Dunedin: The Kiwi City with a Scottish Heart

 

Located in a natural amphitheater at the head of a long fjord-like inlet, Dunedin was the first permanent European settlement in New Zealand, founded in 1848. Not long after, gold was discovered in the region, and the province quickly became the richest and most influential in the colony. While Christchurch is New Zealand's most English town, Dunedin is its most Scottish, such that the city is hailed as the "Edinburgh of New Zealand." The Dunedin Railway Station is one of New Zealand’s most iconic architectural landmarks, renowned for its Edwardian design and its symbolic role in the country’s rapid railway expansion during the late 19th century. 

The Dunedin Botanic Garden is New Zealand's first botanical garden with more than 6800 plant species set in a serene destination brimming with rare plants, wildlife, and scenic beauty. With the Leith Stream on the southern boundary and Lindsay Creek running through the middle dividing the garden in two, the gardens offer a peaceful retreat, filled with a wonderful diversity of plants, flowers, and aviary with a variety of exotic and native birds. Exploring the gardens, and spectacular Winter Garden Greenhouse, where orchids, bromeliads and many tender subtropical trees and shrubs are grown, we continued our journey on to Olveston House, one of New Zealand's most remarkable and beautiful heritage homes, built for Dunedin businessman, collector and philanthropist David Theomin, his wife Marie and children Edward and Dorothy. Designed by English architect Sir Ernest George, Olveston was built as a family home furnished with fine art, furniture and artefacts purchased from all around the world.

Intended for future generations of Theomin’s to enjoy, this was not to be the case as both the Theomin children died without heirs. Surviving the death of her father, mother and elder brother, Miss Dorothy Theomin lived at Olveston until her death in 1966, when it was discovered the house and the original contents were gifted to the City of Dunedin. Opened as an historic house museum in 1967, Olveston is a time capsule as little has changed inside the house since it was occupied as a family home between 1906 to 1966, and is an authentic and original historic home and garden depicting the life of a wealthy merchant family in the early part of the twentieth century. Fully furnished, Olveston is a time capsule as little has changed since it was the Theomin Family home.

Red-Tailed Black Cockatoo

Colourful King Parrot

Bird handler providing water and orange segments to a trio of New Zealand Kākā,

View of the Greenhouse from the hilltop of the Dunedin Botanical Gardens

A meandering rock garden with wild flowers runs along the river

Aromatic New Zealand wild thyme

Gardener toiling in the rock garden keeping the weeds at bay 

The Leith Stream and bridge with native wildflowers

One of the beautiful native flowers growing by the stream

With the Leith Stream and Lindsay Creek running through the Botanical Gardens, 

these handsome wild ducks are a common sight

The elegant Winter Garden Greenhouse conservatory was constructed in 1908

A multitude of flowering and fruiting plants, orchids, bromeliads and tender subtropical trees 

and shrubs can be seen in the Greenhouse

The White Arum Lily are known for having a very prominent, large yellow, 

finger-like structure in the centre of the bloom

The Pōhutukawa is the iconic "New Zealand red spray" blossom, often called the New Zealand Christmas tree and features vibrant crimson, firework-like clusters of stamens

Beautiful coral coloured New Zealand flower with dew drops glistening on the petals

Moist pink flower in the Greenhouse

Rather exotic flower with green berry-like interior

Flowering Origanum Rotundifolium

Agapanthus are seen everywhere around New Zealand

Koi Pond with dozens of ornamental koi swimming in the crystal clear water

Pink 'Olivia Auston Rose'

Grove of Agapanthus and Rhododendron

Sculpture of Peter Pan and Tinkerbell dedicated to 'Children Today, Tomorrow and the Future' 

and gifted to the Dunedin Botanical Garden by Harold Richmond in 1966

Wild flowering gardens

Orange New Zealand Dahlia

Sculpted Box Hedge Garden pruned into geometric shapes to create structure, 

drama, and formal elegance

Stone entry to Olveston House

Olveston House is one of New Zealand's most remarkable and beautiful heritage homes, 

built for Dunedin businessman, collector and philanthropist David Theomin and his family

