a bit of allure. It’s surrounded by farmland and hills that provide a lovely backdrop for the town itself. I stopped at a place called Wild Oats for coffee and drank it while rummaging through a second-hand store called Bizarre Attractions next door. A shop filled with curiosity, it had everything from records to old tin cans, toys and gardening equipment. I hunted through the vast collection of items in a world of happiness and while I didn’t find inspiring sophistication, I did find something better, joy and delight. Exiting the shop, finishing my coffee and bidding the owner Graham farewell, I took a moment to read about Carterton’s namesake Charles Rooking Carter at a nearby statue before walking back to my car.
The rain settled in once more and I became hungry. In need of lunch I made up my mind to eat in the nearby town of Featherston and that is where I headed next.
Martinborough
Martinborough – Buy or view the Ōtepoti | Dunedin gallery
The next day I awoke feeling cold. Throughout the night the surrounding hills of the Wairarapa had been covered with a dusting of snow. I’d spent the previous evening enjoying the hospitality of the local hotel, discussing the benefits of wearing a Peak Blinder hat and the virtues of the late, great All Black Sir Brian Lochore. This then led to a much deeper discussion on if it’s still possible to make the All Blacks by playing for Wairarapa Bush without playing Super Rugby. We all agreed it wasn’t.
Yesterday, leaving Cape Palliser the weather had turned nasty pretty quickly and so I’d decided to leave having a stroll around the town of Martinborough till the next day. Now, in the brightness of a new morning with the odd hail storm passing overhead, I went for a look around.
The town very much had a ‘summer vibe’ to it. The houses all had either contemporary designs or were upgraded Villa’s with wrap-around decks to provide shade from the summer sun. There were swimming pools, vineyards and olive groves aplenty. All of which suggested that in summer if you like complicated and lavish food platters with expensive wine then this was the place to be. I came to suspect that Martinborough was a place that shutdown over winter and was just now coming out of its hibernation.
Walking in the hail I passed the now familiar hotel and passed the Old Post Office which had been converted to a Boutique shop that among other things, claimed to have Inspiring Sophistication. Not being confident about what inspiring sophistication was, I went in. It took all of about 15 seconds to decide that if what was in front of me was inspiring sophistication then clearly it was something I was lacking. What’s more, since it seemed to involve floral designs, gourmet gift presentations and stuff made with lace, it wasn’t something I’d be purchasing in this lifetime, and dare I say it, the next!
Over the next hour I wandered around the village square and the surrounding shops while rain, hail and snow showers passed by. As I was preparing to leave, I spotted two things that caught my interest. The first of which was a sign at the Wine Merchants. I stood for a moment, studying the sign to make sure I understood it properly. It appeared that you could buy wine and also hire bikes. Now, I don’t want to cause alarm, but doesn’t that seem a tad dangerous to anyone else? Secondly, I discovered that the town of Carterton was nearby. Thus it was that I made up my mind to make Carterton my next stop, after Masterton.
Cape Palliser Lighthouse
Cape Palliser Lighthouse – Buy or view the Ōtepoti | Dunedin gallery
I arrived at what can only be described as a ‘makeshift’ parking lot. Standing in an enthusiastic wind, I steady myself for the ascent to the red and white striped Cape Palliser Lighthouse that sat on a rocky point some 60 metres above me.
To get to the Lighthouse (having first survived the drive), first you must commit yourself to climbing the 252 steps which were built in 1912. Keeping in mind that the Lighthouse was first lit in 1897, that gives 15 years that Keepers had to scramble up a dangerously slippery dirt track just to reach the Lighthouse. Once there, they still had to haul the supplies (oil and kerosene) up the cliff face to the light station by way of a hand winch.
Getting supplies to live off was just as complicated. Stores were delivered every 3 months, weather permitting. On the occasions when the seas were too rough, the stores were landed 6 kilometres away at Kawakawa Bay. This then left the Lighthouse Keeper with the dilemna of getting the stores back to his lodgings.
Standing at the Lighthouse I took a moment to take in my surroundings. It was beginning to rain. The wind was picking up and I couldn’t help but reflect that the life of a Lighthouse Keeper must have been a lonely existence. With that I departed, heading for the charm of the Martinborough Hotel.
Cape Palliser
Mangatoetoe – Buy or view the Ōtepoti | Dunedin gallery
The next day, heavy, dark clouds hung overhead like a thick blanket and in the distance a wall of weather loomed ominously on the horizon. Between, patches of blue sky gave a sense of hope that there might yet be some fine weather left in the day. I hoped so, I was heading for Cape Palliser Lighthouse, the southernmost point of the North Island.
Approaching the coast which would eventually lead to the Lighthouse, the wind picked up and the countryside changed to a beach of blacksand with dramatic pinnacle cliffs. Occasionally I’d pass cribs and huts that were scattered along the road that held little or no protection from the elements. I manoeuvred past partially washed out roads and small villages that were filled with crayfish pots and fishing boats that were pushed into the sea by bulldozers. The road narrowed to a single lane, a ford had to be negotiated, fallen rocks scattered the way ahead and I lost wifi coverage. This was a place that you’d truly have to love to spend any length of time. It was New Zealand’s rugged coastline at its very best and what’s more, it had a Lighthouse!
