It was a bit like falling down a rabbit-hole. One minute we were driving through the rugged landscape of the Otago peninsula; the next we were walking across the manicured lawns of a Scottish castle. I had to blink to make sure I wasn’t dreaming.
I shouldn’t have been surprised. We had already seen Scottish place names, schoolgirls in tartan skirts and Presbyterian churches in this part of New Zealand. And Dunedin is known as the “Edinburgh of the South”. So perhaps the castle wasn’t out of place at all.
The Only Castle in New Zealand
“You’ve got older castles at home,” said the man in the ticket office. It is true that
Larnach Castle – New Zealand’s only castle – was built as recently as 1871. And, despite the battlements on its roof, it was built as a family home and not as a means of defence.
The imposing frontage of Larnach Castle, and the Art Deco veranda
But what it lacks in age, it makes up for with a dramatic and turbulent history. Inside the house we read the story of family strife, financial ruin and the eventual suicide of the first owner, before the castle fell into a long period of disrepair. Although the building is now restored it is said that the troubled spirits of the first inhabitants still reside there. We were not disturbed by any ghostly presence as we explored the house, walking through the Art Deco veranda and up to narrow stairs to the roof, but the ghosts continue to attract visitors, including several paranormal investigators!
Looking out from the battlements
Formal Gardens and Native Plants at Larnach Castle
Back outside, we walked around the gardens, past the patch of imported purple heather and the petanque court, and through the rose arch. Some previous owner must also have felt the incongruity of the place, because we came across a statue of Alice wielding her flamingo croquet mallet, and around the corner were stone figures of the King and Queen of Hearts!
A border of heather by the front lawn
Looking along the formal rose arch
Alice prepares for croquet with her flamingo mallet
But there were reminders that we were in New Zealand. The lions by the door were flanked by cabbage trees, and a native plants trail ran behind the castle. We had our picnic in the South Seas Garden, a hillside planted with all manner of Pacific plants, and overlooking an unmistakeably New Zealand vista.
The stone lions are flanked by native cabbage trees
The South Seas Garden has plants native to the South Pacific region
Later we returned to Dunedin and stopped outside the museum to read a poster on the wall. It said, “The Scots were an odd bunch of adventurers, travelling over 10,000 miles to reach a new land only to fill it with stuff just like the place they left behind.” Exactly!
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Lovely photos Karen! And a great story too. I didn't go to Dunedin while I was in New Zealand due to the weather conditions but need to make sure I'll go there next time! Thanks for this encouragement!
These pictures are beautiful! I want to plan a trip to New Zealand!!! Thanks for sharing!
These are gorgeous — thank you for sharing them, Karen! I had a roommate from New Zealand – my own kiwi 🙂 – and he always told me how beautiful NZ is. It's so far from Canada, but it definitely looks like it's worth the trek.
Have a great trip,
Laurie