I’m an east coast gal at heart, east coast of the US that is, but maybe it was my roots that called me here. Or it was torrential downpour and gale force winds in Wānaka that closed the mountain that inspired this getaway. The world may never know, but the NZ east coast is pretty spectacular.
We detoured at famous Purakaunui bay and Long Point, which is a must hit if you ever come to New Zealand. The vibrant green rolling hills meet the turquoise ocean in dramatic headlands along the coast. I’ve never seen anything like it. I’ve also never experienced wind as strong. Don’t ask how many photos I took to just end up with this one.
When we finally made it to Dunedin, we were starved. We decided to do what any normal person would do: use Tiktok to find a restaurant. Our first mistake. Harry’s Kitchen was decidedly average. The ramen noodles had nice bounce, but what establishment serves ramen with a fully HARD BOILED egg, and I have literally nothing to say about the pork gyoza and beef donburi.
We caught the sunset at St Clair Beach, then had our sights set on a crazy night out in a city known for its crazy nights out. Our second mistake. We checked out the octagon in the center of Dunedin: an area shaped like a, you guessed it, octagon, packed with bars and restaurants, but (as we learned the hard way) not with people on a Wednesday night.
In the morning, we hit St Clair beach again for a surf. By “surf” I mean get smacked around in the water on a surf board for 30 minutes. The morale was then boosted by a delicious Italian restaurant on the water, Esplanade. The arancini was mouthwatering, featuring a flavorful truffle aioli that we licked off the plate. We ordered 3 pizzas, the Sicilian pesto one was salty heaven, my order, and the group’s unanimous favorite. If I do have one talent (besides surfing), it’s ordering right at a restaurant. It’s an art.
Lastly, we stopped at Tunnel beach to round out our trip, and it was amazing. Dramatic cliffs and beautiful water despite the cloudy skies. We almost missed the tunnel that lets you access the beach itself, then the second tunnel that resembles those tiny ones cave exploring professionals somehow squeeze themselves into, and the third one that leads you to a little cave that gets filled at high tide. We couldn’t figure out why it’s called Tunnel beach, but it still was very beautiful.
Zoe's World 