CARGILL'S CASTLE

Cargill's Castle - an abandoned castle, Dunedin NZ.

 

harsh wind and coastal rain
slantways in the ballroom
must have sucked out the memories long ago

what exists is different - a concrete shell
ghostless, roofless, stairless
full of trees

Maybe I watch expecting a miracle
or a catastrophe.


and the circle is almost completed

First love:
the love of the settler for land

Second love:
the love of the architect for the Lord's daughter

Third love:
the love of the soldier for the cabaret

Fourth love:
the love of old ladies for tea-rooms

Fifth love:
the love of the wind for lonely places by the sea

 

Oliver climbing the fence to Cargill's Castle
Looking at Cargill's Castle from the road. 
Trees growing inside the abandoned castle.
Twisted trees and an abandoned NZ castle.
GIF of Cargills Castle and an old fireplace. Walking through the castle.
Inside the abandoned Cargill's Castle, Dunedin.
The window on the ocean, Cargill's Castle on the Dunedin coast.

MY DUNEDIN GUIDE

Cherry tree lane in full bloom, Dunedin Botanic Gardens

All those places that are special to me are designated so for one reason: they are the spaces in which I acted out the stories of my life. The town I grew up in is riddled with such stories - layers of meaning that only I can see.

The park where my Mum and I walk the dogs is nothing special to the eyes, and yet when I walk there I am reminded of that one boiling hot Christmas we spent playing in the kiddy pools, and the time I had to fish Jess out of the water after she escaped home, ran behind my bike all the way to town, then jumped into the pond to chase the ducks. The Esplanade is a gorgeous paved walk by the sea; but to me it is that place where I would watch my brother attempt to surf, or sit in the car and throw chips out the window to the seagulls before shutting it tight and laughing over the ensuing squawking mess. The Mornington Lookout is that place where we would go to drink beer, to watch fireworks, to have important conversations.

One day I will undertake a new project - to learn of all those places that are designated 'special' by others. For now, I will offer you my own...

THE BEAUTIFUL

 

The Botanic Gardens

The Taieri Gorge Railway

The Train Station

Otago University Campus

Tannock Glen Gardens

Larnach Castle

Purakanui

hiking Lover's Leap

strolling The Esplanade by the sea

walking John Wilson Drive at sunset

 

THE BOTANIC GARDENS

victorian . splendor . and strolls

The greenhouse at the Botanical Gardens in Dunedin.
A venus flytrap in the greenhouse at the Dunedin Botanical Gardens.

 

MY FAVOURITE REFUGE:

I come here to picnic on cheese and crackers and wine, I come here to have deep conversations with friends, I come here to be alone, to feed the ducks with the free oats given out at the information centre. I come here to smell each and every rose in the rose garden, to explore the hidden dells, to talk with the cockatoos and parrots at the aviary, to warm up in the greenhouse and to watch the ducklings in spring.

When I was younger, I would try to fish out the coins from the small fish pond, but my arms would never reach.

When I was older, I came here after my last University exam. I ran along the green banks of the Rhododendron Dell, singing the Hills are Alive with the Sound of Music.

 

Goldfish in the greenhouse at the Dunedin Botanical Gardens
The rose garden at the Dunedin Botanical Gardens, in summer.

THE TRAIN STATION

busy . tourist . snapshot

The Taieri Gorge train.
The Dunedin Railway Station, NZ.
The inside of the Dunedin Railway Station.

OTAGO UNIVERSITY CAMPUS

gothic . grey . stone

The magnolia trees at the University of Otago in Spring.

 

COME TO SEE THE MAGNOLIAS

Every Spring I will detour through the Geography department, hoping against hope that today will be the day the magnolias are in bloom.

Their petals are huge and soft, easily marred but so spongy and full of life. This is when the trees are still somewhat bare, when the Gothic charm of the courtyard is at its Scottish best.

 

Magnolia trees by the geology dept at the University of Otago. 
Magnolia petals coming out of a drain.
The beautiful architecture at the University of Otago, with fern trees.
Secret places Dunedin! - A bench by the river at the University of Otago.

 

HIDDEN TREASURE

Down by the riverside, near the Gender Studies block, there is a path leading to a place between two hedges where a solitary seat can hide you from the world. You can hear the water below.

 

 

TANNOCK GLEN GARDENS

rhododendron . dell of . heaven

Tannock Glen gardens during rhododendron week, Dunedin.

 

NOTES TAKEN WHILE WALKING

fragrant smells: pine, honeydew, soft vanilla flowers

Bellebirds and Tuis singing

soft twittering, a dog barking, the crunch of gravel

sitting on a sun warmed bench

lichen peace watching waving leaves

maple

breathing

 

A park bench seen behind blossoms, Tannock Glen in spring.
Pink rhododendrons at Tannock Glen gardens, Dunedin.
Red rhododendrons during rhododendron week, Dunedin.

THE UNUSUAL

 

The Dinosaur Park

The Jaffa Race

The Cemeteries

Cargill's Castle
- abandoned -

The Glow Worms
- Leith Valley -

Queens Gardens on ANZAC day. 

South Dunedin in general

The Cinemas:
- Rialto - priemiere showings and geeks in costumes
- Metro - arthouse films and hot chocolate

Mornington Lookout on Guy Fawkes
- November 5 -

Graduation Parades along George St.

