New Zealand: Crocodile Country

Could it be true that crocodiles once roamed in New Zealand….or is it a croc? The Otago Museum’s new gallery, Southern Land, Southern People exposes some amazing secrets from our past.

About 16 to 18 million years ago, in strange contrast to today’s landscape, low-lying Central Otago harboured a warm lush Everglades-like environment of swamps, lakes, backwaters, sluggish meandering rivers and delta plains.

Lake Manuherikia, as geologists call it, stretched from Tarras to Roxburgh and from the Pisa Range to the Maniototo Plain – an area of about 5,600 sq km. Life abounded here and studies so far have only scratched the surface.

Waterways supported a rich aquatic ecosystem. Fish, freshwater mussels and crayfish lived here. The fish included small galaxiids and larger unidentified fish. There were numerous now-extinct waterfowl, including ducks, geese and swans.

One fossil discovery is sensational – a freshwater crocodile, the first undisputed record of crocodiles occurring in New Zealand. The evidence is a fragment of jawbone, 70mm long and 23mm deep, from sediments in a low cliff near St Bathans, close to the northwest limit of the Lake Manuherikia complex.

The crocodile discovery prompts questions about what may yet be discovered in the Manuherikia Group rocks – reptiles, amphibians, even mammals?

The crocodile evidence is part of the significant geological collections on loan to the Museum for Southern Land, Southern People by the University of Otago.

You can learn more about New Zealand’s largest fossil and the other outstanding exhibits at the Otago Museum by taking a guided tour, daily 3.30pm. Vitality

Dunedin has an eclectic mix of people who call this city home. From the farming families who can trace their ancestry back the Phillip Laing, through to the international mix of 20,000 students who make this city the only true university city in New Zealand, it is the people who make Dunedin the very special place it is. The University of Otago the first established in New Zealand in 1869, is recognised as the country's premier university.

The vibrancy of the city is enhanced by the many artists, performers and crafts people who call Dunedin home. Just ask a local where to find a Happy Hen and they will all point you in the right direction!

At the heart of Dunedin, the bard Robbie Burns ponders the sights from his pedestal outside the Municipal Chambers in the Octagon. He is an appropriate centrepiece as Dunedin has always been home to writers and poets.

Music students from the university hold lunch-time concerts, the Dunedin Sinfonia performs regularly and bands continue to play innovative, original music to appreciative local and international audiences.

Theatre flourishes in Dunedin. The Fortune Theatre, situated above the Octagon, is Dunedin's professional theatre. Works by local playwrights have been taken to New York, London's West End and the Edinburgh Festival. Long established cultural institutions have thrived in this atmosphere - the Dunedin Public Art Gallery in the Octagon holds one of New Zealand's best international art collections.

From cultural offerings to the great outdoors Dunedin offers many choices of recreational pastimes. Whether it's the call of the sea or Rugby songs that stir your blood, Dunedin is able to fulfill many longings.

The number and variety of private gardens available for all year round viewing says something of the passion held by the people who created them and so lovingly tend to them. Viewing these gardens is a real treat, as often the gardener will share insights and personal observations with you. Many of these private and public gardens are featured in the brochure, Focus on Dunedin Gardens, available from the Dunedin Visitor Centre.

The Dunedin Botanic Garden, the first to be established in New Zealand, is an easy stroll from the city centre and a wonderful place to visit. The Rhododendron Dell and the Rock Garden are particularly interesting.

A Dunedin pastime worth special mention is fishing for quinnat salmon, which are caught between November and April in Otago Harbour. The Harbour is also a perfect venue for windsurfing, yachting, canoeing and rowing. Surfing is a popular, all year round pastime and St Clair is amongst the best surfing beaches in New Zealand.

Major sporting events find a home in Dunedin. Carisbrook has hosted many an All Black game, while during summer the sound of cricket ball on bat rings out across the green turf. Blue and gold reign supreme across Otago and Dunedin is a stronghold for local supporters. The Edgar Sports Centre, the largest indoor sporting facility in the Southern Hemisphere, is located on Portsmouth Drive. It offers a huge variety of sports. It has 18 tennis courts and an indoor golf driving range. Casuals are welcome and equipment is available for hire.

Dunedin's streets are also alive with colour and activity. From the Octagon, the recognised city centre, George, Princes and Stuart Streets contain a lively mix of cafes, bars, restaurants, boutiques, shops and service providers.

Outdoor entertainment is often enjoyed in the Octagon, while people watching from the comfort of one of the nearby cafes is a must. A range of venues to suit all tastes and budgets can be found in Dunedin. Activity, excitement and vitality abound! Go out and enjoy yourself.

The countryside around Dunedin is the perfect compliment for the metropolitan centre. It also happens to be incorporated within the city of Dunedin boundaries, which makes Dunedin New Zealand's largest city in land area.