Post by John Farrell on Nov 30, 2007 14:23:00 GMT -5
Yesterday, my wife and I drove north to Oamaru, a town of around 12,000 people 60 miles from Dunedin.
On the way, we stopped at the boarding school my wife attended in the 1960s. She had not been back since 1968.
The school, called Teschemakers, closed in the 1970s. The buildings have had various uses since then. The most recent owner is a Japanese company, aiming to run a college teaching natural medicine and organic farming.
All of the buildings have been renovated, but the grounds are overgrown, vandals have smashed windows, and the place looks forlorn. My wife found the visit a surreal experience.
We carried on to Oamaru, which is an interesting place. It was founded in the 1860s, and many of the buildings are constructed of limestone, which is abundant in the area.
The 3 story building at the end of this street is an old grain store, now a cafe and whisky shop.
The upper floors have a fine display of 750 barrels of mainly single malt whisky, quietly aging. I bought a bottle of 12 year old.....
Limestone lends itself to classical style buildings.
The right hand building is now an art gallery, but the other is still a bank.
The town hall is equally grand.
As is the Catholic church
On the way, we stopped at the boarding school my wife attended in the 1960s. She had not been back since 1968.
The school, called Teschemakers, closed in the 1970s. The buildings have had various uses since then. The most recent owner is a Japanese company, aiming to run a college teaching natural medicine and organic farming.
All of the buildings have been renovated, but the grounds are overgrown, vandals have smashed windows, and the place looks forlorn. My wife found the visit a surreal experience.
We carried on to Oamaru, which is an interesting place. It was founded in the 1860s, and many of the buildings are constructed of limestone, which is abundant in the area.
The 3 story building at the end of this street is an old grain store, now a cafe and whisky shop.
The upper floors have a fine display of 750 barrels of mainly single malt whisky, quietly aging. I bought a bottle of 12 year old.....
Limestone lends itself to classical style buildings.
The right hand building is now an art gallery, but the other is still a bank.
The town hall is equally grand.
As is the Catholic church
