Twenty Fourth Entry

Today's entry will focus mostly on the Botanic Garden and the diamond-in-the-rough neo Greco-Roman architecture that is so prevalent in the downtown of Dunedin. Below You can see its location on the map;

A little closer look reveals a city oriented around a rather large harbour where we saw at least one military ship--a frigate?--amongst the several commercial vessels in the port.

According to the port of Otago website, "Port Chalmers is the birthplace of New Zealand's modern export trade.  It was there, in February 1882, that New Zealand's first cargo of frozen meat left for Great Britain on the refrigerated ship Dunedin.  When it arrived in London 98 days later, with the meat still in excellent condition, it heralded the beginning of New Zealand's export status.  To this day, Port Otago Ltd and Port Chalmers remain at the forefront of New Zealand's export trade."

 Although it was an old city, it had a lot to offer to the eye. The bronze sculptures strewn around the downtown area retell the rich history of the people who founded and later had a hand in making this seaport thrive over the many years. It remains as one of the most interesting places to visit in order to get a glimpse into the early ambitions of the settlers of this country.

A little more modern bronze sculpture also populates the decidedly serious historic

theme of the  downtown core, giving it a much lighter and more whimsical mood.

Old meets semi-new in this picture of Dunedin's eclectic treasure trove of architectural gems, as we see a 1960's Frank Lloyd Wright style building to the right, abutted directly to an example of what you might find in the very early 1800's in Europe right next door. (Help me out here, you architectural buffs; what style is the yellow hotel?)

Some more fascinating, and sometimes bizarre architectural detail below;

Something to do with Poseidon, possibly?

According to Wikipedia, Phoenix House, seen below, was designed and constructed in 1885, by famous Dunedin architect, Francis Petre, who, ironically enough, spent his whole life building in stone (Petre) in the Gothic Revival style.

"The cityscape glitters with gems of Victorian and Edwardian architecture – the legacy of the city's gold-rush affluence. Many, including First Church, Otago Boys' High School and Larnach Castle were designed by one of New Zealand's most eminent architects R A Lawson."

The picture below shows the fascination the aforementioned Edwardian architecture had with occult figures. Notice the rather macabre caricature of Pan, the ancient Grecian god, here revered by architects working during a period in which the Freemason movement was strong worldwide (Take note that Pan is located in the all-important key-stone of the arch, the name given to many of the movement's lodges. Coincidence?)

"Shackled by the Iron Age
Lost the Woodland heritage
Heavy goes the heart of man
Parted from the light-foot Pan;
Wearily he wears the chain
Till the Goat-god comes again."
--Dion Fortune

"Many romantic poems were written in the 18th and 19th centuries, [such as this one], recalling classical glory and a nostalgia for the Gods of Nature in the so-called Age of Reason." It is interesting to note that the turn of the 20th century was a time heavily steeped in pantheism--the belief that God/god existed inside the things of nature rather than being the Creator of nature.

More amazingly intricate stonework below.

Portico, downtown Dunedin, NZ

Same building as above, only at a distance

Twenty Third Entry

Today's quest begins in our favourite South Island city of Invercargill, with a trip to the famous Burt Munroe beach, and ends in Dunedin at one of the few non-Top-Ten campgrounds we stayed at.

Below you see the road that leads to Burt Munroe's aforementioned beach. While in Canada we sometimes get what we call "snow snakes" that blow across our paved roads, a close examination of the picture below will reveal "sand snakes" that behave similarly.

 The approach to Invercargill's beach, Invercargill, NZ

Below is a haunting scene of New Zealand's southernmost beach.

 Invercargill, NZ

Like an obedient puppy--or droid, if you're a Star Wars fan--our loyal "steed" waits impatiently while we frolic on the windswept beach.

 The view shoreward from Burt Munroe beach, Invercargill, NZ

Our friend, the brain-sucker makes yet another appearance, having been vanquished on the northernmost beach of the South Isle. However, this time it has a surprise(?) ally who ensures that the outcome will not be as fruitless as the last skirmish was for this ambitious seafaring marauder!

 Cal bears the full brunt of another vicious sea monster assault

Invercargill, NZ

Almost...there...

 The last breaths of a noble enemy, Cal succumbs to the beast!

