In Maori legend, the three peaks of Mount Cargill represent the petrified head, body, and feet of a princess of an early Otakou tribe. The mount was known to the Maori community as Kopuka-tau-mohoka. Following European settlement it took the name of the lay leader of the Otago colonials – Captain William Cargill. A succession of owners held the gully until 1878 when David Bethune purchased the 18 hectares and began a dramatic transformation. He established a sawmill and built a brick kiln just outside the gully gate before going bankrupt in 1884. In 1930 the property was sold to Dunedin city, and within 3 years it became part of a major tree planting scheme.
This is just before getting to the top of Mount Cargill. At this point, we were much more exposed to the rain and wind. Can you even see Dan in this picture?
There he is. It was a little unnerving with the fog. Mount Cargill is supposed to be climbed in good weather so you can get an unobstructed view over Dunedin and the surrounding area. We could barely see beyond the trail right in front of us.
Then we looked up and saw the television tower that sits on the top of Mount Cargill. We were sort of being silly and freaking each other out by acting like we were on "Lost" and had to disable to radio tower or something. Something about the fog and how you need to be within 30 feet to notice such a huge structure just seems a bit frightening. The wind & rain didn't help.
You can just make out the satellite dish in this picture. Great views from Mount Cargill; we'll have to do this again when the weather is better.
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