"Treasures of Cruising the World" with Bill & Mary Ann: Report #37 Port Chalmers (Dunedin), New Zealand February 6, 2018 Tuesday Cloudy & 58 degrees Part #1 Of 4 80 Pictures

Located in the Southern Island, Dunedin is said to be the best preserved Victorian and Edwardian city of New Zealand. It has a population of 127,000 people, and of that amount, 20,000 are students of all ages. Considered a university town, it is home to Otago University, New Zealand’s first, established in 1869. This college was built in Gothic style, and is one of the country’s largest colleges. It has earned Dunedin the UNESCO award for the City of Literature.

Dunedin was founded by hard working whalers (1820’s), gold miners (1860’s), and migrants from Scotland (1848). The name Dunedin is the Gaelic word for Edinburgh, and their culture can be seen in the numerous museums, churches, and even their homes. Adding to the diverse culture were 4000 Chinese, who immigrated in 1891, becoming gold miners. They inter-married and remained, but kept their culture alive. It is evident in many venues in the city, as well as in the food.

The Amsterdam was delayed in entering the long stretch of Otago Harbour, because another ship, the NCL Jewel was attempting to dock ahead of us in Port Chalmers. We learned later on that strong winds had prevented the Jewel from entering through the headlands, so we were an hour behind arrival time, as were they. By the time we got to our slip, they were safely alongside and debarking their approximate 2846 passengers for tours or the complimentary shuttle to town. This ship was built in 2005 and is 93,000 gross tons. This area will be full of tourists today for sure.

Although our newsletter said “cloudy” it was as much rainy as it was intermittent sun and clouds. Passing showers kept us cool all day. Of course, few people thought to bring umbrellas, including us. We did, however, layer up. Captain Jonathon had made an announcement after the guests were off and running in short sleeve, short pants, and no jackets. At 9am, the temperature was barely 50 degrees with a wind chill to match. So we layered up, and set off to explore for the day. Free shuttles were a godsend.

Tours we have done here included a trip to the Royal Albatross Center to see the massive sea birds in their breeding grounds. Also present here are the blue and yellow-eyed penguins, as well as sea lions. If you keep your eyes on the waters below, you might spot some dusky or hectors dolphins. Another fun tour was to Larnach Castle, New Zealand’s only castle set on a knoll over-looking the bay. It was here we attended a “haggis” ceremony, a Scottish tradition of sharing meat plus everything under the sun, ground up and stuffed in a casing of stomach, we believe. Sort of tasted like liverwurst. Only one of us knows, as only one of us ate it.

The other ten excursions offered today included a Taieri Gorge Railway ride, or a panoramic Dunedin drive to see spires, gables, and gargoyles of the city’s mansions. Or a visit to the Botanic Gardens, Otago Museum, the Dunedin Railway Station, and a walk through the Octagon, the central business district. You could take an organized bike ride, go sea kayaking, or take a trip out of town to Oumaru and Moeraki Boulders. The duration of the tours lasted from 2.5 to 7.5 hours, and cost from $60 to $360.

It was nice to have the free shuttle bus, as we have said, which took less than 30 minutes to the Octagon in downtown Dunedin. We would have until 4:30pm to come back to the ship. A very complete tourist booklet was handed to us by local docents. Local info can provide so much more detail, and we really like that.

Our independent walking tour began at the info center in the Octagon area of the central business district. Armed with more pamphlets and booklets with maps, we headed off for the biggest attractions. We should mention here that today was a holiday…Waitangi Day. Many attractions would be closed today, including all of the schools.

Right next door to the info center was Civic Center and Dunedin Town Hall, a most impressive example of the period architecture. It was closed today. The first real stop was at St. Paul’s Anglican Cathedral, built in the early 20^th century. It was a long climb up the many steps to the entrance, but worth it to see the beautiful stained glass windows that lined the walls of the church. The Public Art Galley was next in line, but we had little time to spare for there.

It was about here that we ran into Barb, Susie and Woody who were looking for a pub that they had the best nachos ever. But that was 10 years ago, and it appeared that the place had changed hands. We found out later that they did not locate a suitable café, and headed back to the ship. It was so cold and windy with quick showers, that dining outside was not going to work for them today.

We continued on Princes Street, and ran into another church, The First Church which was Presbyterian, was built in 1873 in Gothic style with a 185 foot spire. Across the street was the Queen’s Garden with a statue of Queen Victoria. Also in the center was a monument to those who died during war time.

