I spent a couple of hours enjoying the surrounds of the Esplanade over the weekend. By the time I reached the roundabout on the corner of Bedford Street and Forbury and Victoria Road there was already a tranquil feeling about the place. The one thing to be said for the area surrounding the Esplanade is that it’s a wonderful place to walk, no matter what the weather. There are options to walk the local streets that populate the community, you can explore two completely different beaches, take in the Esplanade on the water front or completely give up and treat yourself to a coffee and a tasty bite from one of the restaurants and bars. On this occasion I decided to make the most of seeing the ocean, still, calm and looking very tranquil, if not a tad cold.
And so to Monday. I awoke at six o’clock in the morning to an extremely keen wind. Daybreak had arrived quickly and outside the wind sounded cold and looked worse! I decided to postponement my morning photowalk on the Esplanade till the afternoon in the hopes the weather might be a bit more tropical. Ten hours later I parked my car, stepped out on the footpath and carefully checked my trusty weather app. It read, currently 3.7° but feels Like 0°.
There seemed a delightful stillness to Dunedin over the weekend. It was the kind of weather that was perfect for enjoying the outdoors. So, I went for a walk on both Saturday and Sunday mornings to see what the world was offering. I walked for some distance and eventually I end up at the Esplanade. There I found the restaurants and bars doing a brisk trade and a scattering of people strolling in their own time along various parts of waterfront. The busiest spot by far though were the steps to the beach which judging by the wet footprints had been frequented by many surfers already that day and judging by the car park, more were likely.
I don’t often hear about people talking about Moonrise but, there it is, hanging a full 4 degrees above the horizontal line out in the Pacific Ocean. With today being a full moon I went in search of full moon myths and theories. What I discovered was that apparently the full moon makes you crazy, aliens inhabit the moon, the moon controls fertility, the moon is a hollow space craft, man never landed on the moon, the nazis had a base on the moon and my personal favourite, a rabbit dwells on the moon.
Midweek on the Esplanade in the early evening with the temperature sitting at around 8 degrees (water temp is 11), a light wind blowing, the surf a messy and the Salt Water Pool is closed. It all adds up to a fairly quiet spot. Thankfully, the foods great at the local restaurants and the light is awesome. #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
Into The Shimmering Light Wandering finding curious and creative views as of Ōtepoti I amble down each charter’d street.
This is one of my favourite beach/surfing photos. I haven’t spent much time down at the beach recently, I really should change that. With this image I was fortunate with the timing. The National Surfing Champs were due to start that morning and I was following the light and making my way across the rocks at St Clair. As I did so one of the major female contenders for the Open Section just happened to launch herself into the surf at the same time. I kinda like the end result. #lovindunners#majesticdunedin#johncaswellnz
Names Etched Time Wandering finding curious and creative views as of Ōtepoti I amble down each charter’d street.
This is the old Railway Station at Sutton in Central Otago. I went on a search to find out more about it’s history but sadly I came up rather empty handed. All I can tell you from my google search is that if you go inside you can read names and initials of soldiers who served in the First World War, carved as they left for the front. Also, the station it’s self is only 5 kilometres from Middlemarch, 10 from the Sutton Salt Lake and only a few minutes away from the Orchard Sun Club, a Naturist Resort.
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.
Is Tyler Stent a local Dunedin artist? I always assumed he was however it recently occurred to me that this is a piece of information I should know for certain. I know he has had art on show at the The Artists Room on Dowling Street and you can find more of his work on Carroll Street (Ralph Hotere mural) and at the cafe the Morning Magpie on Stuart Street. Which is your favourite?
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
Intersections have a lovely metaphor about them. They can say so much about the human qualities of life and choice, particularly if they remain empty and devoid of human activity. In this image, the two elements that I really think pulls the scene together are the mist & rain, along with the tyre tracks. The entire story of the scene comes together with the mist, the rain, the tyre tracks which are tied into the lovely metaphor that the intersection brings. For me, this is another long stare about life.
