Melbourne Library

State Library Victoria is one of Melbourne's founding institutions, established over 160 years ago in 1854, barely 20 years after the city was settled. It opened as the Melbourne Public Library, and is not only Australia's oldest and busiest public library but also one of the first free public libraries in the world. 

Geocaching brought us to this amazing HUGE Melbourne landmark. 

As Hubby and I explored inside OFD found a LEGO display of the library. 

Hubby and I ventured to the LaTrobe Reading Room.

When asked to name their favourite space in the State Library, most visitors nominate the glorious La Trobe Reading Room. No visit to Melbourne is complete without a Dome selfie, whether taken from the floor of the reading room looking up to the dome, or from an elevated perch on the 6th-floor balcony.

Opened in 1913, the magnificent octagonal reading room is six storeys high and can house 32,000 books and 320 readers at its desks.

The building was just as beautiful and interesting on the outside.

I truly dislike blogging from my phone  but it is what it is.

Dunedin Railway Station

Dunedin’s railway station was New Zealand’s busiest when it opened. Exuberant in its Marseilles tiles, Central Otago basalt, Ōamaru stone and Peterhead granite designed by George Troup in the Flemish Renaissance style. It is his most famous design earning Troup the nickname of "Gingerbread George".

The station opened in 1906. The logistics of constructing what was at the time New Zealand's busiest railway station took three years before construction began in 1903. Dunedin required a station for a wide range of activities: it was a commercial and industrial centre, close to gold and coalfields, with a hinterland that was dependent on livestock and forestry for its economy.

Today the station has tourist trains running to Taipei Gorge in the interior of the South Island.

The Church in Christchurch NZ

 I love how we come upon something unexpected and so very interesting I want to share it with those who follow the blog. Today our cruise ship stopped in Lyttelton and offered a shuttle to Christchurch. My initial plan was to visit the International Antarctica Centre in the third largest city in NZ. Instead after getting two geocaches we went to the cardboard Transitional Cathedral (another blog post). On the way we passed a pub so after the cathedral visit it was time for lunch. Hubby gets credit for insisting this was the stop for lunch. 

The Church Brew Pub

Leather covered menu

The sign that lured us in

The French Gothic church was built 1864-1870 as a Congregational Church. The church was used as a church until 1974 when it was sold to the neighboring insurance company who used the building as a community performing arts center. In 1993 it was sold to an individual who used it as a wedding venue and music studio. A restaurant was added in 2006 in which music students entertained restaurant diners. 

The former church was damaged in the 2010 Canterbury Earthquakes. The restaurant opened again but in February 2011 the Christchurch Earthquake damaged the building once again. It was registered as a historic building in 1985 and was given $1million for restoration in 2013. 

View from the balcony

Look at the pipes from the organ

Pews are used for table benches

Check in station

The wood fired pizza oven

Built of oamaru stone originally and 

Rebuilt of the oamaru stone and rubble

Light fixture above our table

Wood vaulted ceding

One of the walls with stained glass windows 

The other wall and stained glass windows

Bathroom signage

Bathroom signage

The bar area

Our drinks- a Half Lemonade 

and a L&P, a traditional NZ non-alcoholic yummy drink

The Good Shepherd pizza with 

lamb, confit garlic, fennel, tzatziki and red onion

Different and Delicious 

Hubby went out of his box and ordered a burger & fries

More info can be found on the internet of course but I just loved how the building was restored to its original design by Benjamin Mountfort. In 2023 it became The Church Brew Pub. 

Port Tauranga NZ

 It is Sunday in New Zealand. OFD, Hubby and I chose to explore the port community rather than take a tour offered by the cruise line or from a private vendor at the port

 

The three of us walked to a beach area on the other side of the peninsula to see a Blow Hole. It was a hefty hike for us and no Blow Hole sighting at the top of the hill but we did find a geocache so the climb was worth it. We also saw some amazing views. 

Geocaching in Auckland

 Today/Friday was all about geocaching in Auckland and thanks to two local geocachers it was a memorable experience, but more on that later.

We spent the morning walking around the city center to locate some historic buildings while completing an Adventure Lab. Some geocachers don’t care for this newer kind of geocache but I love them because it is a great way to explore a new city without taking a guided tour. We went to 5 historic buildings to locate specific information and then found a bonus cache after our walkabout.

Our first cache find of the morning

We were along the harbor. I loved the red fence.

The Ferry Terminal Building

A memorial called the Memorial Beacon

St. Patrick’s Cathedral

Adventure Lab completed

I wish I had taken a photo of the padlock at the bonus cache as it was one we had never seen or experienced before. I love finding something new when playing this game.

These two local geocachers came to the hotel and picked us up for an adventure outside the main city. I had been in contact with them asking for advice on the location for hosting an event and for some help with locating two specific geocaches placed by geocachers we know, one from Sioux Falls SD and the other by a geocacher now living in CO, but from Sioux Falls. The two of them had never been to their geocaches so I really wanted to find them and let them know where they were located and watched over by these two gentlemen.

 EJKPBR’s was the first find

Under tree branches

Along a manmade meandering lake

With reed grasses along the shoreline

And pampas grasses

And through the trees

We would have had a difficult time finding it on our own as it was not a straight path!

BAWags75 was the next cache we found

Much easier than the trek to the first one

This was the location of one of their caches

The cutout was also at this little park

After spending two hours with them they brought us back to the city center where I hosted an event. Glyn and Mike made our Auckland afternoon a memorable adventure with their stories and New Zealand information. Hubby and I are so thankful for their assistance and now friendship. They have also cached in the US. 

Six geocachers plus us attended the event, five of them local or New Zealand cachers, and one from Germany who will be on the cruise with us. The whole day was an awesome experience thanks to the two gentlemen in the photo!