Navigating Wellington
Corner of Bond and Victoria Street in Wellington– Buy or view the Ōtepoti | Dunedin gallery
I’m always pleased when I can depart a ferry in the manner in which I boarded rather than having to swim ashore. So it was, my mind was most happy that I was able to sedately drive off the Bluebridge ferry in Wellington and begin my search for breakfast, brunch and lunch. I have to admit to not having the most sturdy of sea legs and to avoid breakfast making a sudden surprise appearance, my food intake through-out the morning had been minimal. Finding myself back on dry land and with my stomach letting me know it was now ready for food, I went in search of sustenance.
I navigated the city streets for a while and got hopelessly confused with a Wilson’s parking building before settling upon a delightfully busy place called the Pickle and Pie for lunch. Patiently waiting to be seated as the sign directed, I spent the next hour discovering how ravenous I was while at the same time revisiting a previous observation of the Wellington lunchtime crowd. I noted that once more I found myself in a busy eatery, in the capital city, around noon without a lanyard around my neck!
The Marlborough Sounds & Bluebridge Ferry
The Marlborough Sounds – Buy or view the Ōtepoti | Dunedin gallery
In a state that was surprisingly bright and fresh for 5:30am, I completed my morning ablutions without incident. A feat that I was rather proud of considering I hadn’t yet awoken my internal systems with coffee. Then, ensuring to leave my accommodation key in the designated spot for housekeeping to find later, I quietly slipped out into Piction’s fresh morning air heading for the ferry terminal, the Marlborough Sounds and later Wellington aboard a Bluebridge Ferry.
A Walk On Smails Beach
Rock with seaweed – Buy or view the Ōtepoti | Dunedin gallery
There are so many elements to explore right along at Smails Beach, even the rocks seem interesting and let’s not forget it has a cave to top it off. This was taken towards the Tomahawk end of the beach and is a very long exposure. I can’t remember the exact timing however I exposed it long enough to blow out all the elements in the surrounding sand.
ANZAC Square In Dunedin
Corner of Castle Street and ANZAC Square – Buy or view the Ōtepoti | Dunedin gallery
What a joy it is to spend some time wandering in the sunshine. I think that’s the thing I like best about Spring. The days get longer and with it there’s a few more hours of sunshine. This is an image I took in ANZAC Square outside Dunedin Railway Station on a glorious Spring afternoon here in Dunedin.
Larnach’s Castle Gardens
Larnach’s Castle Gardens – Buy or view the Ōtepoti | Dunedin gallery
The gardens at Larnach’s Castle are outstanding in so many ways. There’s wide open spaces, fountains, secret garden paths, forest walks, all sorts of themed plantings that are surrounded and capped off by this magnificent view and the splendid castle.
Paekākāriki Hill Lookout
Paekākāriki Hill Lookout – Buy or view the Ōtepoti | Dunedin gallery
A quick internet search revealed that the No 1 thing to do in Paekākāriki is to visit the Paekākāriki Hill Lookout, so that’s just the spot I arrived at now. Although upon arrival in the fading light I discovered while the view was quite something, a howling gale was making it extremely difficult to stand. After a quick survey of the gathered cars I also discovered that everyone else had opted to stay in their vehicles and my attempts to stay standing were causing great amusement to all concerned.
Late Autumn At Lake Hayes
Late Autumn At Lake Hayes – Buy or view the Ōtepoti | Dunedin gallery
If you find yourself travelling on State Highway 6 through the Kawarau Gorge and on past the Gibbston Valley, passing by the insanely wonderful Bungy Jumping site at the Kawarau suspension bridge and avoid the lure of heading over the Crown Range, you’ll come across Lake Hayes.
A popular spot for swimming and kayaking, the lake is one of New Zealand’s most photographed lakes with the surrounding mountains reflecting on the water’s surface all year round. For those that like data, the lake has a depth of 33 metres and a surface area of 2.76 kilometres meaning as far as lakes go, it is relatively small yet extremely splendid and altogether charming.
Ferns At The Treaty Grounds
Ferns at the Treaty Ground– Buy or view the Ōtepoti | Dunedin gallery
Usually I’m pretty good at remembering the locations of the photos I’ve taken however this one had me stumped. I’ve got a vague memory of taking it, a stronger memory of editing it but I couldn’t for the life of me remember where I took it. To solve this, I went into the metadata details and discovered that I took it on Saturday, 9th January. Upon further investigation, I found out that was the day I travelled from Russell to Paihia on the Bay of Islands ferry before walking to the Treaty Grounds at Waitangi. This meant it was taken somewhere in the Treaty Grounds, most likely on the bush walk that greets visitors at the entrance which leads on to the Treaty House, Flagstaff and the Te Whare Rūnanga. Which is a ‘must do’ by the way.