Filed under: architecture, Attractions, neighborhood, top-feature
Dunedin, New Zealand: Watch Rugby in the “Other” Edinburgh
We’ve talked about several of the hot rugby destinations for this year’s tournament in New Zealand – but perhaps one of the friendliest rugby host cities is Dunedin (map). Dunedin is the old Gaelic word for Edinburgh, and in fact you could easily wake up one morning here in Dunedin and believe that you were instead in the Scottish capital – it is amazing that so much of the Scots cultural heritage that settlers brought here to Dunedin years and years ago are still so vibrant and strong today. If you want a bit of Scottish flair and hospitality during your trip to New Zealand, then Dunedin is a must.
Auld Scots
As I mentioned, the Scottish influence is very apparent in this city.I suppose it all starts from the enormous statue of Robert Burns, a famous Scottish poet, which sits in the center of the Octagon (map). The statue was sculpted by an Edinburgh resident – you can see another copy of this statue down in the south end of central park in New York. The Octagon is a social hub – there is a large live theater here,the public art gallery, the beautiful St. Paul’s cathedral, a cinema, a few bars and restaurants, so you’ll certainly find yourself here at the Octagon at one point or another.
The University of Otago, the oldest in the country, also has a very Scottish influence with the architecture I think. It is named Otago because this is the Otago Peninsula – named so after a Maori church and meeting house. You can actually visit the church, called Otakou Marae, at a place called Harington Point out to the northeast of the city.
And you don’t have to go to Scotland to see castles either – Larnachs Castle (map) calls itself “the only castle in New Zealand.” You might be disappointed expecting turrets and moats, but in Scotland many manor homes do carry the title of “castle” so hence the tradition was carried over. The castle has an interesting history and is worth a visit. I believe Dunedin also has another “castle” but at the time of my visit, it wasn’t open for a visit and under construction.
Crazy Dunedin
There are two sites in Dunedin that aren’t exactly Scotitsh, but as in Scotland, sometimes the landscape (and the people who live on it) do crazy things. These two stops will really round out your Dunedin experience.
The first is Tunnel Beach - supposedly a farmer built this tunnel so his daughter could go to the beach which was tucked away behind a dangerous cliff. It’s a very eerie place, and hard to find – a local showed it to us, but the tourist office can also point you in the right direction. You have to cross some active pastures to get there, so I can’t imagine this staying open forever.
The other crazy stop is Dunedin’s most famous attraction, Baldwin Street (map). It is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the steepest street in the world. It is *STEEP* – a walk up will definitely take you a good 10-15 minutes, and good luck to you if you decide to take a bicycle down like some do. Walk it, though – the incredible slanting incline makes for some terrific shots as houses sit at a strange angle.
Unfortunately, it is hard to explain how steep it is in pictures. Let’s just say one person we saw who was driving decided not to drive up the hill as they were worried their car might flip over. Slightly exaggerated, but this street is seriously steep. They make the steep streets back in Edinburgh seem like nothing.
If you like seeing “weird” nature in action – which is very common in New Zealand – head out of town to Moeraki where you’ll find the Moeraki Boulders, strange rocks that look as if humans sculpted into perfectly rounded shapes. It is surreal.
Getting There
As you can see on the map, Dunedin isn’t exactly on the beaten path – but it is not hard to get to, you just need some time.
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