Southern Destinations: October 02, 2016

20
NOVEMBER 2016
DUNEDIN
Toitu Otago Settlers Museum
Pride of the South
The school holidays are a chance
to keep educating the kids and
hitting the road and bringing the
learning down south adds a level of
adventure.
Sometimes the kids don’t really
know what they want to do in the
holidays, whether it’s read, start a
craft project or simply look at cool
stuff.
Toitū Otago Settlers Museum is
the perfect place for these sorts of
days as children – and adults – can
do any or all of these things in the
beautifully restored and expanded
buildings.
The gallery spaces at Toitū have
display cases filled with intriguing
objects and there are plenty of
opportunities to get hands on as
well, whether it is trying on a turn
of the century dress, climbing on
the Roslyn tram or the Tiger Tea
bus, playing classic 1980s Atari
game Laser Hawk or chilling out
and listening to some music. The
interactive displays also include
soundscapes and digital media that
will engage curious minds.
The beautiful Art Deco bus station
area has a children’s area with craft
materials and dress ups – as well as
comfortable seats for the adults’
tired legs. The archives and research
centre has a wealth of information
Explore Dunedin’s
stories at one of
New Zealand’s most
innovative museums
for budding genealogists or
historians and friendly staff who can
help them get started.
The Museum has helpfully placed
restrooms and a café in the sunny
and expansive Josephine Foyer
with a variety of snacks and drinks
on offer to replenish energy before
heading off to explore the next
corner of the museum. A shop is also
on hand selling toys, games and
novelties as well as custom designed
jewellery, china and gifts.
Toitū Otago Settlers Museum is a
fun place to spend an hour or a day
with something new always waiting
to be discovered.
VISIT AND EXPLORE THE ONLY
AUTHENTIC SCHOLAR’S GARDEN
IN THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE
• Learn about the Dunedin Chinese
Settlers in our alleyway exhibition.
• Savour traditional tea and
dumplings in the enchanting
teahouse.
• Create memories and dress up in
traditional Chinese costume.
• Spot the goldfish and be puzzled by
the puzzles.
Dunedin is home to Speight’s
Brewery. Having recently been
through a re-development, a visit
to the Brewery will mean you get to
experience the old and the new.
The fully guided 90 minute
tour lets you explore
the historic working
Brewery. You will see
and touch some
of the ingredients
which goes into
making Speight’s
beers, and find out
not only how Speight’s
became a legend in the
south but right around the
country. Even if you are not a beer
drinker, you’ll enjoy learning about
the history of beer-making, hear some
yarns from years gone by and how to
make traditional wooden beer casks.
Visitors will be taken around the
old part of the Brewery learning
about our brewing process before
Located in the heart of Dunedin
is the only traditional Chinese
Scholar’s Garden in the southern
hemisphere.
The garden takes visitors on
a journey through the
city’s cultural history,
heritage and tradition
– giving recognition
to the Chinese
people who first
came to Otago
during the 1860s
gold rush and stayed
to establish some of
Dunedin’s businesses.
As a Garden of National
Significance it has a distinct
character being designed and
built using authentic Chinese
materials and crafted by a team
of artisans form Dunedin’s sister city
of Shanghai. The Garden features
DUNEDIN'S
discovering the recently developed
new brew house. This is where the
magic happens. Every tour finishes the
way every brewery tour should – with
the chance to taste and appreciate
samples of Speight’s finest
beers. In the Brewery bar
not only will you learn
more about what you
are about to sample
but we might even let
you pour one behind
the bar for yourself.
After the tour make
sure you have time to pop
into the Speight’s Brewery
shop where there genuine
Speight’s gear is available for you
and if you are a bit peckish at all pop
on down to the original Speight’s Ale
House situated within the Brewery
buildings.
They have great southern fare
in generous portions and all of the
Speight’s range fresh from the tap.
chinese garden
hand-made wooden buildings,
tiles, bricks, lattice-work and handfinished
granite paving stones.
In a scholar’s garden, galleries
connect to pavilions with the
central building, usually a
library or study and in
Dunedin’s case the Tea
House, dividing the
garden into individual
scenes or landscapes.
Plants, trees, and
rocks are all carefully
composed into small
perfect landscapes
mimicking a traditional
Chinese landscape painting.
It is a tranquil place to bring
children in the school holidays and
with 16 varieties of tea for sale in the
Tea House, parents can take some
time out in the Tea House and enjoy
traditional Chinese tea and treats.
OPEN 7 DAYS | FREE ENTRY | FREE WIFI
10am – 5pm
31 Queens Gardens, Dunedin
P (03) 477 5052
www.toituosm.com
OPEN DAILY: 10am – 5pm
ADMISSION: Adult $9 | Under 13 FREE
ANNUAL PASS: $20
03 477 3248
Cnr Cumberland and Rattray Streets
(beside Toitu – Otago Settlers Museum)
www.dunedinchinesegarden.com
DUNEDIN, THE HOME OF THE SPEIGHT'S BREWERY
SPEIGHT’S BREWERY TOUR
-
p: +64 3 477 7697 | e: tours@speights.co.nz | w: speights.co.nz
a: 200 Rattray Street, Dunedin 9016
* An easy 5 minute walk from The Octagon