Back at Easter I had the pleasure and delight of watching the original 1939 movie the Wizard of Oz. It reminded me that there’s something quite wonderful and charming about watching a movie that was actually filmed on a set with real actors, backdrops that ever so slightly moved, props that wobbled and most of all no overly complicated storyline that seems to be the feature of any modern day classic film. Yes, I must confess to having enjoyed every second of the 101 minutes that Dorothy spent trying to get back home to her Kansas farm with her dog Toto to see her Aunt Em and Uncle Henry. I even found myself quite delighted when she clicked her heels together and said “there’s no place like home.”
@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.
This is another visit to the central themes and ideas of emptiness, silence, space and how human activity can be dwarfed by nature. Once again it’s an acknowledgement that even now, there are places where all the white noise of the world can be switched off for a while. Following on from the image I shared last Thursday, everything in the image has been included and excluded deliberately to achieve the feeling I wanted it to invoke when I look at it. It’s another long stare rather than a quick scroll on the screen.
At the moment I’m developing a description and colour palette of Dunedin in winter through single words or short poetic lines. I’d like you to contribute. Using one or two words, describe Dunedin and Otago in winter by commenting below. If you’ve not from Dunedin fear not, poetic winter lines like the one above will help as well.
It suddenly occurred to me the other day that Wednesday was quickly rolling around and I didn’t have anything to write for my blog. Without realising it, I had once again unbalanced myself and spent a bit too much time taking photos while not really thinking about what to write about. This happens to me from time to time, grasshopper brain I think it’s called.
To reconnect with my fascinating weekly insights into life in Dunedin I took a quick glance back over my blog. The intention had been to explore the themes of culture and identity in Aotearoa by investigating if Ōtepoti reflect it’s Scotish roots of Kilts, Haggis and Robbie Burns poetry? Are we a nation still obsessed with Fush & Chups, The Edmonds Cookbook and Hokey Pokey Ice Cream? Do we still have a No 8 Wire mentality? Are these items symbolic of life in Aotearoa or just of an urban myth sold off to tourists who drive on the wrong side of the road and decorate bushes with loo paper?
@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.
This is more of a romantic notion than an accurate representation of a scene. To me, it’s a personal story rather than a work containing dramatic light or a moment of fascination. Everything in the image has been included and excluded deliberately to achieve the feeling I wanted it to invoke when I look at it. For me, this image is a long stare rather than a quick scroll on the screen. I must have looked at it for a good hour, making sure I completely understood it before finishing it.
This is another image of a theme and idea I’ve been developing and exploring recently. It expands off last week’s images that were called Peninsula Bus Stop with Dry Grass, Scott Hall and Shearing Shed and Load Ramp. All these images are about the relationship between human’s temporary existence within nature. I’ve been looking for signs of human existence that show a temporary nature, emptiness, silence and devoid of human noise. It’s amazing how quiet the world can be when you turn off all the white noise for a while.
This is an imageI took late last year. Its theme is a common one for me in recent times with this kind of work; traces of human life in silence and emptiness. I visit locations on the Otago Peninsula often and I’m always looking how objects connect with each other and the meaning they infer. Here a shearing shed and loading ramp are covered and surrounded in mist while the damp grass extends off the page. There’s a relationship here between man’s temporary residence against nature. “Shearing Shed and Loading Ramp” (2020)
This is another scene I found on Otago Peninsula. As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, I wasn’t out looking for something fascinating or interesting, instead I was viewing through the central idea and theme of traces of human life, silence and emptiness. I wandered around this hall for a while before I finally came across the composition I wanted. Sometimes I find I need to look at objects in multiple ways before seeing the arrangement I want. With this hall, I liked the hints of emptiness and silence that seemed to be present, it has traces of human life but also a tiny sense of drama. It’s very much about that human quality of connectedness and harmony in life. Title: Scott Hall by John Caswell (2021)
I came across this scene while I was exploring Otago Peninsula. I wasn’t out looking for something fascinating or interesting because the problem with that is so many things appear fascinating that it becomes impossible to capture everything the eye sees. Instead, my curiosity was based around a central idea and theme. Others might call it a vision. What I was looking for was traces of human life, silence and emptiness. Personally I loved the connection between the bus stop sign and the seat, the street sign and the no exit or turning sign. The relationship between these elements and the rest of the scene to me seem to suggest a way of life that is forgotten about in the city. Title: Peninsula Bus Stop with Dry Grass by John Caswell (2021)
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.
… 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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Hydro Open (day 6 of 30)
