Dunedin

Well, I decided that seeing as I am going to be in Dunedin for a few days, I ought to go check out the Otago Peninsula. Here is the only place in the world that us humans can easily see Northern Royal Albatross nesting...they basically live on the various small rocks/islands in the South Seas (between Antartica and S America/South Africa/Australasia...). Also penguins and seals and such like can be seen.

So Jim, you seen a Northern Royal Albatross? You have to pay to go see them nesting, but if you are a cheapskate like me, you just loiter outside, or by the cliff with some binoculars and you see them...well two sat on a cliff and three just kinda gliding about up there. They're pretty big.

And because I bussed and walked up there (no vehicle) I saw what hardly anyone else sees...what me and Roberto called the Art Gallery on the peninsula. This is some old bunkers and fortifications dating from WWII...there are some you can see at the Albatross centre if you pay money, but they aren't gonna be scummy, dark and covered in graffitti, with no-one there except yours truely are they now! Luckily I took my torch on a whim and after a trepidetious 10 mins checking I wasn't gonna stumble on some local homeless lunatic killers, I found it was all mine!

So photos were taken, which you can take as a kinda tour...for those of you who were here (as it were) for my last trip, you can count this as part II of the Dunedin photo splurge. Well, I guess only J Lo may remember that, as it was done especially for him. Speaking of which, I met someone who told me to punch you in the face cos you like the Dead C. That was kinda shocking...although he did explain that they were amazing live; just not recorded (for him at least). Oh yeah, at the same place (Too Tone Rex in Dunedin) I met a guy who'd been doing disaster recovery in Christchurch....he wasn't in a good way...pulling out bodies etc...heavy.

So this is my last southern post...been an adventure down here meeting lots of interesting locals while searching out the interesting parts of town. I've got some people to come visit next time....I've been reading The Dice Man and one bookstore owner says that "there is something wrong with that book" and says he will tell me when I next visit....

So, in the meantime, let me either post some pictures, delete the post, or punch the guy next to me...ok, it was a 2....

ps...not too sure about my new camera yet (just an excuse)

ho ho

heading along the peninsula

the start of one end of the bunkers

overgrown fortifications

the other end of the bunkers

just through the entrance above

dark corridor

I guess these guys did some of the graff

visitors from 1973

appropriate graff

an exit

oooo spooky grim pt I

pt II

massive field mushroom

more fortifications

better graf inside above photo (I was stood on the roof in the above shot)

same room as above

and again

and again

arty self portrait...but is it any good?

juxtaposition

and again

more bunkers/gun emplacements along the coast

to give an idea of the view and turrets (or whatever they are called)

the other direction to above

what do you reckon this is?

top of the peninsula, near where I saw the albatross

 

in Dunedin town belt

in a black metal/metal/punk inspired gallery