On the promenade at Dunedin's St Clair, a drink or a meal is a mere stone's skim from the water. Photo / Supplied
Neil Porten's suburb-by-suburb guide on to how to find the best heritage, nature and cuisine on a long weekend getaway in the Edinburgh of the South
A visit to Dunedin is steep streets, Scottish heritage and windswept albatrosses, right? Well, yes it is, but it's also much more than that: from slothful sea lions on St Clair Beach in the south to warnings of decomposing whales attracting sharks at Warrington Beach in the north - and all suburbs in between - this surprising first city of Otago is always worth a closer look.
Stretching three kilometres from the heated saltwater pool at St Clair to Lawyers Head in the east, Ocean Beach is white sand, erosion-prone dunes and constant rollers on a green sea. Local surfers love the even waves, and local sea lions like nothing better than lolling near the high-tide mark, lazily eyeing and sniffing passers-by. On the promenade at St Clair, a drink or a meal is a mere stone's skim from the water and chic boutique Wander and Sons or the iconic Hydro Surf shop offer retail respite from the elements.
Until 1957 cable cars would grind their way up Eglinton Rd in Mornington, stabling for the night in a building on the main street. In residence now is Grid Coffee Roasters, which grinds and blends beans from around the world - the names of Mexico, Guatemala, Kenya and Colombia are stencilled on sacks hanging from the rafters. The chaps behind the counter were fluent in Java and offered us a sample of their fruity Castillo blend. They also sell a range of coffee-makers, from multi-levered chrome behemoths to the tiniest one-cup stovetops.
Across the road, the Dunedin Heritage Light Rail Trust has three historic cable cars stored in an interim building in anticipation of reinstating the tracks and service in the future. While you wait, it's worth admiring the proportions of the brick Mailer Street Gospel Hall and window shopping at Fallow & Fox florists, Jorjarose vintage shop or Swaye recycle clothing boutique.
In the wonderfully named Robin Hood Park stands the Dunedin Astronomical Society's Beverly-Begg Observatory, which is 100 years old this year. The main room is filled with homemade stargazing tubes and the society's original brass telescope has pride of place on the wall. Proper science is done with the current Celestron telescope, but the observatory is also open regularly for the public to see what's up.
We had two full days to explore beyond the city, opting for a north/south split, with the Otago Peninsula first up.
The waters of Otago Harbour are still as we drive along Portsmouth Rd. The water's edge shared path is well used by pedestrians and cyclists. Local artist Pauline Bellamy uses the harbour's constantly changing environs in her work, on show at Bellamys Gallery in Macandrew Bay. This light - and wood burner-warmed - building is a welcome stop to enjoy the work of Pauline, her husband, John, and their son Manu.
From the rooftop of Larnach Castle, a short drive into the hills, the volcanic geography of the peninsula is laid out: stepping stone islands from Portobello to Port Chalmers, symmetrical Harbour Cone, the slopes of Cape Saunders pinched between Hoopers and Papanui inlets to the east. The grand building and its gardens are just as marvellous and it's 10 points to Gryffindor if you can spot the bats in the breakfast room, the geckos on the carved ceilings and the hidden cupboard which once held the plans to the castle.
Thankfully the wind was up by the time we arrived at Harington Point and the Royal Albatross Centre. Wind means the still-fluffy albatross chicks, due to fly away by November, are stretching and flapping their giant wings, preparing for the moment - once they've lost another kilogram or so - when they will lift off and fly away to Chile for five years. We were also lucky enough to spot two adult birds returning after a few days to feed their chicks.
Driving back to the city in the dark, the hill suburbs are a twinkling wonderland on black velvet, the lights bleeding into their own harbour reflections.
On Sunday morning, you can do worse than go to church in Port Chalmers. The historic Iona Church, built in 1872, is not open for regular services but it's an easier alternative to the Centenary Lookout for a good view of the working port. On the main street, check out the latest exhibition of mostly local artists at Pea Sea Art gallery, or the work of acclaimed illustrator and writer David Elliot at his shop, the Flying Whale.
Blueskin Rd winds its way up out of Port Chalmers and leads to the Orokonui Ecosanctuary wildlife reserve. Nine kilometres of predator-resistant fence enclose 307 hectares of forest and regenerating bush. The birds are more active on cloudy days, our guide Taylor tells us, so we are delighted to see swooping kererū, rival gangs of korimako and tūī squabbling over who'll control the feeder platforms, and a trio of hook-beaked kākā patrolling above the path. If you have time, visit New Zealand's tallest tree - a mountain ash eucalyptus.
