Dunedin & Port Chalmers

Friday
Quite early on I moved my car from the campsite to the hostel where they offered free parking - I had booked this last night before leaving the hostel to assure myself that I’d have a mattress tonight!!

The hostel was quite close to town centre so I Walked into town and visited the Otago Settlers Museum. It was a very interesting collection, but now having visited a fair few museums documenting Māori and settlers in these times I couldn’t help but think about how they were telling these stories.  And in that case, who was telling them right?

 

Artifact made of grass, and a series of Portraits of various first settlers in Otago from the 1800s. 


This room gave an idea of what it was like in those first sea voyages, what their bunks looked like, what they could bring with them. 


The ‘New Edinburgh’ room is one I found very interesting! Dunedin comes from the Gaelic of Edinburgh which is Dun Eidinn. Many of the Streets and Neighbourhoods are named after streets and areas of Edinburgh, Scotland and of places further afield in Scotland; Waverley, Portablello, Musselburgh, Riccarton Rd, St Kilda, Helensburgh...the list goes on. So even before arriving in this room in the museum I had a fair idea that folk from Edinburgh had settled here. I hadn’t till today known quite the history of This New Edinburgh though. Dunedin had been settled by a group of breakaway Presbyterian settlers from Edinburgh, and it wasn’t because of the looks of the natural harbour that they named it after their city, but they had homes of turning this muddy village into as prospering a city as Edinburgh, Scotland’s capital. Ambitious, I’ll give them that, but unfortunately it didn’t exactly go to plan, and there was several years of slog in a constant battle with the muddy terrain. But with writings like this enticing people to come over, who could refuse...!?  Haha 


I think one of the most unique rooms I found in the museum, and one I enjoyed the most, was one that showed a sample of drawings, posters, adverts, advertising artwork from Dunedin over the years, particularly focussing in pre digital design. Beautiful and creative ads that put modern day advertising to shame.
 

This is the outside of the settlers museum.


After walking round the museum for a couple of hours I treated myself to a wee coffee and savoury scone in their cafe. 

Next stop: Dunedin Art Gallery. The main exhibition was of an artist that did contemporary abstract art and I’m afraid it just didn’t tickle my fancy. However there was a small selection of Graham Sydney’s work which I really enjoyed looking at. I came across some of his work in a small shop in Arrowtown and I was quite taken by it. I’m glad to have seen some more of his work and to learn a bit more about the man him self. I’ll have to keep my eye out for some of his work in the future.


Saturday 
Onwards to port Chalmers today to meet up with some friends I made in the Coromandel when I was WWOOFing for Marijke. 
Bernie and her lovely son Van let me stay in their home in Port Chalmers for tonight. It’s a small town which is about 20 minute north of Dunedin. As much as I liked Dunedin as a place I was glad to leave the city behind and head up the coast towards the countryside. 



I reached Bernie’s house about mid morning and we all got into her car and headed out towards Broad Bay Beach for a wee tour and some beach time as it was another really hot day. We reached as far as the Albatross Colony on the far end of the peninsula and then turned back. Van napped for a while as we were driving about and when he woke up we stopped at a wee beach on the road back.


 


Where we met her friend Sarah and went for a swim. We had some tea at Sarah’s house after which was lovely and Van and I played in her garden. 

After that we drove to Bernie’s pal Lisa’s house and caught up with her and her husband David. Some more garden play and then we ended up staying for dinner (which was amazing!). David then introduced me to a whole bunch of Kiwi music. Some great stuff!





We got home late, way past bedtime and with a VERY sleepy toddler. 


Sunday
We had a lovely slow morning, had breakfast in the sun before we headed out to watch The Art Parade that Van and Bernie were marching in as part of his kindergarten. 

 

In the afternoon we chilled out at their place with another mum and her daughter. It was really hot so we had a makeshift paddling pool out and the kids were running about naked and playing with cars. Such an enjoyable afternoon with new friends. 

About 3:30 I left Bernie and Van and headed up the road towards Omaru and camped at Glencoe. Same name but nothing else was the same. 

  
  

As I was making dinner the SANDFLIES got bad again!!! So it was straight to the tent and I read my book till I fell asleep. 

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