SMALL IS
BEAUTIFUL
If offbeat travel is your thing, head to
little Dunedin for reflections of vibrant student culture, unique wildlife and
remnants of a historic past gone by
Be honest: if you were
unable to pick the right pronunciation of a destination you were about to
discover, would you be intrigued, or simply confused? We’re not talking about a
place in China or in Africa here, where the basics of language could compel you
into such a situation. We’re talking New Zealand, where the Queen’s English
rules, squeaky clean despite Maori influences.
Dunedin, a speck of a
town on the South-Eastern coast of the South Island, is pronounced by Kiwis
differently depending on where they come from. You’ll hear Dyoon’d-in from most
North Islanders, Dun’din from those in the South, Doone-din from certain
ethnicities, and some from the bigger cities call it Dunnay-din. For a country
where diversity can be your ticket to permanent residency, you’ve got to agree,
this is a lot of variation!
Call it what you like,
the truth is that Dunedin is a small, oftenignored port town with immense
potential. Once a crucial commercial hub, the city with a population of a mere
125,000, has now metamorphosed into a vibrant student hub. It has a thriving
university – one of the more reputable ones in the country – and has students
not just from all over NZ, but also from different parts of the world. As many
well-travelled souls will agree, nothing brings more character to a place than
free-spirited students, with their natural curiosity, eager energy and
sometimes reckless youthfulness. SCOTLAND OF THE SOUTH For history buffs,
Dunedin has another story to tell. Apparently, the city was home to many
Scottish settlers who decided to replicate their city of Edinburgh down under.
So if Beirut is the Paris of the East, Dunedin is the Scottish haven of the
South. Streets and squares share names with those in Edinburgh, older buildings
sport similar architecture, and at the centre of it all, is the Dunedin Railway
Station, with size and embellishments that has people refer to it as “The
Grandest Gingerbread House You’ll Ever See”!
Unfortunately, the
“muchphotographed” station doesn’t really serve as a transit point for
travellers. It is, instead, a tourist spot, serving as the start and finish
point for tourist trains leading up to the Taieri Gorge and back. The four-hour
ride up one such train and back is pleasant, but better suited for older people
who want to relax by seeing and hearing about challenging railway construction
from the previous century, sipping beer on-board and indulging in a game of
cards.
The
young, and those young at heart, should head straight to the college grounds
instead! The University area at the eastern end of the city is not unlike any
big American college town, with students on skateboards and bicycles, capsworn
backwards, set to discover the world on their own terms.
The world’s largest seabird, the albatross, is native to the
region and can fly non-stop for over 10,000 miles
Indulge in conversation,
and you will be pointed to Roy Roy ice cream, a local parlour that is
everyone’s favourite, open every day from early to late. Then, you’ll also
discover the regional favourite thing to eat: the Cheese Roll!
To the delight of the
Indian vegetarian, this city in the country that is known for the best lamb
chops in the world, has cheese melted on bread and rolled up, as its comfort
food. Every restaurant and fuel station will have a version, but be careful:
it’s addictive even for an outsider, and one could easily gain a couple of
extra kilos trying a few. On my part, I overate, only to hear my host tell me
later: “You know it doesn’t really taste good, right? It’s comfort food that
our minds believe tastes good.” TOURISTY IS AS TOURISTY DOES Amongst the other tourist
attractions you’ll be goaded to head to is the Larnach Castle up on one of the
peninsular hills. This is the home of the gentleman who was once the richest in
the region, and tells a dramatic story of family feuds and deception.
Unfortunately, for an Indian, the size of the building could be a
disappointment: it’s certainly smaller than Shah Rukh Khan’s home in Bandra –
the new modern building the Bollywood actor has recently built not included.
However, you could walk around the flower gardens instead: they’re one of the
most beautiful in the world. Apparently, gardeners smuggle in seeds from
different parts of the world to plant here, often risking arrest. NZ, like
neighbouring Australia, is anal about any livestock, food items, and plant
life, including soil, being brought in by anyone. (Those stories you may have
heard of tourists being made to clean their trekking boots by the customs
department at the airport aren’t all untrue.)
Tourists will also be led
to the Otago Peninsula, which is home to some rare wildlife and marine species.
An evening programme when blue penguins return from the sea and walk up to
their nests is extremely popular. But what’s more fun is renting a boat and
heading out into the Pacific Ocean, albatross-spotting.
For those who don’t know,
the albatross is the world’s largest seabird, with a wingspan of over 10 feet,
and can fly 10,000 miles in a single journey, staying airborne for six months
at a stretch. The birds native to this region breed on the peninsula, then fly
out to circumnavigate the globe, only to return here years later. Seeing the
magnificent bird take flight can leave you enthralled. But if you’re lucky,
you’ll see the young ones trying to take first flight… the clumsy attempts can
teach us a lesson or two about life. A MOMENT OF REST Unfortunately for
discerning tourists, there aren’t many luxury accommodations at hand. The
single luxury hotel I came across during my four-day stay was called
Distinction Dunedin Hotel, and the receptionist proudly announced, “We even
have a concierge service.” When showing me around the rooms, she said, “What’s
almost special is that each room has got its own washing machine! So you don’t
have to step out to do the laundry.” Turns out, the fiercely independent Kiwis
from different parts of the country love that, but I had no heart to tell her
that people from my part of the world would not have been impressed!
I spent my four days in
Dunedin at a motel, and even though my room overlooked a driveway and an inner
courtyard, the quality of the room was at par with any five star I’ve ever
visited. It didn’t take me long to discover that it was the strict New Zealand
rules at play here. “We can’t call our’s a hotel because we don’t have a
24-hour coffee shop,” the owner’s wife, who manned the reception in the
afternoons and lived on the first floor of the establishment, informed me.
Then, she handed me a customised map made for the motel, quality at par with
any luxury hotel in the world, and coupons to two really exquisite coffee shops,
where I could have my breakfast for free. I’d pick this motel over a luxury
lodge any day! A DESIGN HIGH On my last day in Dunedin, I found myself walking
George Street. I was surprised to discover several design stores, many with
women’s clothing, but, more interestingly to me, a few with bed linen and
upholstery that reeked of top quality and design. Apparently, this little
university town also has a design school, its own fashion week and enough
“Dunedians” who don’t want to leave their city, so they open their boutiques
right here.
Unfortunately for me, I
was flying back on an airline that wouldn’t allow me 100gms more than my 23kg
baggage allowance, and I had to leave my finds behind. But only with the
personal promise to myself to come back for these, and more delightful
discoveries that this unique, undiscovered city has to offer.
By Jamal Shaikh
HTBR22 Oct 2017
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