Dunedin 2016

10 November

En route from Curio Bay we were amused by two roadside signs. One pointing to The Old Sod's Cottage and the other stating

• No doctor
• No hospital
• One cemetery.

We arrived in Dundein early so we left the car in the Scenic Hotel car park and went for lunch and a walk around the shops.

After we had checked in we went off to the Chinese Garden and then booked our trip to Middlemarch on the Taieri Gorge Railway.

We had dinner at the Ironic Cafe based on a Trip Advisor recommendation and we enjoyed a very nice meal.

11 November

Our previous trip on the Taieri Gorge railway was with Malcolm so the trip was rather emotional and the weather was dry but dull so the scenery was not as stunning as five years ago when the sun shone all day. Thinking about Malcolm on the journey did help though in dealing with the news of his death.

We opted for dining in at the hotel.

12 November

In Dundedin it was pouring with rain when we woke and still raining after breakfast. We decided to head off to Otago Peninsular in the hope of things improving.

First we went to Larnach Castle, the only "castle" in New Zealand and were pleasantly surprised. It had fallen into disrepair but over the last twenty years a lot of work had been done to make it an excellent tourist attraction. The inside was well laid out with plenty of interesting information and access to all floors and the battlements. After walking around inside we went to the lovely ballroom that serves as the cafe. By then the rain had stopped so we had a walk around the beautiful grounds before returning to the cafe for lunch.

After that we went on to the Royal Albatross Museum but their penguin tour was not until 8.30pm, some six hours on. Instead we followed the advice of the hotel receptionist and went on to nearby Natures Wonders. There Nick took us on an Argo down to see fur seals. An Argo is rather like a six wheeled quad bike that can go pretty much anywhere and they cost NZ$50,000 each. Nick told us about the seals and we were able to see them very close up as he had the knowledge of how to get close without upsetting them. If you are in seal territory it's worth remembering to carry a towel as they don't like that being flicked against their nose and will likely retreat! We didn't put it to the test.

We then went on to a beach where penguins might be seen but there was no sign so we thought we were going to be disappointed. However, on one side of what we thought was just a hide, there were shutters and for small groups (it was just the two of us) Nick will open just a few and inside were beautiful blue penguins nesting. As long as you don't get too close to the opening, they are OK with that. They were beautiful and hopefully our photos (no flash) will show that.

The ride on the Argo was great fun. Back at the Natures Wonders cafe, Perry, the owner of the farm where the tours operate, explained he has owned the land for 48 years and it now carries the responsibility for conservation. He was faced with the options of making that pay so that he could continue or close it down. Fortunately he chose to make it pay and has done a lot of work to give the penguins a safe environment in a way that attracts tourists. A very nice man and we had quite a chat with him.

On the way back we stopped at Glenfalloch Woodland Gardens which were beautiful. The walk around was a nice end to our day.

Dinner was at The Two Chefs Bistro and was finished with Red Rabbit Orange Liquer from the Cardrona Distillery. The Cardrona is a famous hotel that we had passed earlier on our trip without knowing anything about it at the time. There was a lovely old car outside and apparently the gardens behind are lovely. If only we had known.

Photos

The magnificent Dunedin Railway station	... and inside
The entrance to The Chinese Garden	... and inside
Remembrance Day at War Memorial, note the white crosses
	Larnach Castle
At Natures Wonders
	Glenfalloch Woodland Gardens

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