 

 

THE DINOSAUR PARK

quirky . seaside . playground

The Dinosaur Park, with the dinosaur slide in Dunedin.

 

I remember a time when the whale was still working
and water would spout from his back.

Now, as an adult, I still love this park. The slides and swings are great,
the nearby dairies sell fish and chips and fifty-cent lolly mixtures,
and the tunnels are still much too small for my claustrophobia.

 

A snake swing set at the Dinosaur Park, Dunedin.
The whale fountain at the Dinosaur Park in Dunedin.

THE JAFFA RACE

world's steepest street . + . balls of chocolate

Baldwin Street and the Jaffa Race, Dunedin NZ.
Red jaffas racing dwn Baldwin Street, NZ.
Yellow jaffas being rolled down Baldwin Street, at the Jaffa Race.

THE CEMETERIES

tumbled . romantic . ruins

The Northern Cemetery, Dunedin.

 

SHIVERING SILENCE

These are the dreams of 18th century poets:
- Dunedin North Cemetery
- Southern Cemetery

Sometimes I like to walk as far as I can bear into the maze of the cemetery. As I lose sight of the main paths, things become ever more crooked. Other times I like to sit there in peace. Once, when I was picnicking with my sister in Southern Cemetery, we heard female voices coming now nearer and nearer. After ten minutes or so, we remarked to one another that the source of the voices never appeared.

 

Gravestones at the North Cemetery in Dunedin. 

CARGILL'S CASTLE

stone shell . on a . cliff over waters

Cargill's Castle, black and white photography, Dunedin.

THE DELICIOUS

 

CAFE CULTURE

 

Formosa Delight
- for student priced, locally grown, vegetarian Taiwanese food.

Taste Nature
- for organic, homemade, allergy friendly soups, wraps and cakes. Love the self-serve, informal style.

The Good Earth Cafe
- for University professor types who want a breakfast of epic ingredients.

Vogel St. Kitchen
- for street art and sandwiches.

The Perc Cafe
- for coffee, pinwheels, large slices of cake, and other sweet things.

 

BARS

 

Albar
- for the best beers, the best mussels, the best impromptu live Irish music, the best conversations.

Doon Bar
- for Scottish food and knowledgeable whiskey drinking staff.

Dog with Two Tails
- for the weirdest, most hipster vibes in town.

Pequino
- for jazz nights, cocktails, Spanish wines, and its hidden location.

Ombrello's
- for the courtyard, the conversation and the wide ever-changing selection of craft beers.

The Bog
- only for St. Pattie's day.

RESTAURANTS

 

Bacchus
- for any special occasion, for the lamb, for the spiced cake desserts

Etrusco at the Savoy
- my grandparents would take us here once or twice a month, to gorge ourselves on Italian pastas, and wine, and of course the chocolate cake. Noisy, always busy, effervescent.

Little India
- for some of the best, and creamiest Indian food in the city.

The Friendly Khmer Noodle House
- for extremely cheap stir fries, huge portions, and a student-friendly atmosphere of plastic seats and cheap napkins.

 

 

THE REST

Otago Farmer's Market
- for those days when you want to spend a hundred dollars and come home with a bag of broccoli and a very full tummy. For pies, free-range pork, smoothies, French crepes, turkish treats, and every kind of locally grown produce.

The Friday Shop
- for authentic French pastries, only on Fridays though.

The Rob Roy Dairy
- for the biggest ice creams in town!

The Food Carts
- for churros, tacos, burritos, and all manner of yummy things. Every second day or so, one will show up outside the Otago Museum.

 

 

ALBAR

traditional food . new brews . merry cheer

A glass of NZ craft beer at Albar, in Dunedin.
Steamed mussels at Albar in Dunedin.
Haggis and oatcakes at Albar, Dunedin.
Albar - the most awesome bar in Dunedin!

THE FRIDAY SHOP

flaky . authentic . pastry

Croissants at the Friday Shop, in Dunedin. The best bakery in Dunedin!
The Friday Shop - the best bakery in Dunedin NZ.
Almond croissants from the Friday Shop.

THE GOOD EARTH CAFE

organic . english . breakfast

Organice and vegan cakes with flowers on top, at the Good Earth Cafe, Dunedin.
The Good Earth Cafe, Dunedin.
Perfectly poached eggs for breakfast at the Good Earth Cafe.

ZOE'S MINI FISH & CHIPS GUIDE

Best fish and chips list, Dunedin NZ.

SQUIDDIES

The Flying Squid makes the best shoestring and kumara chips in town.
 

The Flying Squid, Dunedin.
The Flying Squid fish and chips menu in Dunedin, NZ.
Best fish and chips list Dunedin - North East Valley Takeaways.

NORTHEAST VALLEY TAKEAWAYS

Here you will find the most authentic NZ fish & chips experience:
Family run; fair pricing; a huge selection of random Chinese dishes that make you wonder if anyone ever orders them; thick cut crispy chips with the perfect amount of salt, not too soggy; wonderfully flaky whole pieces of fish covered in a crisp batter; pineapple rings, jam donuts, Wattie's tomato sauce; and all those random arcade games in the corner.

Goldfish in a tank, black one with big eyes.
A tank with goldfish at the fish and chip shop.
Best fish and chips, Dunedin, NZ.