Invercargill, NZ

With no time for a proper burial, we just leave him out in the sun to rot.

 Flotsom on the beach

Invercargill, NZ

Below you can see how this seaweed attaches itself to the rocks. Those cavities and veins are all deceivingly hard and sharp for such a soft plant in its other non-rooted areas. It was extremely uncomfortable for the top of the head to horse around as we did.

 Seaweed attachment base

Invercargill, NZ


As we left the beach, we saw this interesting sand-dune-and-grass formation

Wind battered silica sand shoreline

Invercargill, NZ

Looking seaward from the same spot, we were rewarded with the seascape vista below.

A last look at the Beach south of Invercargill, NZ

Leaving me to do a blog entry, Colleen and the kids went shopping/sight-seeing. They didn't get much shopping done--remedial shopping school, anyone?--but they took a lot of shots of downtown Invercargill architecture, as can be seen below.

 Hitoric Town Hall and Theatre, est. 1906 

For more info., visit; http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/southland-region/11/4

Invercargill, NZ

Below can be seen the Boer War Memorial; the source of much controversy, it's said, due to the then scandalous addition of the four clock faces in 1942, after the town clock at the post office was removed for earthquake safety reasons.

Boer War Memorial, Invercargill, NZ

Boer War memorial, with one of the retired old bank buildings behind it. There used to be three major banks at this corner, leading towns folk to name it, "Bank Corner."  Hmmph. Go figure!

Boer War Memorial 
Roundabout at the intersection of Clyde, Dee, Tay, and The Crescent

Invercargill, NZ

More scenes from the roundabout area

Downtown Invercargill, NZ


"The pizza in one place was s-o-o-o ba-ad..."  "How bad was it?"  "Well,..."

C'mon guys, you had to know something was coming when you named it that!
Questionable business acumen, Downtown Invercargill, NZ 

Nicely restored heritage building, The Grand Hotel, "Designed by CJ Brodrick and built in 1913, with cast-iron balustraded balconies, the hotel has long presented a handsome face to the expansive Dee St environments. Since 2000, however, it has [been used] as the Grand Hall of Residence, providing accommodation for Southern Institute of Technology students." 

Downtown Invercargill, NZ

One of the many classic cars we saw in the South Island--this one possibly imported from Australia, judging from the right-hand-driver position.  The license plate, with only two letters showing, marks it as a car that probably was imported when it was new, or only slightly used. (Note the three letters on the plate of the vehicle behind it, identifying it as a late model, or recent import.)

Cruising downtown Invercargill on a sunny afternoon.
 

Below you can see a heavily modded-out Ford Falcon 351 GT. The hood scoop is not original, and neither are the wheels. The motor made 300 ponies--a lot for back then--and apparently, less than 2,000 of these were produced in 1970, and '71 at their factory in Australia.

Ford Falcon 351 GT, downtown Invercargill, NZ

Below is another shot of the remarkably photogenic heritage water tower. 

 Zoomed shot of Gala St. as seen from the intersection with Dee St.
Downtown Invercargill, NZ

 Beautiful St. Paul's Presbyterian Church, Downtown Invercargill, NZ

At the corner of Victoria and Dee can be found this cenotaph, a monument to those who served bravely in the Pacific theatre of WWII, as well as later in Korea, Malaya, Borneo, and Viet Nam from 1948-1972. I am unaware of whether the architect originally intended this or not, but the grass-cement mosaic that fronts the cenotaph seems to echo somewhat the rectangular masonry in the cenotaph itself, with its high-relief mortar, which stands out markedly from the dark stone it binds together.

Cenotaph, Downtown Invercargill, NZ

                   Detail of the top of the Cenotaph

 Below you see one of the stores dedicated solely to the sale of alcoholic beverages--somewhat like Ontario's LCBO--but, unlike Canada, these stores are corporately owned and operated. I wonder what this sign below is supposed to represent, though. Maybe the tag line that comes with it goes something like this; "When you drink Tui beer, and wonder when enough's enough, don't worry, mate! We've got your back! When you see a seal balancing one on his nose...YOU'VE HAD ENOUGH!! But until then, BOTTOMS UP!! Tui Beer."

