Daily Photo – Goat and Quarantine Islands near Port Chalmers
Right on cue, as I arrived in Port Chalmers, the weather changed. The wind picked up and steadily blew down the harbour between nearby Goat and Quarantine Islands. The warm sunshine had given way to high cloud, but nevertheless there’s something about Port Chalmers that I find very likeable. It persists with a unique, isolated connection to the rest of the city and has a history that is rarely spoken about, almost as if it’s slightly embarrassing to talk about.
Long before European arrival, the area was a significant food-gathering site for Kāi Tahu and Kāti Māmoe iwi. When the first European settlers did arrive, this was the spot where they landed. The port made international history in 1882 when the first shipment of frozen meat departed Dunedin for London. It was also the final port of call for the ill-fated journey to the South Pole by Captain Robert Falcon Scott and his band of Antarctic explorers aboard the Terra Nova in 1910. This was the home of Ralph Hotere, widely considered one of New Zealand’s most important contemporary artists, the once popular Chick’s Hotel was arguably the most famous small music venue in New Zealand, and for a long time it was the gateway to Dunedin and the rest of Otago.
Upon arrival, I decided to detour from the main road through town and drove around the promontory that runs behind the wharf and eventually looks out over Sawyers Bay before leading back into town. I passed boats tucked into sheltered bays and old, weather-beaten boat sheds that sat beside the road, partially hidden by overhanging branches and vines that provided both protection and camouflage. I stopped on the side of the gravel road near a plaque commemorating the sinking of the Pride of the Yarra, which, in 1863, collided with another vessel called the Favorite just off the point where I was now standing. Thirteen people died. The subsequent inquiry and Supreme Court trial revealed that both vessels were travelling at speed in dark, foggy conditions, and that the Pride of the Yarra lacked proper lighting. This led to the acquittal of the Favorite’s crew on manslaughter charges and the implementation of stricter maritime safety regulations in Otago Harbour.
I watched the clouds roll in and the tide battle against the breeze. A car rolled past, the driver giving a friendly wave before disappearing over the rise. I returned to my vehicle and headed for Aramoana.