Dunedin – a faded city

Dunedin – a faded city

We went to take the bus into town again today, only to discover that they only run one per hour on a Saturday.  Rather than wait another 35 minutes, we decided to walk the 3.5km into the centre.  On the way, we were struck by how faded Dunedin looks.  While there are lots of grand buildings, most of them have seen better days.  The first km of George Street we walked along was all hotels and properties for sale or rent, with the next section being all bars and restaurants until you get right into the centre.  Even worse – we saw a Starbucks!

We’d spotted an organic coffee shop yesterday so stopped off for a coffee and cookie before heading for the art gallery.  I was particularly taken with an exhibition by Kushana Bush, a local artist.  In the permanent section, there was an odd mixture of styles, with a Gainsborough and a Monet surrounded by modern, experimental pieces.

Leaving there, we set out to walk the Street Art Trail, 25 pieces painted by street artists from around the world.  On the way we diverted into the railway station and then the Otago Settlers Museum.  Finally, we returned to the organic coffee shop for a Love Bowl, a delicious soup with soba noodles, crunchy veggies and tofu.

The bus back to the campsite was going to be another 30 minutes, so we again resorted to Shanks’s pony and walked back; the bus overtook us about 5 minutes from the site.

Tomorrow we’re off into some of the more remote parts on the Southern coastline.