For the first time since Wellington, Dunedin offered us a chance to explore a NZ city rather than simply passing through. Our first destination was the train station. Only running the occasional tourist trip now, the station was nonetheless a nice place to visit. The station’s floor was made up in a faux mosaic style while the walls (both inside and out) were elaborately, but not excessively, decorated. However, the station’s main claim to fame is that it is supposedly NZ’s most photographed building.
Our other stop in the city provided a more unique photo opportunity. Baldwin Street is unremarkable in all but one respect: it is the steepest street in the world. It was therefore accoutred with the obligatory gaggle of Chinese tourists which such a landmark inevitably attracts wherever it is, along with drivers, runners and backpackers dawdling their way up and down it with their cameras in their hands.
From there it was back to the rugged scenery for which the South Island is famous as we drove out to the Otago Peninsula. At the peninsula’s far end, we reached Pilots Beach. Aside from the cliffside views yielded by the location, we had a special reason for going there. This time, our hopes were realised as, walking down to the beach, we managed to spot some fur seals. Although most of them were behind the fences that had been erected to prevent members of the public from disturbing the seals unduly, we did have a closer encounter. Sat comfortably atop a pile of rocks on an unfenced section of beach was a large seal. Rubbing itself dry, the seal gave us a bleary half-glance before returning to its business. Sat slightly upright and with bristly whiskers adorning its pointed face, I could not help but be reminded of General Melchett (Stephen Fry’s character in Blackadder) as I looked at it. The nonchalant aura of comically misplaced authority was the same and the whiskers’ resemblance to Melchett’s own bushy facial adornment was remarkable.
Heading back up from the beach towards the cafe and visitor centre, we caught sight of the the other animal for which the area is known. Gliding swiftly and stilly on wings that were, together, almost two metres long, a royal albatross flew over the visitor centre before swinging back towards the cliffs and out of sight. We counted two of the great birds soaring in similar arcs at regular intervals while we watched.
The rest of the day was spent following cliff top walks to The Chasm (another aptly-named hole in the ground of the sort with which we are becoming familiar) and Lovers Leap. Still remaining in the vicinity of the Otago Peninsula, we headed back along the walks to our final destination for the day: Sandfly Beach. This time, however, we really were caught out by the sun as, reaching a hilltop overlooking the beach, we saw that sunset was fast approaching. Ahead of us was a forty minute walk (one way) that would take us down to the beach itself and its sea lion inhabitants. We did not have enough time to get down there and back again. Even had we done so, the beach would have been dark by the time we reached it.
From where we were standing on the hilltop, we could distinctly see the sea lions’ silhouettes scrapping in the surf. Aside from the time constraints that we faced, there was another good reason for not venturing down to the beach in the dark. At all of the wildlife spots that we’ve visited in NZ, there have been signs designed to ensure the safety of both the animals and the tourists. Dogs are, for example, not allowed anywhere near seals or penguins. Also, there are limits in how close one should stand to an animal. While we were okay standing three metres away from the fur seal that I mentioned earlier (as long as we didn’t block its path to the sea), sea lions are a different prospect. We would have to stand significantly further away from the creatures as, if angered, they have been known to chase and bite people. Not fancying stumbling upon a sea lion in the dark, we decided to return to Dunedin.
As I write, we are driving northwards along the island’s east coast. Our final destination is Christchurch where we will spend two days before returning to the UK which, I am told, has had better weather than we’ve experienced over here. Still, it’s brightening up outside and the forecasts look good for our Edoras tour tomorrow!
Dunedin train station
Fur seal
Royal albatross
There and Back Again: a Student's Tale 