Doing Dunedin

Leaving Te Anau on Saturday, March 25, Bob and I began the 3.5 hour drive to Dunedin.  The landscape went from dramatic mountains to rolling hills and farmlands as we left the west coast of New Zealand.  I really like the way the property is divided with natural shrub or tree "fences".  The farmlands and ranches of New Zealand are really very beautifully planted and manicured.

We passed through a few small towns such as Gore.  It was funny to see road signs for a presidential highway which runs between the towns Gore and Clinton. (No photo.)

Dunedin is the second largest city on the South Island (after Christchurch), and its architecture is heavily influenced by the Scottish settlers who arrived in 1848.  The center of town features a massive gingerbread style railway station and the Cadbury chocolate factory is just across the road.  We had hoped to find Cadbury chocolate around town (and the whole island, actually!) at bargain prices, but were sorely disappointed.  

 

We arrived in Dunedin early that afternoon and after dropping luggage at the hotel, we decided to drive around the Otago Peninsula to visit New Zealand's only castle, and to observe some rare wildlife.  Larnach Castle is a Gothic revival style mansion built by Wiiliam Larnach.  Construction began in 1871 by skilled European craftsmen who labored over 12 years to build and embellish the "castle".  We did not tour the interior, but went in to enjoy a simple lunch in the ballroom cafe.

Following lunch, we explored the lovely gardens with fabulous views of the harbor, peninsula and Pacific Ocean.

  

 

 

The drive around the Otago Peninsula was beautiful.

 
 


We also loved the convenient toilet facilities that we found along the roadsides.  They had a unique Asian influence to their functionality.

The peninsula is home to many rare sub-Arctic wildlife, including the yellow-eyed penguin, Hooker's sea lion and the royal albatross.  We kept our eye open, but never saw any penguins. However, we stopped at the Albatross center where we were able to observe a couple of species of birds, along with sea lions.  Even the "mermaid hair" seaweed was fun to watch as it swayed with the waves along the coastline.

We returned to our hotel which was conveniently located in the town center near the "octagon".  A short walk around the area gave us a peek at some of the monuments, churches, and the city hall building.  The busy restaurants were alive with music and patrons, like is, enjoyed their dinner out on the patios that evening.  The vibe was a mix between European and a more laid back Kiwi style - loved it!  The central octagon seemed like quite a social gathering place.

That was our quick, but exciting day doin' Dunedin!