I think the sign says it all on its own
Invercargill, NZ

                                                      Below we see the vast size of these stores

                                          Alcohol shopping on a warehouse scale
                                         Invercargill, NZ



And, of course, directly outside the store, we have a sign which I'm sure is certain to cause no small amount of consternation!

Do the police confiscate the stuff as they exit the store? "Quick, Jim, you run out first, and when they're all tied up with you, the rest of us'll make a break for it!!"

          Below can be seen Invercargill's version of "Cornerstone" Church.

Cornerstone Church with a sign that seems to be pointing us to our next destination. 
Dunedin, or bust!
Invercargill, NZ

This is the holiday park we stayed in at Dunedin, although the precise name of the place escapes me at the moment...

 OK, now.  We only have two options here; either this is tacky advertising, or they get a lot of walk-ins from pilots and parachutists passing overhead..."I'm gonna go with "tacky for 100", Alex."

 Below you can see the spartan cabin we resided in for one night. Had my kids been eight years younger, they would have been blown over by the playful mural of they're favourite characters from Thomas the Tank Train!

 Accommodations at Dunedin Holiday Park, Dunedin, NZ

They had a real keen sense of humour at this park...as in keening, or wailing like a banshee in reaction to a joke that was dead long before it was ever conceived!

My dad told me this joke years ago (in 1970...& '71, '72, '73, '74,...) and it wasn't funny then, either.
Dunedin Holiday Park, Dunedin, NZ

I was in grade nine when my science teacher sprung this one on us. Like all of his jokes, the groans elicited were long loud and indicated a great deal of mental anguish..."there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth..."

Shades of Sherwood Botsford in Dunedin Holiday Park, Dunedin, NZ


One of these trucks is not like the other...

 Real Truck, pulling a fifth wheel at Dunedin Holiday Park, Dunedin, NZ

Can you spot the difference? It will take keen eyesight, grasshopper!!

Intruder alert!
Dunedin Holiday Park, Dunedin, NZ

Twenty Second Entry

As promised, today is about the scenic run down to Invercargill, which, along with the town of Bluff, are the most southerly settlements on the South Island of New Zealand.

However, before we get there, we mustn't get ahead of ourselves, for there was plenty of time for further frolicking in Te Anau before we were forced to depart.

Below, you'll see what I mean;

 Checkout time--10:00AM all throughout NZ--had arrived, and so we went to drop off the key at the front desk. Below, you see the gardener hard at work in front of the owner's car, a Holden Commodore R8. (A cool 425hp resides under that hood, generated from a 6.2 litre LS3 General Motors V8!)

 The chief gardener hard at work

Te Anau Top Ten Holiday Park

I had a little extra time this day, and so I talked with one of the cleaning people for about three or four minutes, asking her about her job. I was very impressed when she told me about how she and the rest of the staff were able to keep the park in tip-top condition. She told me that there were approximately 10-12 people like herself who put in a good day's work to keep all of the facilities clean as a whistle, and expertly maintained it all in running order. In addition to these cleaners, there were two gardeners/maintenance workers on staff who showed up to work almost every day of the week to keep things operating smoothly. After those, you had the two people working hard at reception, helping people get settled, checked out, booked into their next destination, and guiding them on the local sights and activities so that their stay would be most enjoyable. What impressed me the most about how this particular park was run, was that the owner was not averse to hiring the right amount of dedicated personnel to make his park THE destination for all travelers in the Te Anau area. He could have pinched a penny here or there, but in the pursuit of excellence, chose not to do so. The results were, in a word, stunning. The best part of all his, was that prices in these types of establishments were no more than the other places that were not maintained so diligently. There seems to be a commitment to excellence at various holiday parks throughout New Zealand that I have never seen elsewhere in the developed world where labour is not cheap. Cheers to you, Te Anau Top Ten team!

Gorgeous Hydrangeas at the Top Ten Holiday Park

Te Anau, NZ

As we were checking out, I couldn't help but notice these below:

Pedal Carts, Top Ten Holiday Park, Te Anau, NZ

And so it was, that the day's first adventure began...why are there two steering wheels on that thing?

The two church ladies heading off to the morning service

Te Anau, NZ

Soon it was clear to one church lady that it was a good thing her steering wheel was the one in working order!

