Day 37 – Somewhere North of Dunedin, New Zealand – 7:57 A

My four days in Dunedin are behind me and I currently sit on a bus heading for Christchurch, my final stop in New Zealand.  Yesterday, I took part in a number of unique things.  After waking up, I set out on a tour of the numerous works of street art that adorn buildings throughout Dunedin.  The day prior, I stumbled across an advertisement for a guided tour.  When I entered the tourist office yesterday morning, the representative apologized and told me the guided tour had to be booked a day in advance.  She did have a solution though. She made her way behind the desk and pulled out a map which noted the location of each work of art highlighted on the tour.  My guided tour quickly became a self-guided tour.  The name of the artist, their inspiration, and its year of completion appeared on the reverse side of the map.  It took me just over two hours to track down each piece.  The walk also provided an opportunity to explore a section of the city I had yet to traverse.

After finishing my self-guided tour, I strolled back to my hostel for lunch.  I contemplated eating at a local establishment but I have a surplus of food already paid for.  I pulled out an english muffin, my jar of peanut butter, and a Granny Smith apple.  After lathering each half of the english muffin with a thick layer of peanut butter, I combined the two and quickly inhaled my sandwich.  I then made short work of the Granny Smith apple.  I don’t know if it’s because of all the walking or hauling of backpacks but I seem to have an unquenchable hunger.  I’ve eaten more ice cream in the last ten days then I’ve eaten in the months leading up to my trip.  I justify it as long as I keep walking as often as possible.  I don’t want to worry anyone reading this; I’m also eating my fair share of healthy foods as well.

After lunch, I decided to walk to Baldwin Street, billed as the steepest street in the world.  It took close to an hour to reach the base of the street.  Looking up from the bottom I could tell it was very steep.  I noticed others walking up and a lone gentlemen running up.  I took a deep breath and set off.  The first 20-30 yards maintain a gradual incline.  After that the grade increases drastically until it plateaus at the top.  It was not long before I was at what felt like a 45 degree angle with the street.  My breathing increased as I put one foot in front of the last.

I eventually reached the top and felt a slight sense of accomplishment.  I did just walk up the steepest street in the world.  After gazing down at the base of the street and taking in the views of the nearby landscape, I descended. My first stop was a local dairy mart.  After much debate, I settled on a chocolate ice cream bar intermixed with raspberry ice cream.  The ice cream was coated in a hard chocolate shell accented with bits of Oreo.  It was delicious and justifiable considering the calories I burned ascending Baldwin Street.

I sit here surprised I only have five days remaining in New Zealand.  I honestly cannot believe I’m already over one month into my round-the-world adventure and nearly complete with my first country.  I have met a wealth of interesting people over the past four weeks.  We hail from different countries and traveled to New Zealand for a host of reasons. But, we are linked by our desire to see the world, experience various cultures and escape the repetitive lifestyle that can easily rob us of our individuality and creativity.

 

* Additional pictures from Dunedin can be viewed within the New Zealand Portfolio section found on the Perpetual Footsteps homepage.