Day Sixty Three Kensington

For a number of reasons, it's been a few weeks since I have been able to get out walking so I was very happy today to be able to walk 9 streets. 

772. Ardmore Drive
773. Grosvenor Street
774. Phillips Street
775. Percy Street
776. Wain Street
777. Orari Street
778. Strathallan Street
779. Kensington Street
780. Bridgman Street

Being late Autumn, the sun rises later and I was rewarded with a beautiful start to my walk when I completed the streets around the Oval.  

I had last walked around part of the Oval back in early April so it was nice to be able to walk the remaining streets to complete the circuit.  The Oval was frosty with mist rising from the cold ground during my early morning walk. 

Today I was walking the semi-industrial streets on the flat of South Dunedin so there weren't many views so I was happy to walk the streets that were connected to the harbour.  This morning the harbour was calm with  Flagstaff and Mount Cargill looming in the background. 

While there were not many views on my walk today, there was still lots to see. One of the more iconic things I have walked past on my walks is Victor, the VW beetle up the pole outside the Bridgman Street Panelbeaters.  Victor has been up the pole since 1965. 

Another point of interest on my walk today was the Molars.  Located on Portsmouth Drive, the molars have been in place since 2010 and are inspired by the Dental School and are supposed to represent the teeth at the back of the (harbour) mouth. The molars are about 6 feet high and made out of Oamaru stone. 

One of the benefits of walking early in the morning when the sun rises is having the time to notice the beauty around me.  This tree on the edge of the Oval is particularly photogenic with the rising sun shining behind it. 

 

I also walked past a couple of interesting buildings.  One of the older buildings that I walked past is the Mayfair Theatre.  Originally called the King Edward Picture Theatre it was opened in 1914 and is the oldest surviving purpose built theatre in Dunedin and the third oldest in New Zealand.  Modernised in 1934 and renamed the Mayfair Theatre it was gifted to the community in 2014.  It continues to operate as a theatre for live performances to this day. 

Near the Mayfair Theatre is the Hillside Workshops which have operated from this site since 1875 and over the years, it has made steam engines, wagons and rail carriages.  Employing over 800 people in the 1920's it is now a shadow of it's former self  with most work carried out here, being locomotive and wagon maintenance.  

And finally for the buildings, I walked past this building on the corner of Hillside Road and King Edward Street.  It caught my eye because it has a lovely restored facade but it looks like part of the building is missing.

On the final street that I walked today, I walked past this interesting fence that has been made using power poles that still have their arms and insulators attached. 

Distance walked:  6.4 km      Walking time   1 hr 9 mins     

 

Total distance: 504.1 km       Total walking  94 hr 15 mins