Edinburgh of the South Seas

October 6th was the first full day that I would spend in Dunedin, the New Edinburgh of New Zealand. Dunedin was founded by Scottish immigrants, as was most of the South Island, apart from the Maori of course. These Scots wanted to recreate a bit of home in this distant land and so they designed many of the buildings in the Scottish architectural style. As well, the name "Dunedin" is the Gaelic name of Edinburgh, Scotland's capital. You can certainly feel the Scottish influence through the architecture, the statue of Robert Burns (Scotland's national poet) and even in the accent of the residents.

New Zealand has an accent distinct from Australia characterized by the short i becoming a short u sound and a bit of a rolled r. This way the word "chip" is pronounced "chup". This is a feature of some Scottish accents as is the rolling r. It is more apparent in places like Dunedin and clearly betrays the regions Scottish heritage.

My first stop of the day was the Octagon, an area at the center of Dunedin. The area is, quite appropriately, in the shape of an octagon with George Street running down the middle and other streets forming the outside. I had seen pictures of it but it seemed smaller in person. However, on the Octagon are some of Dunedin's most famous landmarks: the Municipal Chambers with its high clock tower, the impressive St. Paul's Anglican Cathedral and the statue of Robert Burns. I did not linger over long and quickly made my way to the Dunedin Railway Station.

The Railway Station, constructed in the Franco-Flemish style is one of Dunedin's most recognizable edifices. It is also close to the equally artistic Law Courts, which still function as such. The station was built at a time when Dunedin was New Zealand's major port thanks to the Otago Gold Rush. Although it looks impressive, it is not actually all that big as most of the space is for offices. The foyer, while having an interesting look, is also quite small. I did take the chance to go to the Sports Hall of Fame in the building to take a look at some of New Zealand's athletic heroes. Most I'd never heard of except of Sir Edmund Hilary who in 1953, with Tenzing Norgay became the first person confirmed to have scaled Chomolungma (Mt. Everest). I also took a ride on a stationary bicycle which challenged people to see how fast they could go and if I remember correctly, I topped out somewhere around 81 km/h.

After leaving the station, I spent some time looking around the port of Dunedin before heading off to Baldwin Street. This would be like any other street in the city if it wasn't for 1 thing, it is the steepest recorded street in the world. At its steepest, Baldwin Street has an incline of 1:2.71 (1 meter rise for every 2.71 meters distance or about 20.25 degrees) which doesn't sound particularly steep until you try to climb it. I climbed it and then climbed back down. The area around Baldwin Street capitalizes on the street's fame and there are even shops which hand out certificates to say you had been there.

Needless to say, Baldwin Street proved to be an exhausting undertaking so I decided to venture back to Hogwartz for some rest. I'd also meet back up with my brother to see how his day had been. Along the way I stopped to take a picture of the Registry of Otago University, New Zealand's oldest post-secondary institution. Apparently, some 25 000 students inhabit Dunedin, locally known as "scarfies", and add to the vibrant mix of the city. I made it back to Hogwartz without incident and rested as my brother and I discussed where to go for dinner. We chose another pub on the Octagon and had a very pleasant time.

On the whole, Dunedin is a fascinating city and I wouldn't mind returning there on some future trip. I'll always think that the highlands of Central Otago and Canterbury are my favourite places in New Zealand, but Dunedin does have its charms too. I didn't have too much time to enjoy it, though as next on the list was Invercargill, where the south meets the ocean.