Now it’s a place to appreciate the wildlife of Dunedin.
The long, dark alleyway off Police St, affectionately known as "No Name Alley", has been filled with colourful and playful street art which has breathed new life into the forgotten area.
The latest artworks, recently completed by Dunedin artist Bee Lazarevic, were commissioned by Wild Dispensary and Steamer Basin Brewery, for this year’s Wild Dunedin Festival.
Because the alleyway traces part of the original Otago Harbour shoreline before the land was reclaimed, Lazarevic said her artworks embraced the history of the lane.
She decorated the alley with sea and land animals native to southern New Zealand.
To avoid doing permanent damage with paint to the surrounding heritage buildings which date back to the 1870s, she put her artworks on paste-ups because they were semi-permanent.
"It’s been an awesome experience to combine my love of street art and native wildlife, to rewild the lane-way and raise awareness about these magnificent creatures."
She said there were about six large artworks on the walls, as well as seven "hand-sized" artworks of weta, which children could have fun finding in the alleyway.
"They’re a little bit more of a challenging to find, just with the size of them, and I put them in tucked-away places — just like where real weta would hide in the wild."
Lazarevic has now added a trailhead sign to help visitors seek out her illustrations.
Wild Dispensary co-founder Ruth Vaughan was delighted with the end result.
"Bee's trail is a fun way for tourists to become familiar with our wildlife and the heritage here in No Name Alley.
"Finding her paste-ups is like stumbling on a sea lion at the beach — a reminder of what makes Dunedin so special.
"And it's a great activity for kids, exploring every nook and cranny in search of the weta.
"Lazarevic's illustrations bring a different reason to venture down the lane-way," she said.
Lazarevic’s artworks are among many other works by Dunedin street artists already in the lane way.
They include works by Be Free, Deow and Cracked Ink.
