The New Zealand Castle

While staying in Dunedin Matt and I visited Larnach Castle, advertised as New Zealand's only castle. The home was built by William Larnach in the 1870s and is really more of a mansion, but the details and history are still very impressive. Larnach named his home "The Camp" and used the symbol of the Scottish wildcat throughout. I approve of his mascot (and Tilly would too)!

The entryway floor from the second story. 

We roamed the gardens framed by tall hedges and met some resident ducks in their picturesque pool before heading inside for a self-guided tour. There were multiple stories connected by a swirling, hanging staircase. Each room had interesting details and ceilings of carved wood or plaster molded into intricate designs. My favorite room was the relatively plain room in the lower level that held all of the Larnach family history. Their history read like a tragic novel. William Larnach built the house with his beloved first wife, Eliza. After she died twenty-one years and six children later, he married her sister, Mary, and put the house in her name as his businesses failed and his debts grew. Mary died five years later, and William had to do some legal trickery to get the house back in his name. He then married the much younger Constance. She began an affair with William's oldest son, and it is believed the affair is what prompted William Larnach to suicide. What drama! The house had personal items on display such as Constance's white bridal gown and William's spyglass. I always appreciate the reminder that even those living in a castle with beautiful gowns were not necessarily happy. Wealth cannot buy happiness, after all. 

The tour began in the history room on the lowest level and ended at a steep, stone staircase that led outside to the turret. I appreciated the beautiful ocean views of the Otago peninsula while Matt admired the strategic advantage of building a house on a hill surrounded on multiple sides with water. He explained the difficulty of attempting to surprise the Larnach family since they could see ships from so far away. While this castle might not have ever been under attack, they did choose a perfectly beautiful spot to build. We only spent a few hours at Larnach castle, but I think it was an amazing combination of museum for Matt and castle (with cats!) for me. 

The view from the turret.