NZ 21 Dunedin, Larnach Castle
First Jumper
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| Such Style in Second Jumper |
We
left Queenstown early, all wanted to watch some members of the group do a
bungee jump. We were so early, we had a bit of a wait until they opened their
facility. What a blast… 4 of our group like to live dangerously.
They
were among the first jumpers and we could watch at the side lines.
NO
WAY would I do this. It’s like jumping out of a perfectly good airplane. I
would jump in a minute if I had to, but as a volunteer? NO WAY!
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| Kawarau Bridge Is Not the Highest in NZ But Is the Most Scenic |
Don’t
even ask Carol…she simply would say: “No, thank you!” and that would be it.
So,
we just watched, as did most of our group. Once they jumped, a
zodiac boat fished the jumpers off the hanging line from under the bridge. The whole
operation was very well set up, and I could tell it was safe to do it, but then
the question still arises: “Why”?
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| Kawarau River - 1st Bungee Jump Anywhere Took Place Here |
I
guess it’s like a tattoo today, everybody does it, and so I do it, too? No, Thank You!
We
had about a one hour delay, watching this jumping business, but then rode
again, rode towards Dunedin. This
town on the Eastern shores of NZ used to be the wealthiest town in NZ but since
the end of the gold rush in the 1860s the city now focuses more on education and
having great universities. 21% of the population is between 15 and 24 years
old, so it’s a hip city.
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| Larnach Castle |
But
there is also history, lots of history, really. Capt. Cook was anchored in the
harbor for awhile when he came here. Maori lived here for hundreds of years
before the Europeans, before the mainly Scottish people came. The name Dunedin,
as you can read in the link above comes from the Scottish word: Dùn Èideann the Scottish Gaelic word for Edinburgh.
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| Stables to Breakfast Room, Bikes Outside, Rooms Beyond |
Our
goal for the day, our evening’s dinner and accommodation were at the Castle Larnach. We had a bit of a time
finding the place, it was outside of the city and again, I’m happy we had a
GPS. I saw others struggle to find the Castle, too and at one point I had several
folks following me, knowing, I guess, that I would find the Castle… ultimately.
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| View From Our Room |
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| View From Our Balcony |
The
Castle Grounds alone are stunning. So is the ‘Castle’. It’s not a castle in the
sense of the word, like a Fort to defend from attacks, but more a mansion built
in the medieval style. We arrived and were told to park our bikes near the ‘stables’,
in the back of the main house, where we also slept overnight. The stables had
been converted to a breakfast room and our motorcycles looked a bit out of place. All
the bikes took up most of the mew in front of the Lodge buildings. The grounds
in the mew were cobblestone-covered and parking was at a premium but we
managed.
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| Stained Glass |
After
we checked into our individual rooms in the Hotel, all of which had a view of
the valley and water below, we walked over to the Castle for a tour of the main
house. How do I describe this best?
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| Venetian Glass |
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| Special Chandelier (See Below) |
Do I say: opulent? Or a vision of grandeur?
Or having so much money you don’t care? Yes, it was impressive, all the way up
to the turrets on top of the building. The detail of the wood working and
carving inside the house was stunning to look at. Carved wood
with many
details, in many different woods, gave this mansion a very lavish look.
Naturally it was built in the 1870s or so and the interior had this time stamp
when it came to decor, but it’s a fine building.
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| Wonder What That Made the Room Smell Like? |
No
expense was spared, read the list of what was used inside this Castle. The building contains tons of
glass from Venice, carvings that took years for one ceiling alone, etc.
Extravagance of the highest order all paid for by Mr. William Larnach, well,
his money and some other money that still can’t be discovered today.
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| Intricately Carved Ceiling |
Ah,
the tragedies surrounding these houses are many. The lives of the occupants,
the misery, the glory, the confusing, the many wives and affairs are like a
soap opera.
No
matter the multi-faceted history, we, this ramshackle motorcycle group, were
treated like Royals. We ate like Royals too that evening. We had a multi-course
dinner inside the Castle, all very formal and yet very tasty. Unfortunately,
dinner ended at 10 PM by which point we were too tired to stay to hear more of
the history and haunting of the Castle.
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| Finally Called in to Dinner |
It
was a great visit, a great place to come to.
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| Tasty Appetizer |
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| Taking a Break in the Shade |
Around
the actual mansion were grounds that were well kept, well manicured, well
maintained. Flowers in abundance, multiple sitting areas, vistas, etc, those
were pleasant and beautiful and also practical.
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| Beautiful |
The
venue nowadays is used for festive occasions, weddings, meetings, etc. The
people who visit are of an International character, this Larnach Castle is a famous
attraction in Dunedin and since it is the only castle in NZ, it stands to
reason that NZ is proud of it.
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| Colourful |
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| The Bees Love These Flowers |
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| Greenery Even Inside the House |
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| Only One Corner of the Garden |
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| And the Gang's All Here Including Ellis (Bottom L) and Fred (Bottom R) |
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