This was our last full day in New Zealand and Isabella and I had to make it to Christchurch, or as near as possible. I was flying out the next day and Isabella would be continuing her bicycle journey north form there. She had a few weeks to reach Auckland and this would go quite some ways to helping her out. Also, our adventures in the dark trying to get to Invercargill the night before meant we were a little apprehensive but this journey was set to be straight and along mostly major highways.
Isabella managed to get a reservation at a hostel in Akaroa, a small town on the Banks Peninsula just east of Christchurch. It was near enough that it wouldn't take too long to get to Christchurch and this particular hostel had very good reviews. We decided first, though to do some exploring of Dunedin.
The central part of Dunedin is a circular collection of streets called the Octagon. Many of the oldest and most important buildings of the city are in this small area. For relaxation there's even a little park in the middle transected by Princes and George Streets. We first walked up to the statue of Robert Burns, the great Scottish poet. As Dunedin was founded by Scots, in fact the whole of the southern South Island to Invercargill was colonized mostly by Scots, things Scottish have a sort of pride of place. It was one of Robert Burns' nephews who was the first minister in the local Presbyterian church, I think. It's a good landmark to use if you want to meet someone. Across the road is the impressive Anglican Cathedral with it's towering spires and beside it is the Municipal Chambers building. The Municipal Chambers is perhaps best known for its clock tower which gives it a distinctive look.
From there we took a short walk down Stuart Street to perhaps Dunedin's most famous landmark, the train station. Built when Dunedin was the second largest city in the country and center of a gold rush, its design is in the Franco-Flemish style. That might not mean much in itself but among British colonies that use of architecture makes it more or less unique. It has this sort of ornate quality about it that just makes it unmistakable. The actual foyer to wait for trains is pretty small and most of the rest of the building is offices and the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame which is a bit anticlimactic, but the building itself is thoroughly enjoyable to look at. Our next stop was the First Presbyterian Church not too far away which doesn't receive as much credit as the Anglican Cathedral or the train station but it is an excellent example of Scottish Gothic architecture.
Getting in our car, we then drove to the north of the city and drove up Baldwin Street. This is, supposedly, the steepest street in the world and I can categorically say that it is quite the adventure to drive up it. You have to use the lowest possible gear and as you drive up you are in constant terror that you will stall. Once you reach the top, the only thing you can do is turn around and head down where you're in constant fear that the car will get away from you. Isabella got the whole drive on video and it's quite the experience if you like a bit of adventure.
Isabella and I decided that we wanted to try some Bluff oysters raw, or as near as possible. The price in Dunedin was quite high but Isabella said she remembered cheaper prices in another town on the drive in. We drove to Mosgiel, a town I mentioned earlier, and it is only 15 kilometers from Dunedin. There we found some Bluff oysters for half the price they were selling in Dunedin and decided to see if they really were worth all the hype. We sat down on a bench and I took the first one and instantly cringed. It was far too salty to leave them in the brine so we drained the brine and shared the oysters. I don't think they were particularly good and Isabella agreed that they tasted far better deep-fried than raw.
From Mosgiel we drove back through Dunedin and off to the north. Our only stop long the way was the famous Moeraki Boulders. These are a series of boulders on a beach that have been rounded off by the erosive action of the sea. They are quite well-known but there weren't that many people around when Isabella and I went for a walk. They were interesting and certainly set in a scenic coast of New Zealand.
We didn't linger long and then made for Akaroa with all necessary haste. Progress wasn't as fast as I'd hoped but I suppose we did it in about the average time. To get to Akaroa you turn off the main highway and then cut across top the highway for the Banks Peninsula. As we drove the lonely highway to Akaroa the highway turned from flat to mountainous as we crested and troughed the peaks of the Banks Peninsula. By the time we finally reached Akaroa, darkness had set in.
The connection between France and Scotland runs deep and it seems that New Zealand is no exception. The town of Akaroa, which may be the South Island's first European settlement, was founded by the French. Even today the street names have mostly French names and the name of our hostel was Bon Accord. Although it was dark, Akaroa was a pleasant little town and is a bit of a tourist destination precisely because of its unique French heritage. Our hostel was also very well apportioned and I think it could've even rated as a hotel. I keep saying that the Kiwis know how to treat visitors.
As it was dark, I was worried we wouldn't be in time for dinner but the manager of the hostel managed to get us a reservation at a very nice restaurant; it is probably Akaroa's nicest. Isabella and I got dressed for the occasion and walked to the restaurant. It was small, crowded, lively and magnificent. It was clearly a very popular place as it seemed that every visitor was there. We felt fortunate as there were some people who were turned away because the place was simply too full. It had such a great atmosphere and the food was fantastic too. At the end, they gave us each about a shot of a homemade liqueur produced from the feijoa plant. This is a type of sweet fruit that is grown in some quantity on the South Island. Even though I'm a teetotaller, I found it quite tasty and an excellent end to the evening. With the crowd thinning out, Isabella and I took a nighttime walk along Akaroa's principal street before returning to the hostel.
