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After checking out from Penguin Place lodge having seen no penguins at all I decided to check out some culture!
On driving to the city of Dunedin I was entertained twice. Firstly by a tardis/Dalek letter box which I'm sure Gaz will love (see pic) plus the Harbour Mouth Molars... Inspired, even although not morphologically accurate- you'd not want to extract any of these beauties!
I started my grand tour of this city, which is the farthest city in the world from London, a grand 11,870 miles, by visiting the university book shop. Having been asked to take wedding photos at my sisters wedding in April I decided I should get some reading material and swot up! Unfortunately I left empty handed, so Donks, I still need your help please!
I walked back past the dental school and wondered if it had change at all since Ruth and Bernie were here. Looking at the somewhat dated building I doubt it! I delighted in finding a Scott Building!
I strolled via the main shopping street, George St to the Octagon to utilise the free wifi. I also paid a visit to St Paul's Anglican Cathedral, which, compared to European relatives was a bit dull. I did like the newly installed Dunedin Window in stained glass, which was very interesting. Oh dear, I've inherited something!
Next I headed to the Dunedin Public Art Gallery and am now kicking myself for not taking some photos. I was particularly impressed by an exhibition called, 'In a Lonely Place', by Gregory Crewdson’s. His photographs were so set up they almost looked artificial but each one had a story and I spent quite a lot of time wondering what had/was happening. Lots of them were quite dark and some of them a bit 'twin peaksy'.
I was in awe of the Wonderwall. A large room with one wall painted red and covered with around 60 paintings from the collection. A real mish mash of old and new. I spotted a Machiavelli not so far from a Lowry!
There were a couple of other artists whose work did very little, except give me a headache in one instance! My other favourite was Seung Yul Oh. Brilliant, just brilliant! This Korean-New Zealand artists work is inspired! If you've been to Asia you will have seen the plastic models of food dishes in the window if restaurants, well some if his work is a spin on this with chopsticks 'floating' about 5feet in the air, pulling a long string of noodles from a dish on the floor, fab! There was also a very cute mouse type sculpture and best of all, a room with 4 feet high weeble type things, which had wings and beaks like birds! I put on some white gloves, as instructed by the nice lady, and got to wobble them... Could have done that for hours!
Having done the church and art bit I felt quite flaky, so had some lunch before looking around the newly renovated Otago Settlers Museum. Another fab place. Very interactive and informative. There was even a room with ceiling to floor portraits of all the early European early settlers with a great interactive database about all of them, including an Alison Scott, whose portrait was the largest of them all!
I caught up with a bit of shopping and headed north towards Oamaru. I stopped (along with a coach load of other people) to look at the Moeraki Boulders. Fascinating, but I'm still not convinced that this is also an elaborate art installation. Miles of beach and stones of that side only in a small area? Seriously? You'd have to give me a pretty good explanation for that one!
I arrived at Oamaru and booked into my nice, clean and dry cabin (trying out all types of accommodation possible!) at the Top 10 Holiday Park and settled in for the night.
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Donks to the rescue! Wedding photography book purchased and safely packed :)