Dunedin Part Deux

We had 2 full days during our second stop in Dunedin and we tried to see as much as possible. Of course, day 1 overcast but the rain was light and intermittent so it wasn’t going to stop us. We headed out to Port Chalmers, the main container port and cruise ship dock for Dunedin. The access to the inner harbour is by a narrow deep water channel so only smaller ships come all the way in. Port Chalmers is a nice little village that supports port operations and also caters in a small way to cruise ship passengers (most are bussed into the city to tour around). We found a nice cafe for our morning coffee (the Union Co. Cafe) and then explored the recently opened Maritime Museum. Nice museum with models of significant ships that were important to the development of area. There was also a lot of information on how the port was developed. Initially, the harbour entrance needed to be dredged to keep it deep enough for ships to enter. An engineer came up with quite a brilliant idea to build a “mole” (essentially a long breakwater) extending 1.2 km out from the furthest point north of the harbour in Aramoana. The effectively changed the current patterns around the harbour mouth and stopped the buildup of sand. In fact, it was so effective, it deepened the channel after it was built but 4.5 meters. The mole was improved over the years and now is 1 km long, with a nice walking path. There was originally a long pier on the harbour side of the mole that has since fallen into dis-repair but there seems to be some interest to saving it.

We walked around Port Chalmers, visited the church set up on the hill overlooking the port, and then off to another cafe for lunch, Cafe Santosha. Tucked away in an alley off the Main Street, it was a nice spot for lunch. Great food, and excellent coffee. Cafes in Port Chalmers 2 for 2!

We took the clifftop drive back from Port Chalmers. Great views from the top across to the peninsula and a road that put a new meaning to narrow and twisty (kind of reminded us of driving in Scotland). Stopped to buy food for dinner, we were on dinner duty for the family. Together Cathy and I sorted out a meal that everyone loved, even Matilda (admittedly, we were told she eats just about anything, but we’ll still take the win).

For our last day, Jono and Kate suggested a couple of places, Allan Beach, and Sandymount Lookout and Recreatrion Reserve. First off, Allan Beach. We got there early enough to have the place to ourselves briefly. We were warned that there could be sea lions on the track down to the beach and there was, but they are supposedly used to walkers. We gave this guy a wide berth out of respect!

The beach itself was beautiful. Great for walking, lots of surf crashing, stunning views and lots of sea lions lounging around, including some juveniles.

From Allan Beach, we went to Sandymount Lookout. DOC (Department of Conservation) who manage much of NZ’s trails, no longer supported the trails that we wanted to use. Cathy however, using All Trails managed to get us most places we wanted to see. The trails were overgrown but still pretty easy to pick out, mostly… We did end up off the trail a few times, but the sheep in the paddock we were walking through didn’t mind, neither did the farmer we ran into.

Our last stop of the day was another recommended cafe, Augustines in Portebello, on the other side of the ridge from Allan Bay. Tucked away on a back street, their menu is from locally grown ingredients. In this case local means as much as possible from their own farm. We ended up sharing a stump with 2 sisters who were enjoying the sunny day. Had a great chat with them while we waited for our order And got some excellent travel advice from them as well for our trip to Christchurch. Lunch was great, sitting outside in the sun, surrounded by nature. Couldn’t ask for a more pleasant last lunch in Dunedin.

The last ritual we shared with Jono, Kate, and Matilda was fatty Friday. Every Friday, they order takeout from a local shop, Tahuna Camp Store. Cathy and I opted for fish and chips (best we’ve had so far!). Everything was delicious, so if you’re ever in Dunedin and looking for good takeaway, look this place up!

We said our goodbyes Saturday morning as we started north. These past 2 weeks have been quite special and we’ve enjoyed getting to know Jono, Kate, and Matilda. Cathy made a comment that Matilda had me wrapped around her little finger, and I can’t disagree.

We got to see a lot of Dunedin and Central Otago and I’m pretty sure that Dunedin is now my favourite city in NZ. Lots to see and do, pretty relaxed, all the amenities, and a reasonable climate.

We’re 2 nights in Timaru, then a couple of nights in Christchurch before our last stop on the South Island in Blenheim. We are definitely moving north and while we still have a month and half left in NZ, it feels like we‘re running out of time.