Karitane

Karitane -
when I was here
​appreciating this view from Puketeraki,
I really felt that,
the people that live here
in this scenic little peninsula of Karitane
are one of the luckiest people on earth.

​One may wonder:
Where IS Karitane?
​
Most probably never heard of it.
But it is definitely
one of the prettiest,
​hidden oasis of Aotearoa.

When I first arrived in Karitane, 
The sun had just set.
As I drove into Karitane on the main road,
The water was so calm, 
it felt like I had entered
into a secret garden of heaven.

My accommodation was a funky one:
open-plan,
vintage velvet couches, 
blankets and cushions had colors
​that hurt an aesthetic soul,
​the cupboard was filled with supplies.

Because I delayed my ferry trip by 1 day,
I was left with only 1 full day here.
The weather in Otago the following day was awful,
I did not get to go to my desired destination,
nor really got to enjoy the Karitane outdoors.
I only managed to go to Dunedin,
and went to a very cool organic store
- in the city centre - which I loved.
I didn't get to go to the beach
which was just 100m down
from my accommodation,
nor did I get to do any walks
or any trails around here.

Out of my half-of-a-month length trip,
the only bad (rainy) days
took place here in Otago.
It was a disappointment weather-wise,
(though not at all a surprise,
to be honest).
But there will always be a next-time
- now that I know of Karitane's existence -
It is definitely a quiet little spot
​worth returning to.

Because I wasn't able to get out much,
The only recommendations I can provide
​would be:

1. Seacliff Asylum -
it's a vast open space 
suitable for taking your dog for a stroll
or a picnic with friends / whānau.
The founder of this asylum
used a more natural method 
for treatment of mental illness.
He also founded the Plunket society
after the asylum burnt down.

As disappointing as the weather here,
I was super gutted to find out,
you can't actually visit the asylum site.
Which is like - "Ah...what's the point?"
Really...
​
Turned out:
a family owns the place,
and refuses public entry.
Judging by the casual cardboard
they had put out on the driveway
just by the gate - woulda-been entrance,
"this is our home",
I hazarded a random guess
that these could either be outright hippies
or some local clan of family
that refused the outside world
from ever setting foot in this place.
Maybe the current owner inherited the place
from the older generation and then
decided to keep it completely to themselves.
The cardboard signage was NOT formal,
so it really gave an impression of commune-vibe.
The picture came to mind was:
a whole lotta people,
random living quarters,
lack of furnishing,
dilapidated interior,
ragged clothes, fleas. ðŸ‘…
Sorry,
but that was just the vibe I got.

I'd imagine any sensible person 
would make this site available to public
and request for a koha entry fee, 
as it IS historic, and is ENORMOUS!
The place would require high cost for maintenance.
I'd set up a $5~$15 entry for a tour inside.
But nope,
it has shunned the outside world completely,
and unless the owner changes their mind,
we may never get to see the inside ever again.

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2. The Spaceship house
Too bad the owner must have moved elsewhere,
to somewhere with a much nicer climate probably.
But this cool little home
screams with 70s-plastic-y vibe.
It's worth checking out.
If you're really lucky,
you may run into the owner himself. 

3. Puketeraki Lookout: 
Hardly anyone would come out this way,
hopefully you will get plenty of time and space 
to enjoy this view, all to yourself.

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