Explore NZ - Day 17 - 24 April 2018 - Dunedin to Christchurch

Dunedin is the second largest city in New Zealand after Auckland. It occupied the numero uno position till 2010, when the administrative centre of the city of Auckland was enlarged. The Otago harbor and the surrounding hills are the remnants of a volcano. I was initially supposed to spend a couple of days in Dunedin, but the extra day was shifted to Christchurch on the recommendation of friends. Moreover, the extra day in Christchurch would give me enough time to pack for the return journey to Chennai.

I went for a short walk with Hetal in the morning before breakfast and came across numerous pieces of street art, mostly done with graffiti paints. Some of them were so good that I felt they should have been part of a museum, but then the streets themselves are open museums. Many buildings date back to the early Scottish influence upon the city. The stately sculpture of Queen Victoria, a marble Cenotaph, large Pohutakawa trees and other sculptures decorate the large reserve of land near the Wains Hotel. At the hotel we had a healthy cooked breakfast ad I tucked into eggs, bacon and baked beans, besides the plum and peach in sugar syrup.

Once the tummy was looked after we checked out of the hotel, loaded the bags in the car and set off on the last day of the second leg of my expedition – Explore New Zealand. We had set off from Auckland on 11^th April and when we reach Christchurch this evening we would have done nearly 5000 km in 14 days on the road, having been to some of the most beautiful parts of the country. One cannot explore any country fully. But we got a flavor of New Zealand and the lovely memories will remain for a long, long time.

The Dunedin Railway Station is a tourist attraction and is in the heart of the city. It didn’t get us very long to get there from the hotel. The majestic building is more than 100 years old and the booking hall has superb mosaic floor and it almost shines despite age. The impressive clock tower of the station overlooks the ANZAC garden. The platforms have the old ‘colonial’ look and feel. Dunedin railway station was so busy during her hay days that more than 100 trains used to be handed on her platforms daily. Many reasons have contributed to the lesser traffic in modern times. At the time of our visit the popular Teiri Gorge Railway tourist train was about to pull out of the platform. My initial plan for an additional day in Dunedin included a day trip on the train to see the beautiful sights on the way.

A short distance away, diagonally opposite the railway station, are the twin towers of the Cadbury Chocolate Factory that shut shop more than a year ago and moved production to Australia. It is now a museum that gives one the experience of how the bean becomes a bar. High wages and cost of production moving factories away from developed countries has been a common observation during this expedition. Manufacturing in Australia is almost non-existent due to this phenomenon.

The Tunnel Beach is not very far from the railway station. The Tunnel Beach has sea-carved sandstone cliffs, arches and caves. The access to the beach is via a steep slope that is nearly 1.2 km that brings one down nearly 500 feet to see the magnificence of the cliffs. The claim to fame of the beach is the tunnel that was built into the rocks. By the time we reached the cliffs we ran out of steam to go down to the tunnel, more so because the tracks are slippery and tricky in wet weather. The walk back to the car, up the steep slope, drew on every bit of energy I had in me. However, the superb sights from the top of the cliffs was indeed awe inspiring.

The last point planned for visit in Dunedin was the Otago peninsula, the easternmost part of Dunedin, which was more than 20 km away from the Tunnel Beach.  Eco tourism is popular in this area because it is sparsely populated and is home to the famous yellow eyed penguins and the albatross. We took a tour of the peninsula to catch beautiful sights of the city and the neighboring areas. The views kept us spellbound and mesmerized. On the peninsula is also the Lanarch Castle, advertised as the only castle in New Zealand. The ‘mock’ castle is over 140 years old and is now a popular tourism destination with famed gardens in its compound.

It was time to leave the beautiful city and get on to the road for the final bend of the trip, to Christchurch. Much of the landscape was flat, with farmlands and pine plantations.  The visit to Tunnel Beach had drained me substantially and Hetal took over the wheels for over 120 kms till we reached Timaru for lunch at a Subway outlet. That stopover refreshed me and the rest of the drive was a breeze. Closer to Christchurch we experienced considerable traffic congestion owing to the rush hour and a horrendous crash on the road. The Chinese lady, owner of the accommodation we were booked to stay, explained whatever there was to about the house and left with the payment.

Rahul Rajeev has been friends on Facebook for many years. He had relocated to Christchurch a few months ago on a short term assignment and we promised to meet up when I reached the city. He came over to our accommodation with Michael Netto, who has been in Christchurch for over 8 years and works as a Mail Officer. Rahul, Michael and I toasted on the bottle of wine they had so graciously brought with them. Conversation flowed easily with the two bright men. Before leaving for dinner Rahul and Michael completed the tour log. Dinner was in a restaurant close by called ‘Coriander’. Food was authentic Indian. It was a feast of prawns, mutton rogan josh and rice for Michael and me while the ‘vegetarians’ devised their own means to satiate their hunger. We were the last guests to leave from the restaurant, partaking of the lovely food and scintillating conversation. I am really thankful to Rahul and Michael for their generous hospitality.