Dunedin New Zealand 1998
Wonderful Vacation; Like Visiting Old Friends
Dunedin New Zealand
It's a university town, with the local culture scene cranking up with the annual return of students. The music scene is so strong Dunedin has an international reputation as a breeding ground for young rock acts.
But it's the surrounding area that also gives Dunedin much of its magnetism for visitors. The Otago Peninsula is booming with eco-tourism, offering views of towering mountains, native forest and rare wildlife like the Royal Albatross that nest at Taiaroa Head and the yellow-eyed penguins that live in regional waters.
Location
Overview
The name is the Gaelic form of Edinburgh, and, in fact, the Scottish migrants who settled the area in the mid-19th century had planned to call the place New Edinburgh.
Dunedin prevailed, and this city of 115,000 remains Scottish to its core. There's a statue of beloved bard Robbie Burns in the city square, or Octagon, as locals know it. And fuelled by the prosperity that came with gold finds in the area, Dunedin is filled with gorgeous Victorian and Edwardian architecture, notably Larnach Castle.
Lanarch's Castle
Larnach Castle, the only castle in Australasia, is a place all visitors to Dunedin must visit. Located on Camp Road on the scenic Otago Peninsula, the castle with its grand architecture and stonemasonry, rare antiques, fabulous views, gardens and grounds, was the magnificent obsession of a doomed Victorian whose tragic death in 1898 scandalized the colony.
They also offer Castle and Peninsula Horse Treks. What better way to see the Otago Peninsula, including its wildlife, fantastic views of the terrain from horseback.
Dunedin's award winning tourist attraction built in 1871 features New Zealand antiques, magnificent carved ceilings, fascinating - sometimes scandalous history with spectacular views and wonderful gardens, offers accommodation, meals, teas and tours.
Larnach Castle was bought by the Barker family in 1967 when it was neglected and in a bad state of repairs. Since then they have restored and fully re-furnished the castle with New Zealand antiques, including some of Mr. Larnach's original furniture, gaining tourism awards in 1982 and 1992 which reflect those efforts.
The history of the castle intrigues visitors. Built by merchant baron and politician William Larnach, who had three wives, six children and a colorful life, (eventually committing scandalous suicide in the New Zealand Houses of Parliament), the Castle is a testament to the Master Craftsmen of the period.
Carved lions greet the visitor, a Georgian hanging staircase, a Venetian glass wall, the one tonne marble bath and a 3,000 square foot ballroom are some of the features created at great expense and effort in colonial Otago.
Dunedin Beaches Are Indeed Cold!
Next Destination, Milford Sound
Milford Sound is simply stunning. In Maori legend, the fiords were created not by rivers of ice, but by Tu Te Raki Whanoa, a godly figure who came wielding a magical adze and uttering incantations. Milford Sound (Piopiotahi) is without doubt his finest sculpture. Whatever the fiord’s mood, teeming with rain or with sun glistening on deep water, it will inspire you.