 "Now how do we get this thing started, here...hic!...?"

Hijinks in Te Anau, NZ

With Lake Te Anau in the background, Cal strikes a pose. Remind you of "Happy Days", and the Fonz, anyone? I think the bike helmet keeps him from pulling it off, though.

"The Dude", and his racer

Te Anau, NZ

Below, you see the boardwalk that runs along the waterfront, on which we drove the carts. We all had a blast!

Waterfront walkway, Te Anau, NZ

 Then, out of nowhere, this other dude suddenly showed up on the scene, and quickly did a "U-ee" to come along side.

 Well-dressed dude, cruising Te Anau's Shores

We quickly realized that his eye had been caught by one of the church ladies, and so he sidled up to her, hoping for a chance to meet; “Eh, baby, can I give you a lift?”   

“Oh no! Déjà vu! I made this mistake somewhere before, I think! Somebody get dat guy a breath mint, please!”

 Trying to meet girls on Te Anau's waterfront

Te Anau, NZ

She played hard to get, at first, but eventually he won over her heart, and they rode off into this sunset...(later that day.)

 View from the waterfront boardwalk, Te Anau, NZ

After finishing our hi-jinks on the pedal buggies, we stopped in at the local Fresh Choice Supermarket to restock our supplies before pushing on to Invercargill. While there, we found an Italian restaurant owner who agreed with us that New Zealanders all drive "da wong way, on da weft hand side of da woad!"

First the pie shop admits that miles are better than km, and now this!

Changes are coming extremely slowly here, in Te Anau, NZ

Pretty as a picture! Down here they call peppers, "capsicums."

OCD grocery clerks are vigilant and on the job at Te Anau Fresh Choice!

Te Anau, NZ

Our supplies restocked, it was time to hit the road again. The next few pictures below come from the Manapouri area.

Lake Manapouri with Fiordland National Park in the background, as seen from the Frasers Beach area in the town of Manapouri, NZ





This photo below, looks past Supply Bay to the mountains of the park behind.

View from Frasers Beach, Manapouri, NZ

Lake Manapouri, NZ


We had already seen some of the old home made, handcrafted campervans of yesteryear in the town of Motueka already, but their crude construction paled in comparison to the elaborate creation below. In the background, you can see the Seddon Atkinson tractor that this RV owner uses to haul around his gypsy style trailer. One of the family was actually doing the dishes inside the trailer while I took this photo. If you look closely underneath the trailer, you may be able to see the kid's bikes being kept out of the elements.

Campervan parked at Manapouri Holiday Camp, Manapouri, NZ


The pictures below were taken 40 miles/60kms south of Manapouri, where Hwy 99 and 96 meet.

Looking north and west towards Lillburn Valley from the Hwy 99 and 96 Junction




Lone Sheep McQuade surveys his domain, and the strange man who has entered it.

Hwy 99 and 96 Junction, South Island, NZ

Just west of the junction, we found this bridge, the Clifden suspension bridge, built in memory of the soldiers who fought and lost their lives in World War I

Clifden Suspension Bridge, Clifden, NZ

Clifden Suspension bridge, Clifden, NZ





Pressing on, we made our way south to the coast, where we found a wild and woolly landscapes like the ones below.

McCracken's Rest, looking westward, Te Waewae Bay, NZ


Normally the prevailing winds are very strong from a westerly direction, but while we were here, there was a major storm from the east just finishing. Because of this, the tops of the ocean's swells can be seen blowing back out to sea, along with the gale force winds we experienced this day.

Another shot of Te Waewae Bay from McCracken's Rest.

 A short distance south of McCracken's Rest, we stopped in a little village name Orepuki, where we followed Dudley Street down to the beach, where we got the shot below.

Te Waewae Bay, Orepuki, NZ



Did we say that things were wild and woolly on this coast? Below you see some of the trees, shaped by the vicious prevailing winds in the southernmost area of NZ.

Windswept Trees in Orepuki, NZ


Early evening found us in Invercargill, where we stumbled upon these gates that led to a magnificent set of gardens.

Main Gates to Queen's Park, Invercargill, NZ


The placard below shows the sheer extent of this vast park. That rotunda in the middle of the park took us a five-minute walk to get to.