The Library with all the books and furniture as it was when the family

lived in the house

Detail of the formal Dining Room with fine furniture, silver and paintings

Olvestan's sumptuous Main Dining Room

Table set for afternoon tea in the dining room, by the leaded pane windows overlooking the garden

Beautiful green full size Billiards Table with knitted pockets

The original Snooker Scoreboard and balls

Vintage Mah Jong table and tiles from China

Moroccan-themed Card Room adjacent to the Billiards Room

Butler's pass-through from where food from kitchen would be prepared then passed 

through to be placed in silverware and then served to the family

Original Edwardian Butler's Bell Panel was wired to each room

and was used to summon servants

Original phone between the kitchen and butler's pantry

Greenhouse in the garden

Entrance into the Greenhouse

Cascading pink flowers

A lovely array of plants, ferns, cacti and flowers

Lush pink flower

Crazy New Zealand plant resembling cascading peas known as String of Pearls or 'Curio Rowleyanus'

The side of Olveston House

www.olveston.co.nz

Manderley Sheep Farm with Ross & Mary Millar

 

Nestled in the stunning hills of Lake Forsyth Banks Peninsula on the east coast of the New Zealand's South Island about 40 minutes from Christchurch, Manderley Farm offers an authentic and immersive glimpse into New Zealand’s traditional farming lifestyle. Owned and operated by Ross and Mary Millar, this working sheep farm is a 750-acre farm with stunning bush clad hills and spectacular vistas plus Ross and Mary's warm hospitality. Stocked with 180 beef cattle "somewhere up in the hill", Ross quipped, there are also over 100 sheep that graze the hills all year round. They are mustered by clever sheep dogs especially bred for this purpose, including Ross's collie's Maggie and Mollie. From watching Ross's expertly trained sheepdogs herd flocks on his whistle commands to witnessing the art of sheep shearing, every moment is a celebration of rural life. Strolling through Mary's manicured gardens, we were invited onto their historic homestead to enjoy her homemade sausage rolls, shortbread and a hot cup of tea, all the while surrounded by nature's beauty, and the 'bahing' of Merino sheep.

Ross with his rescue dog Maggie is one of his best sheep herders

Lovely Maggie with her paws crossed like a little lady, she is just 2 years old and very good 
at responding to Ross's whistle and herding sheep from high in the hills

Trained to respond to specific whistles, the sheep dogs are told where to find the sheep in the hills,

and to direct them to Ross

Maggie has succeeded in bring the herd of Merino Sheep from up the hills

Ross explaining the nature of Merino Sheep who love to keep together in tight groups

One of the Merino Sheep - such sweet faces and gentle temperaments

Ross demonstrating how he shears sheep, first securing the head and back 

to keep it safe and secure while shearing

This is the sheep's first shear so her coat is very soft but she's not sure

what's going on, but seems relaxed in Ross's expert hands

In less than ten minutes the Merino sheep is shorn and certainly less fluffy

Merino wool commands the highest price, however Australian wool production has been falling, 

with forecasts predicting it could hit its lowest level in over 100 years by mid-2026

Mary and Ross's historic homestead built in 1876 from Totara timber grown on the property, 

and surrounded by her beautifully tended garden

The garden shed surrounded by tall Tigerlilies

Purple Agapanthus are a robust, clump-forming perennial and found all around New Zealand, 

and although very showy they are actually an invasive weed

Invited into the house for Mary's homemade sausage rolls, shortbread and a hot cup of tea,

we sat in her beautiful garden after a very special day indeed

www.manderley.co.nz/farm

Mary Millar's Sausage Rolls

Makes 24

Recipe courtesy of Manderley Cookbook by Mary Millar

1 apple, grated

1 onion, chopped fine

1/4 tsp curry powder

1 lb sausage meet

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 small egg

1/2 tsp chilli sauce

Flakey puff pastry

Preheat oven to 400°F. Blend all of the ingredients together in a medium bowl, and form into a long sausage. Layout a long rectangle of pastry, long edge closest to you. Brush egg along one long edge. Place the filling on top and shape into a long log shape down the middle of the pastry. Ensure the meat is tight and compact, without gaps. Brush edge of pastry with egg, then roll up, finishing with the seam side down, moistening the edge with water. Slice into 1/2-inch pieces and place on a baking tray, and bake for 25 minutes until golden brown.