Summer 2020
History, heritage, and a whole lotta cool
Ōtepoti Dunedin has always held a special place in my heart. My grandad, Barry Empson, taught German at Otago University and lived in Waipiata, a tiny ‘town’ an hour and a half out of the CBD. I stayed there the odd school holiday and remember him taking me into the city for hot chocolate. Even as a kid, the buildings fascinated me. They seemed to ooze history and heritage, words that would come to define a long weekend in Dunedin so many years later.
A hāngi, a scooter, and an oxygen tank
Tourism in Aotearoa has changed. Attractions that once thrived on international interest must now adapt to an all-Kiwi crowd. After spending four days in Whangārei, splitting time as cultural observers and thrill-seekers, my partner Alex and I realised that not only is there an abundance of fun to be found up north, there’s also plenty to learn.
