Quarrantine Island

I've mentioned the Otago Harbour several times in blog posts, and I've shown lots of photos of it, but I've never posted a map so you could see its odd shape. I'm posting a map this time because a few weeks ago I got to speak at a conference on Quarrantine Island, one of two islands in the harbor. There's a retreat center there now, on the site of what used to be a place for quarrantining people who arrived ill on ships from Europe or other distant places. Between 1863 and 1916, over 9000 passengers were quarrantined there. The most common cause was scarlet fever, with smallpox and measles as the runners up. 72 people are buried in a cemetery on the island, and half of them are children. The average time spent in quarrantine was 2 weeks, and to my surprise, we learned that for most people it was a time of rest, great anticipation, singing, and joy. They were almost to their destination in New Zealand, and most of them would get well from their illness, so they mostly had a great time waiting together.

In 1958, two clergymen, inspired by the retreat center on Iona in Scotland, raised the money to buy the lease of the island. Now people can hold retreats there. I was delighted to be asked to speak at a retreat for students because I had always wanted to see the island. So, first, a map that gives you an overview of the city of Dunedin and the harbor. Then a second map that zooms into the middle part of the harbor, where you can see the two islands. (On the first map, we live in Northeast Valley and the university is where it says "North Dunedin." On the second map, you can see Port Chalmers, where the container port is. You get to Quarrantine Island from the Portobello side, by taking a little boat from the aquarium.)

In the photo below you can see Quarrantine Island behind the buildings of the aquarium in the foreground. The red roofed building on the island is where we had our sessions for the retreat, and the two story building on the island is empty, being remodeled, the only hospital building left from the quarrantine times. It was the lodging for married people who were sick.

Below, I'm standing on the aquarium pier waiting to go to the island, which is behind me. To the left of my head is the building where we had our meetings.

Below, the students are waiting on the dock and the boat (the very little boat) is coming. On the island, you can see the two-storied married quarters, and the weird white thing that looks like a sail is a chapel.

I really liked the porch of the building where we had our meetings. So bright with sunlight.

Below, the students are waiting for the caretaker of the island to arrive and give us some instructions about the place.

Below is Helen, the pastor of the Presbyterian student ministry on campus and the leader of this group. She is a friend of mine. In the background, you can see the container shipping port at Port Chalmers.

In the afternoon, I walked all over the island taking pictures.

The photo below looks back down the harbor toward Dunedin. The whitish stuff in the furthest fold of the hills is the buildings of Dunedin. A small flock of sheep on the island keeps the grass under control.

From the highest point on the island, I could see the shipping in Port Chalmers pretty well.

The next photo shows the other small island with Port Chalmers's residential neighborhoods in the background.

The next one looks back in the other direction, toward Portobello and the Otago Peninsula. Those trees on the island are Monterey Cypress, very common in New Zealand. Most often, they're used for hedges, so you can't see their shape.

The odd shaped hill on the Peninsula is called the Harbour Cone. The houses are in Portobello.

Below is the two-story quarrantine hospital for married people. They got a grant to refurbish it. There was also a brick hospital building on the island, but it is gone now.

The building furthest away in the next photo is the place where we had our meetings. The middle building is where the caretaker lives. All these buildings were orginally housing for the staff who took care of the patients here, but they've been added to over the years.

I really loved those Monterey cypresses. In the gap in the middle of the trees, you can see Mount Cargill with its communication tower. There's a road that goes up to the top of Mount Cargill, and I've posted photos from the top once or twice.

When I was on Quarrantine Island three weeks ago, only a few things were starting to bloom in Dunedin. There seemed to be more flowers there on the island. I wondered if it were warmer. Anyway, I had to take photos of the flowers I saw.