Queen's Park Map, Invercargill, NZ

The view from the main ate of Queen's Park, looking toward the central rotunda
Invercargill, NZ




Just to the left of the frame above, was a vast rose garden, containing almost every type of rose grown in all the world.

"Taihape Sunset" rose, ca. 1987
Invercargill, NZ


Adjacent to the rose gardens was this indigenous forest of manuka trees.

Queen's Park, Invercargill, NZ


The roses continue

Auckland Metro Rose, 1989
Queen's Park, Invercargill, NZ 

Queen's Park, Invercargill, NZ

 Unknown variety of rose
Queen's Park, Invercargill, NZ

Queen's Park, Invercargill, NZ

 

Auckland Metro Rose, 1989
Queen's Park, Invercargill, NZ 

Queen's Park, Invercargill, NZ

 Kids causing a feeding frenzy among the ducks
Queen's Park, Invercargill, NZ

 Bridge over the duck pond
Queen's Park, Invercargill, NZ

 Looking from the duck pond bridge toward the rotunda area

Queen's Park, Invercargill, NZ

Following the right hand path above, led us to the area below.

 Duck Pond
Queen's Park, Invercargill, NZ

 

Water wheel in the duck pond
Queen's Park, Invercargill, NZ

Although it looks cool, all fun was dampened (honest, no pun intended) by the pressure being insufficient for the combatants to douse one another! Drat!! Some killjoy obviously got to the pressure regulator!

Arch Enemies trying in vain to vanquish one another to no avail
Queen's Park, Invercargill, NZ

Below we see the New Zealanders' fascination with water and plumbing continue

 Oversized plumbing
Queen's Park, Invercargill, NZ

Below, we saw an intriguing sculpture, but were never able to discern its meaning. Help, anyone? It looks to be in the Middle Eastern style of portraying lions, or big cats, a la Babylonian sculpture.

Curious Sculpture
Queen's Park, Invercargill, NZ

 At long last, the rotunda, from which bands play and public ceremonies are held.

Queen's Park, Invercargill, NZ

The view from the rotunda toward the main gates of the park

Queen's Park, Invercargill, NZ

 Two amigos hug in New Zealand's southernmost city

 Queen's Park, Invercargill, NZ



Below, you can see the back entrance to the park, if you have a telescope, that is!

Image showing how vast Queen's Park really is
Queen's Park, Invercargill, NZ 

The array of colours and how they're combined is a thirst-quenching treat for the eyes.

 Flower beds and tree gardens
Queen's Park, Invercargill, NZ

 As the sun was setting, we wistfully tore ourselves from this truly enchanted garden, maybe never to return?

 The sadness of an evening farewell
Queen's Park, Invercargill, NZ

Queen's Park, Invercargill, NZ

 Having a little time before sunset, we journeyed on, seeing this intriguing structure below.

 Invercargill, NZ
 

A closer look at what turned out to be the old Invercargill water tower.

 Invercargill Water Works Heritage Building
 Invercargill, NZ
 
 Traveling down the same road as the water tower, we happened on the church below. We had looked this church up on the internet, thinking that we would bin town on the Sabbath, but we were a day early. It was just a fluke that we came upon it at all.

 Invercargill Seventh-day Adventist Church


 A listing of services below

 Invercargill Seventh-day Adventist Church

Our day came to a close, and so we retired to our cabin at the Top Ten Holiday Park

 Invercargill Top Ten Holiday Park

For those of you wondering what "inver" means, seeing as there is also an "Inver"ness in Scotland, one of our blog followers, Linda, has informed me that the word, inver, means "at the mouth of." This being the case, we should find that the Cargill River flows through Invercargill, however, it is the Otago River which flows through the town. Wikipeadia gives us the following info on the matter: "Inver comes from the Scots Gaelic word inbhir meaning a river's mouth and Cargill is in honour of Captain William Cargill, who was at the time the Superintendent of Otago, of which Southland was then a part."

Anyway, that's the story behind the lovely city of Invercargill, which our whole family fell in love with in our extremely all too short time there.

Good Night From Invercargill, as tomorrow we travel to the beach where, Burt Munroe, known famously as the World's Fastest Indian raced a gang of toughs who goaded him into a bet.