Although Duneden is known as the garden city the Chinese Garden was the only one we managed to visit. Chris did not want to go so went on my own and cheekily asked if they did reductions for seniors they didn't but gave me a reduction anyway. In front of the entrance to the garden stands an archway which I think is everyone's idea of a Chinese entrance. Either side of the entrance were two lion statues which were hand-sculptured from solid granite and donated to the Dunedin Chinese Garden Trust by the Municipal Government of Shanghai.
The Dunedin Chinese Garden is in the style of a Scholar's garden, and is separated from the rest of the city by a high perimeter wall. Trees have been planted around the outside to give further shelter from city noise to the garden when they are full grown. At present the marked contrast between the city and garden is part of the charm. In the middle of the garden is a lake, surrounded an entrance hall, a square pavilion, a study, a climbing mountain with a half-pavilion and corridor, a tea house (which would traditionally be a dining room for the scholar and guests), and a two-storey building containing a small conference room. A zig-zag raised footpath crosses the lake and connects with the central pavilion.
Traditional Chinese construction methods were applied throughout the garden to avoid the use of any nails or other corrodible materials. Hand-carved hexagonal lanterns with shades depicting typical Chinese landscape paintings provide evening lighting for the corridors of the path running inside along the perimeter walls.
The terracotta roof tiles were handmade, and include drip tiles to control the direction of the water running off the roofs and falling directly on the ground, which is usual in traditional Chinese garden design. The faces of the tiles are decorated with flower symbols, a sign that the garden is a public garden
It was very peaceful and I would have enjoyed it more if I could have lingered over a Chinese tea but Chris was waiting at the car.
Also revisited the museum as we had left early in order to catch the train yesterday. It was a really good museum and I think you could visit many times and still not be bored.
In the afternoon did a quick zizz around the Otago Peninsula. It stretches along the southern edge of Otago Harbour was very scenic but again very poor visibility and quite cool so we did not get our swim. We went out to Taiaroa Heads via the harbourside route and returned via the high inland road. The round trip was 64 kms. We did not see any penguins they are still proving to be most elusive but plenty of other birds including spoonbills and seals sunbathing on the rocks.