We were both a bit sad at the realization that we would be parting company tomorrow but glad of the adventure. We talked a bit and prepacked what we need to before turning in for the night. We had seen quite a good portion of the South Island, from its towering mountains to the cold sea. All that was left now was the next morning.
Isabella managed to get a reservation at a hostel in Akaroa, a small town on the Banks Peninsula just east of Christchurch. It was near enough that it wouldn't take too long to get to Christchurch and this particular hostel had very good reviews. We decided first, though to do some exploring of Dunedin.
The central part of Dunedin is a circular collection of streets called the Octagon. Many of the oldest and most important buildings of the city are in this small area. For relaxation there's even a little park in the middle transected by Princes and George Streets. We first walked up to the statue of Robert Burns, the great Scottish poet. As Dunedin was founded by Scots, in fact the whole of the southern South Island to Invercargill was colonized mostly by Scots, things Scottish have a sort of pride of place. It was one of Robert Burns' nephews who was the first minister in the local Presbyterian church, I think. It's a good landmark to use if you want to meet someone. Across the road is the impressive Anglican Cathedral with it's towering spires and beside it is the Municipal Chambers building. The Municipal Chambers is perhaps best known for its clock tower which gives it a distinctive look.
From there we took a short walk down Stuart Street to perhaps Dunedin's most famous landmark, the train station. Built when Dunedin was the second largest city in the country and center of a gold rush, its design is in the Franco-Flemish style. That might not mean much in itself but among British colonies that use of architecture makes it more or less unique. It has this sort of ornate quality about it that just makes it unmistakable. The actual foyer to wait for trains is pretty small and most of the rest of the building is offices and the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame which is a bit anticlimactic, but the building itself is thoroughly enjoyable to look at. Our next stop was the First Presbyterian Church not too far away which doesn't receive as much credit as the Anglican Cathedral or the train station but it is an excellent example of Scottish Gothic architecture.
Getting in our car, we then drove to the north of the city and drove up Baldwin Street. This is, supposedly, the steepest street in the world and I can categorically say that it is quite the adventure to drive up it. You have to use the lowest possible gear and as you drive up you are in constant terror that you will stall. Once you reach the top, the only thing you can do is turn around and head down where you're in constant fear that the car will get away from you. Isabella got the whole drive on video and it's quite the experience if you like a bit of adventure.
Isabella and I decided that we wanted to try some Bluff oysters raw, or as near as possible. The price in Dunedin was quite high but Isabella said she remembered cheaper prices in another town on the drive in. We drove to Mosgiel, a town I mentioned earlier, and it is only 15 kilometers from Dunedin. There we found some Bluff oysters for half the price they were selling in Dunedin and decided to see if they really were worth all the hype. We sat down on a bench and I took the first one and instantly cringed. It was far too salty to leave them in the brine so we drained the brine and shared the oysters. I don't think they were particularly good and Isabella agreed that they tasted far better deep-fried than raw.
From Mosgiel we drove back through Dunedin and off to the north. Our only stop long the way was the famous Moeraki Boulders. These are a series of boulders on a beach that have been rounded off by the erosive action of the sea. They are quite well-known but there weren't that many people around when Isabella and I went for a walk. They were interesting and certainly set in a scenic coast of New Zealand.
We didn't linger long and then made for Akaroa with all necessary haste. Progress wasn't as fast as I'd hoped but I suppose we did it in about the average time. To get to Akaroa you turn off the main highway and then cut across top the highway for the Banks Peninsula. As we drove the lonely highway to Akaroa the highway turned from flat to mountainous as we crested and troughed the peaks of the Banks Peninsula. By the time we finally reached Akaroa, darkness had set in.
The connection between France and Scotland runs deep and it seems that New Zealand is no exception. The town of Akaroa, which may be the South Island's first European settlement, was founded by the French. Even today the street names have mostly French names and the name of our hostel was Bon Accord. Although it was dark, Akaroa was a pleasant little town and is a bit of a tourist destination precisely because of its unique French heritage. Our hostel was also very well apportioned and I think it could've even rated as a hotel. I keep saying that the Kiwis know how to treat visitors.
As it was dark, I was worried we wouldn't be in time for dinner but the manager of the hostel managed to get us a reservation at a very nice restaurant; it is probably Akaroa's nicest. Isabella and I got dressed for the occasion and walked to the restaurant. It was small, crowded, lively and magnificent. It was clearly a very popular place as it seemed that every visitor was there. We felt fortunate as there were some people who were turned away because the place was simply too full. It had such a great atmosphere and the food was fantastic too. At the end, they gave us each about a shot of a homemade liqueur produced from the feijoa plant. This is a type of sweet fruit that is grown in some quantity on the South Island. Even though I'm a teetotaller, I found it quite tasty and an excellent end to the evening. With the crowd thinning out, Isabella and I took a nighttime walk along Akaroa's principal street before returning to the hostel.
We were both a bit sad at the realization that we would be parting company tomorrow but glad of the adventure. We talked a bit and prepacked what we need to before turning in for the night. We had seen quite a good portion of the South Island, from its towering mountains to the cold sea. All that was left now was the next morning.
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