Feb 2 – Jeff, Julie, Nancy and I got off the boat and hired a private driver to show some of the sights in and around Dunedin.  We decided to spend the day touring the countryside on the eastern peninsula all the way to Harington Point. We stopped at a few overlooks and made our way Larnach Castle and Gardens.

“New Zealand’s only Castle, built 1871 by William Larnach, merchant baron and politician, for his beloved first wife Eliza. It took more than 200 workmen three years to build the Castle shell and master European craftsmen spent a further 12 years embellishing the interior. Larnach spared no expense on his dream home, which features the finest materials from around the world.”

The castle was purchased by the Barker family in 1967 and they have been restoring the property ever since. The proceeds from tours continue to fund the ongoing renovations. The property includes about 35 acres of gardens. The castle also has a reputation for being one of the most haunted buildings in New Zealand. It has been visited by numerous paranormal investigators, and has been featured in several “ghost hunter” tv programs in both NZ and the US.

I found this picture on the internet just so we could see a more complete picture of the property. The other pics are ours. After the castle, we headed to top of the peninsula shown in the upper right.