Assalamualaikum w.b.t.

Hari kelapan kami dah sampai di Bandar Dunedin, sebuah bandar di persisiran pantai. Kat sini ada banyak aktiviti boleh dibuat. Boleh belek sume pamphlet travel yang diorang provide kat Holiday Park nih. Bagi penggemar chocolate, bolehla ke Cadbury Chocolate Factory yang memang jadi tempat wajib pergi kalau ke Dunedin nih. Tapi husband tak suke visit kilang, so kami decide untuk pergi ke tempat menarik yang lain and tertarik dengan satu tempat bersejarah yg popular di Dunedin iaitu Larnach Castle.

Info Larnach Castle nih pun kami tau bila dah sampai sini, maybe tak ramai org Malaysia yg minat tempat-tempat mcm nih, tapi untuk pencinta interior klasik macam aku, and pencinta historical places mcm husband, tempat-tempat macam nih memang menarik perhatian kami. Ditambah pulak lokasinya di atas bukit menghadap laut, view sepanjang jalan sgt memukau.

 View laut sepanjang perjalanan menuju ke Larnach Castle

Pemandangan bandar Dunedin dari atas bukit menuju ke Larnach Castle

1871 - 1898  "The Larnach Years"The Story of William Larnach. William James Mudie Larnach, of Scottish descent, was born in 1833 in New South Wales, Australia.  His banking career began in Melbourne then followed the gold rush to the Australian goldfields where he was manager of the Bank of New South Wales at Ararat.  His bank was a tent and his equipment consisted of dogs, a gun, and strong boxes. Gold was discovered in Otago, New Zealand, in the 1860's.  Larnach was offered the position of manager of the Bank of Otago in Dunedin, which serviced the extensive goldfields.  He sailed for Dunedin in 1867.Larnach's brillant career encompassed his merchant empire Guthrie and Larnach, banking, shipping, farming, landholding, politics and... speculation.  He travelled extensively and was a cabinet minister in the New Zealand Government, holding various portfolios, over a period of twenty-five years. Larnach was married three times and had six children.  He was pre-deceased by his first two wives and his eldest daughter, Kate.He took his own life in the New Zealand Parliament Buildings in 1898.

 Sejam nak ke beach pergi balik... huhu

Jalan mencuram ke bawah, tuh yg bercinta nak mendaki time balik nanti

Pemandangan tunnel beach dari atas

Lepas tuh kami terus ke Dunedin Railway Station, antara stesen keretapi tersibuk suatu masa dulu. Bagi yang nak merasai scenic journey by train, bolehlah book tiket Taieri Gorge Railway, bleh walk in utk beli tiket or beli online DI SINI. Tapi kena tgk schedule dulu ye. Ade pelbagai destinasi and tempoh perjalanan, paling sekejap 90 minit perjalanan (return), ade jugak yg 4 jam or 7 jam (return). Harga tiket dari 50NZD/person. Next time kalau aku pegi lagi mmg nak rasa pengalaman naik train plak, to enjoy the panoramic views yang kita takkan dapat kalau ikut jalan biasa…. Huhuhu.

Next kami ke Baldwin Street, the steepest street in the world. Kalau tgk mata kasar mmg tak curam mane, so kita jalan-jalan jek amik gambar, pastuh pusing-pusing sekitar bandar Dunedin, ade University of Otago, nampak juga Dunedin Botanic Garden, tapi kami tak singgah sebab nak teruskan perjalanan ke Oamaru.

Dalam perjalanan ke Oamaru kami sempat singgah di satu lagi tempat unik di New Zealand iaitu Moeraki Boulders. Moeraki Boulders nih famous dikalangan photographer sbb terdapat banyak spherical stones yang terbentuk secara semulajadi sejak 4 juta tahun dulu. Adela proses-proses pembentukan die, boleh google sendiri… hehehe… ade kecik and ade yg sebesar 2m ukuran diameter. Memang perfect kalau amik gambar, especially kalau air surut. Air pasang tak yahlah susah-susah pegi sbb batu-batu tuh tenggelam dek air, ombak die pun agak ngeri jugak tgk…. huhuhu. Dari tpt parking nak ke lokasi terletaknya spherical stones nih kena jalan kaki jugak yer… so bertabahlah and enjoy the view!

Kena jalan dulu sebelum tiba kat kawasan spherical stones

Then kami teruskan perjalanan hingga sampai ke pekan Oamaru. Kat sni aku takde book holiday park, sbb nak bagi fleksibiliti pada itinerary kami. If byk tpt skip di Dunedin, mungkin kami terus ke Christchurch tanpa singgah Oamaru, and mungkin kami ke Akaroa. Tapi nampaknya kami santai-santai jek kat Dunedin, so kena bermalamlah di Oamaru. Kami pilih Holiday Park yang menghadap laut, cantik sgt, berhari-hari jumpa tasik, so hari nih view kita laut plak. Kami check in di Harbour Tourist Park, very strategic location, tempat-tempat menarik kat Oamaru nih semua walking distance dr situ jek.

Harbour Tourist Park, kecik jek kawasan die, tapi facilities lengkap and lokasi strategik

 Steampunk Playground kat sebelah Harbour Tourist Park jek

 Steampunk Playground yang unik

Sunset in Oamaru