From here, we could see the Dunedin Railway Station, another fine example of Flemish Renaissance –style architecture, and the country’s most photographed building. Going inside the entrance, we saw the mosaic floor made with 750,000 Minton tiles. The upper level houses an art gallery and a Sports Hall of Fame. Outside on the one kilometer-long platform, we learned that it is used as a catwalk for models once a year during their famous fashion show. This is also a good place to book a 90 minute train trip for $50 NZ$ if they are not sold out. With two ships in port today, that could be a problem, even though they have three departing times during the day.

Across the street is the Law Courts Building, and the Otago Daily Times, the oldest newspaper in the country’s history. And if you love chocolate, a stop at Cadbury World is a must. We never saw so many people, including crew members, buying shopping bags full of their chocolate creations. An hour tour there, gives you the chance to learning the candy-making process, and also an opportunity to create your own treat. Bet there is some reward with tastings as well. We had just missed the start of one tour, so we just strolled through the crowded shop. A line of folks was out the door, buying heaps of the chocolate treats. The bad news that we heard later on, was that this facility would be closing here in Dunedin, and moving to Australia. Over 300 folks will be losing their jobs unfortunately.

Wish we had more time to see more, but time was flying by, and we wanted to find a place for lunch. So we went back to the info center, and inquired about a pub-like venue that was within walking distance. The younger guides knew exactly what we were asking, however they did fail to mention there was a café that served up to a 36 inch pizza, located right off of the Octagon.

Having had such a nice lunch in Napier, we asked the address of the Lone Star Pub. This was a long walk up George Street, passing a slew of shops, a mall, and numerous tiny cafes. We did find the Lone Star, only to have our hopes dashed when we saw they opened for dinner only. Should have asked the guide that, since she had no idea we were from one of the cruise ships.

Turning back at this point, we followed the map to Speight’s Brewery. On the way, we spotted The Dog With Two Tails eatery, but noticed it was more of a self-serve establishment , already full of customers. So it was the brewery for sure, five minute walk from the Octagon, up a side street. It is an historic working brewery with an ale house and tours. We ordered two craft draft beers and a shared double burger. Adding a bowl of fries, it made a perfect meal. No pizza, but a giant burger was the next best thing. Not sure the tour was in progress, because it was a holiday. In fact, there was a notice that an extra 15% surcharge would be added to our bill, but it was not. Good thing, as we were trying to use up all of the New Zealand change we had left.

The Dunedin Casino was on the corner, and in hind sight, we should have taken a peek on the inside. This landmark boasts an original 1883 mosaic floor, and a grand spiral staircase. Oh well, maybe next time.

We did have some coins left, so we went in search of ice cream, hopefully Hokey Pokey. No such luck, but a stop at the corner convenient store yielded two cones, and a big chocolate chip cookie. No Hokey Pokey.

Since the rain showers had begun again, we decided to go back to the ship. The driver gave us all a little commentary on the way back, pointing out some things we had missed. If we had more time, a visit to the Botanic Garden would have been nice. Although we were told it was too far to walk, we had come very close when we walked George Street. A few more blocks, we would have been there. Again, we’ll save it for next time.

Back at the port shortly after 3pm, we stayed inside long enough to catch our breath, then headed outside to join the sail away festivities on deck eight aft. Few folks were there, and in a few seconds, we realized why. The wind was howling and it was COLD. Dark clouds kept blowing over the ship, dumping rain, and driving the folks away. We stayed……what’s a little water? And it paid off. Once we were halfway into the sail out of the harbor, a rainbow appeared. A flock of what seemed to be black swans, red beaks, with half-white wings flew by the ship. Not sure they are native to this area, but we doubt it, as we only saw a few of them. Then, Captain Jonathon announced to keep an eye out for the albatross and penguins as we neared the end of the harbor at Taiaroa Head. Here we saw the albatross flying, the penguins on the cliffs, and the seals near the water. Just like we remembered.

Then as the Captain warned, we hit rough seas that started getting worse as the day wore on. Everything in sight needed to be lashed down. Rounding the bottom of the south island would get rougher as the night wore on.

Dinner time found us all present, and nice for Brenda, who was celebrating her birthday. What a nice lady. At dessert time, the waiters gathered and sang the special song, completing her near perfect day in this port. And we teased her that the New Zealanders even managed to have a holiday for her birthday.

Tomorrow, we will be exploring three fjords most of the day. Better be prepared to bundle up once again.

Bill & Mary Ann

Container terminal at Port Chalmers