November 30 - New Zealand: Dunedin (South Island)
Today we had a long drive from Te Anau to Dunedin. Dunedin is a city on the south-east coast of the South Island. We have reservations to stay at the Larnach Castle, which is quite an exciting splurge for us. So we spent most of the day on the road. Nothing too exciting. On and off rain. Some cows. Some horses. Lots of sheep. A slight life-threatening moment when I drove on the wrong side of the road for 3.14 seconds. Other than that, all was well.
Dunedin
In Dunedin, we followed the signs to the City Center for the Tourist Information Office. Every city in NZ has an "Information" office, and they are always full of friendly, helpful people who will call and make reservations for you anywhere in NZ. They will also give out maps, directions, and other helpful advice. They're actually better than any guidebook ever written.
So we went to the Information Office, got a city map, directions to the Larnach Castle, and reservations for whale watching in 2 days in Kaikoura.
As it was beyond lunchtime, we made peanut butter and jelly bagels and ate in the city center square. There was a jazz band playing and the sun was out, so we were quite happy. While Jon watched the car (we were parked beyond the 30 minute limit), I ran into the Air New Zealand Office and asked some questions about our airplane tickets. The lady was very nice and quite helpful. It seems that this is a trait that everyone in NZ shares.
Speight's Brewery (www.speights.co.nz)
We had reservations for a tour around Speight's Brewery at 2:00, and Jon was very excited about it. The tour lasted about an hour and a half, and we were taken through the history of Speight's (started in 1871) the ingredients, the big copper kettles, the silos, and the brewery itself. Then we had a tasting of 4 different brews. They were very yummy. The funny thing about this tour, though, was that there was a group of about 10 teenage girls on some sort of field trip. They were lovely girls, but when it came time for the tasting they were served lemonade. So my question is why would anyone take a bunch of teenagers on a field trip to a brewery? What a nutty thing to do.
Our Speight's Guide Serving us Beers
Larnach Castle (www.larnachcastle.co.nz)
After the tour, we drove to Larnach Castle, which is about 30 minutes outside Dunedin on the Otago Peninsula. When we were in Rotorua, we met a couple at the campsite who advised us to call and make reservations at the Larnach Stables behind the castle. The castle also has nicer accommodations at "The Lodge" next to the stable, but it was a little fancy for us and we were excited to stay in the Stables.
The Peninsula is a gorgeous drive outside Dunedin with some stunning views. The road was often winding and narrow, usually on ledges just over the ocean. But we definitely enjoyed it. When we drove up to the castle, we felt so cool driving up to the gate and saying, "Hello. We're staying here this evening."
The Larnach Castle
The Castle is privately owned, although it was built by William Larnach for his 6 children and eventually 3 wives in 1876. It's actually a bit sad, because he ended up committing suicide as did his eldest son. Neither of them died in the house, but it's still said to be haunted (probably because it makes for a good story). The Stables and the Lodge were located around back. While the Stables were still very stable-ish inside, the downstairs had been converted into a breakfast room for guests, and the upstairs had 5 bedrooms, 4 showers, and a bathroom for "Stallions" and one for "Fillies". We were very happy with our room, which had four beds, slanted walls, and many windows.
After getting settled in, we took a tour of the castle and the grounds. The Larnachs sold the castle (called "The Camp") years later after squabbling over William Larnach's will. And the castle eventually ended up in the hands of the government who auctioned off all the furniture and put the property up for sale. In 1967, it was bought by a young couple called The Barkers. Think of the movie "Money Pit" and then multiply it times 1000. That's what the Barkers faced 30 years ago. The place was crumbling apart, they were trying to start a family of their own, and so they did most of the restoration work themselves. They also spent millions of dollars over the years buying back the original furniture so The Camp could become a tourist attraction. And - years later - that's exactly what it is. It's open to the public for a small fee, and all funds go to the upkeep of the castle and the grounds (no small task). The revenue from the accommodations in The Lodge and The Stables also helps out.
Our self-guided tour was very nice, and the best part was definitely the view from the tower on top. The story says that William Larnach and his son were walking the hills of the Peninsula when his son climbed on top of a rock and said, "Dad! Look at how far we can see!" So Larnach bought the land from the monarchy in London and built the castle.
Jon on the Larnach Tower - Great View!
We also walked around the grounds and looked at the beautiful gardens. Although it was almost 5:30PM, the sun had hardly began to set. Actually, the sun doesn't completely set until about 10:00PM here because of how far south we are. It's pretty crazy to walk around at 9:30 without needing a flashlight.
As we walked behind the castle and though some paths, we ended up at a lovely spot with some benches and pretty flowers. A great place for a quick picnic and snack. We pulled out the cheese and crackers we'd put in the daypack and sat on the steps enjoying the view.
Our Picnic View
Dinner at the Castle
We went back to the Stables to shower up before dinner. The castle offers its guests a special "Larnach Castle Dinner" in the Dining Room for a pretty good price. Jon and I figured that we could splurge for a few reasons:
Clearly, we can think of any other number of ways to rationalize the dinner. But I think those 5 will do.
At 7:00 we walked around the grounds to the castle where we were greeted by a bunch of men in kilts. They weren't actually part of our dinner, but were greeters for an accounting firm who had their Holiday Party scheduled for the ballroom that evening. Nutty accountants!
Jon and I were led to the dining room, which was one of the rooms we'd admired on the tour this evening. Dinner was pre-arranged, and Jon and I had made our selections when we checked in at the front desk. They gave us a wine list and Jon chose a bottle of Cabernet from Mission Estates. Then we were joined by 2 people from Sidney, Ross and Christine. Just after they arrived, Susan and Alan showed up. They are from St Andrews, NZ and were celebrating Alan's birthday. Susan is originally from San Jose, CA, but emigrated to NZ 30 years ago.
Dinner was divine. Jon had the "Baked Lamb Fillet topped with cashew nut crust, served with mixed mushroom risotto and a rich dates and fig relish". I had the "Fresh Fillet of Sole poached in white wine on scalloped potato with a spicy tomato and basil sauce". Very good.
We were a very merry group and had a wonderful time. Jon and I were obviously the "young-uns" at the table, but we actually enjoy that. The conversation is usually more stimulating with older people and tonight was no exception. We talked and laughed about everything: New Zealand, Australia, US, politics, public policy, taxes, the Internet, kids, and a whole range of other topics. We so enjoyed each other's company that none of us were in a rush to leave. The staff had to politely kick us out at 10:30.
Jon, Ross, Christine, Susan, and Alan
When we left the castle to walk back to the Stables and the Lodge, an eerie fog had moved in. It definitely looked like something out of the movies. We couldn't see anything beyond the light of the castle, and thought it was very fitting for a supposedly "haunted house". As we walked back, Christine told me that she saw a ghost many years ago and her description had my hair standing on end. It's a good thing I was exhausted, or I might never have been able to sleep.