Even though we only have a few more hours in Dunedin, there's still a lot to see on a leisurely jaunt around Blueskin Bay. In tiny Waitati, I nearly bought peanut brittle as big as a dinner plate at Harvey Street Merchant grocer, but saved myself instead for a flight of beers at Arc Brewing - the oat cream hazy IPA was a standout - and a brace of bao from the visiting food truck. At crib paradise Warrington Beach, stride through the dunes to the flat white sand and the big blue sky and, if you must, walk a while north in search of the whale carcass, perhaps with sharks attached.
There is just time to cruise back into the city to wander through Lan Yuan, Dunedin Chinese Garden - a walled serenity by the train tracks, built by artisans from sister city Shanghai, and the town's Botanic Garden - New Zealand's oldest - whose hillside rock garden is a particular delight.
The top road out of the Botanic Garden winds up to Signal Hill Lookout, where Dunedin is laid out in late-afternoon sunshine. A stone "hewn from the rock on which Edinburgh Castle sits", says the attached plaque, anchors this place to its Scottish roots. The air up here is clear enough to make out any part of the city - St Clair Beach in the south, the heads of Otago Harbour to the northeast - fresh enough to launch a flock of fledgling albatrosses.
Is the southern cheese roll an endangered food species? Perhaps it's no coincidence the only one I saw during a long weekend in Dunedin was in the cafe at Orokonui Ecosanctuary. Thankfully, there were more than enough other delicious food and drink options to compensate.
Breakfast
My life changed for the better after eating the pastries at Side-on Cafe Bakery in the central city. We shared an apple crumble croissant, gooey with spiced fruit, a ham-and-cheese brioche, and the cinnamon pull-a-part. Sourdough sandwiches were stacked three-high ready for toasting and patrons were lined up out the door.
When four police officers and two ambos are enjoying a pre- or post-shift feed early on a Sunday morning, and a man outside has crossed town just for the coffee, you know you've found a good thing at Starfish cafe, St Clair Beach. We got coffee to go, but I would've chosen either a lemon tart or a coconut and raspberry slice from the cabinet (everything is made on the premises) if we hadn't already decided to eat breakfast at Union Co Cafe in Port Chalmers. A table by the window gets you a view of the working port. My cheddar and ham ciabatta toastie was delicious and more than enough for a meal, but the siren call of the giant cinnamon swirl in the cabinet could not be denied. Fruit-packed date scones seemed to be the fuel of choice for the pack of lycra lads pit stopping during their weekend bike ride.
Lunch
Tītī is a must for lunch or dinner. Opt for the three-course lunch and with your choice of main, the chef surprises you with an entree and dessert. The cacio e pepe - "cheese and pepper" - starter of homemade tagliolini, Gibbston Valley pecorino and in-house smoked chicken was superb. I enjoyed seaweed with my perch, as the kelp swirled in the surf outside the window. And the textures and tastes of the dessert - basmati meringue, pineapple salsa, icecream, a crisp honeycomb biscuit - sealed the deal. Owner Melanie offered thoughtful wine matchings: a Wet Jacket chardonnay for the fish and a Boneline iridium, which is only available south of Christchurch, for my companion's beef cheek.
Dinner
Wide floorboards, exposed rafters, leather benches and dried-flower arrangements set the tone for a special dinner at No 7 Balmac. The three-cheese souffle - feta, goat's chevre, ricotta - was a mild, wobbly comfort. Both the wild Fiordland venison and the tandoori spiced lamb were tender and hearty. A mountainous black forest bombe Alaska was the standout dessert.
In contrast, battered blue cod, fries and salad, followed by an unmissable icecream sundae and washed down with the Speight's or Emerson's ale of your fancy is the perfect choice at the Portobello Hotel. Nab a table at the front and watch the last light of the day flash on the hilltops on the north side of Otago Harbour.
Nightcap
Your mission: find the sloping alley off Moray Place and slip into Indigo Room for cocktails, and one of the best food platters you'll ever eat. Burly barman Lachlan nailed it with his recommendations - the signature margarita had homemade strawberry-infused tequila, the elegant Champs-Elysees sidecar - with Chartreuse instead of Cointreau - seemed perfect for the setting: crushed velvet, gilt-framed mirrors, tasselled lampshades, flickering candles on the bar.
Just off the Octagon, Albar is a friendly, pubby stop where it was a delight to find two whiskies I'd never seen before, a Welsh Penderyn and a 12-year-old Balblair. Slainte!
For more things to see and do in the region, go to dunedinnz.com
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