Baldwin Street, the official name, had been on my New Zealand to-do list ever since I started planning my holiday. Friends and relatives who had visited the South Island had all recommend a trip there, and I was eager to go and see what all the fuss was about.
Baldwin Street, in the heart of Dunedin, is hidden away from the main road, and with the town lying at the foot of a mountain, it is easy to assume that many of the roads will be steep. But Baldwin is not any old street. From a distance, it looks like any old street, with homes dotted either side of the road. Get up close however, and you will be struggle to see where the road ends.
It took an agonising one-minute to drive up the hill (definitely not the best place to start a hill start!) Once we had reached the top, the view was spectacular. Forget Everest, this was enough for me. Seeing Dunedin glistening as the sun sets over summed up the Christmas occasion. Who needs fairy lights when you have the sun twinkling off the many windows of the quaint houses.
Although I did not walk up it - they have a water fountain at the top for any visitors who may be dying of thirst once they have reached the top - just being there and driving up it was enough. And if that is not enough, the annual Jaffa race (a type of New Zealand chocolate) sees 30,000 chocolates roll down the street, and is just one of the events to look forward to every year.
Whether you drive or walk, make sure you visit Baldwin Street - the official steepest street in the World - to see magnificent views of Dunedin, worthy of a photo or two!
You can find out more on Baldwin Street by visiting the website: http://ourshop.co.nz/baldwinstreet.htm
Previous Diary posts:
No.4 - Food, glorious food
No.3 - Brighton Beach, but not as you know it!
No.2 - The Good Life
No.1 - Don't Fly Qantas
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