NZ Road Trip: Wedding Weekend In Warrington
My nephew Jack, my sister’s boy, came out to New Zealand with his girlfriend on a short term work visa, liked what he saw, applied for residency, and soon started his own business. That was fourteen years ago or thereabouts, and it’s abundantly clear that returning home will never be on his/their agenda. So here we are, after another long drive along these spectacular routes, back on the east coast of South Island in the hamlet of Warrington some twenty minutes north of Dunedin.
The rather lovely ceremony is, in keeping with both the character of the happy couple and with kiwi culture, unconventional and innovative, taking place in the greenery of their own garden with a celebrant who is about as far removed from formality as it’s possible to imagine. It’s a lovely hour or so, and the two imponderables, the weather and the baby daughter, both play ball, the former holding off the heavy rain until we’re safely ensconced at the reception party at the local brewery and baby Junie smiling her way through the entire event.
Warrington sports a huge stretch of deserted beach but within easy drives are excellent viewing points for seals, sea lions and albatrosses, in different places. During our time here we venture out to each, the high point possibly being the beach at Sandfly Bay where around fifteen sea lions are sleeping off the exertions of their fishing expeditions – well, apart from the young males who seem far more interested in chasing girls than taking a rest. You know, sea lions can move pretty quickly if given the right motivation.
We get lucky too with the albatross spotting, arriving at the headland on the Otago Peninsula just as the winds ramp up and the majestic birds with their giant wingspans take to riding the thermals. These guys really are an impressive sight, especially when airborne on a windy day like today.
Almost as impressive, in an obviously different way, is Dunedin railway station – what a magnificent creation this place is, with its tiled interior, its stained glass windows and its vast, bold exterior. There’s something very special about grand railway stations, just something about the fact that they only ever needed to be functional yet are often so much more, as if the novelty of a new form of transport triggered the need to be boldly inspirational rather than just clinically efficient. I love that. Art for art’s sake. Gratuitous pleasure in design. “Build me the most ostentatious station on the planet”, you can imagine someone saying.
The rains come and go over the Easter weekend, thankfully sparing the wedding ceremony from the worst of the downpours and granting us a dry spell at the sea lion beach. It’s been so good seeing family – Jack the bridegroom has three siblings so we’ve caught up with no less than fourteen family members in total, not to mention racking up a PB for “distance travelled to a wedding” which will never be beaten.
We bid our farewells to them all and move on. This has been the southernmost point of our NZ odyssey, from here we turn back north, heading once more for mountains and lakes and finally back to the coast. Not quite done with Aotearoa New Zealand just yet.
24 Comments
Lynette d'Arty-Cross
It sounds as though you enjoyed the wedding and the weather cooperated. Those fur seals sure know how to relax!
Phil & Michaela
Hilarious, aren’t they!
Eha Carr
The most wonderfully happy mail received today and this week 🙂 ! One tiny gorgeous little lady will frame this photo when she grows up ! And – fourteen of a family able to share such a momentous day . . . a more wonderful memory than the seals and the sea lions and the albatrosses and the fantastic-looking Dunedin railway station and, and . . . and, all so happily afar from where most people live . . . meanwhile, am holding fingers and toes crossed for you . . .
Phil & Michaela
Yeah, wasn’t a bad weekend one way and another 😁. Currently at Auckland Airport and it’s looking good for leaving on time, after all.
Eha Carr
Fingers and toes crossed for a happy trip home – hope you have a wee little time in HK — a good time of the year of reasonable temps and dry weather.
Phil & Michaela
Here in HK safely….no dramas at all in the end, just heavy rain on departure from Auckland!
restlessjo
I thought my Easter was good but yours easily tops it. What a lovely threesome. And some of the best seal photos I’ve ever seen. And then, just throw in a sunset…. xx
Phil & Michaela
The seals and sea lions were pretty amusing!
Heyjude
My eldest son had a very expensive all out Catholic wedding with his first wife (not his idea) but his second wedding to a lovely Kiwi girl was a relaxed affair in the mother-in-law’s garden with friends and altogether a much nicer affair. But yes, a long way to go. You have made the most of it though.
Phil & Michaela
Been a great trip, and was good to see nieces nephews etc
Toonsarah
What a lovely wedding photo, so relaxed and happy! It sounds like a perfect day 🙂 And your nephew has clearly chosen a beautiful place in which to settle. That’s definitely my kind of beach (it looks not unlike some of the beaches of Northumberland) and the seals are just wonderful!
Phil & Michaela
Yep, was a good weekend all round Sarah….capped off by the amusing seals and sea lions
Steven Mark Berger
How lucky to combine a great vacation with such a wonderful, family event. And the seals, sea lions and birds were quite a bonus.
Stay safe,
Steve
Phil & Michaela
It was all pretty cool Steve!
Marie
What a lovely event – sounds idyllic! Enjoy the rest of your trip. XXXX Marie
Phil & Michaela
Thank you!
Forestwood
Congratulations to the ewly wedded couple. I think the nouveau informal weddings are far more enjoyable for everyone. Today’s cost of a formal wedding borders on the ludicrous.
Your photos of the sea lions and fur seals are awesome. And the wing spans on those albatross- really something to see.
I never made it to Dunedin and now feel a little annoyed that I didn’t give it more importance on my itinerary. My daughter would have loved seeing the sealions.
Did you drive up the steepest street in the world- (36% gradient) whilst there? My cousin was a student at Otago Uni and used to slide down the street on old mattresses when it was icy! Frightening but fun.
Phil & Michaela
Loving the mental picture of the mattress thing! 😂 No we didn’t get to drive it, time was a bit limited and the birds and animals took priority!
Monkey's Tale
What a nice wedding, and nice that the weather cooperated. We saw fur seals in Uruguay, but the males had manes like lions. These don’t look to have much fur, or maybe the males were further out. Maggie
Phil & Michaela
Both the seals and the sea lions were great to see!
The Flask Half Full
Wow, you definitely win for longest distance traveled to a wedding! The farthest I’ve ever been for a wedding is Guatemala. Well done, great trip!
Phil & Michaela
It certainly has been!
grandmisadventures
what a treat to get to meet up with family in such a beautiful place!
Phil & Michaela
A special weekend in a special place!