Bob and Theresa: Dunedin, New Zealand Oct 29

Dunedin, New Zealand - October 29

Dunedin is near the southern tip of the southern island of New Zealand - slightly south in latitude to Hobart and also a popular place to act as a base for Antarctic exploration.

Dunedin was originally to be called New Edinburgh after the Scottish city by that name but another city in the South Pacific by that name failed, so the founders reverted to the Gallic name for Edinburgh - Dunedin.

As Oosterdam pulled into Dunedin harbor, we caught our first glimpses of New Zealand

Once again, we saw rowing teams taking advantage of the lower winds found in the early morning hours.

Once again, we engaged the services of an independent tour operator to allow us to see a combination of sights.

We arrived a little early to the specified meeting spot and were concerned when our tour agency was not there. On the stroke of 8:45, three vehicles rolled in - our tour had arrived. After a brief delay, we loaded up and were finally underway. A short drive through the countryside followed,

Sheep are a huge part of the New Zealand economy and are everywhere!

Our first stop was Baldwin Street, recognized by the Guinness Book of Records as the steepest street in the world.

These photos dramatize the street's steepness.

Our guide was Les who was accompanied by Christine, a guide in training.

Our next stop was Signal Hill, an overlook that gave us a panoramic view of the city.

Statues recognize the Maori people ("Thread of Life") who had been here for centuries prior to the Scots arriving . . .

. . . as well as the British heritage ("History")

This stone from the Edinburgh (Scotland) Castle commemorates the bond between the two cities.

The view of Dunedin from Signal Hill is great!

Dunedin is a University town - this is the home of Otago University - the main building reflects the architecture of the area

A very similar look is found in the Dunedin Rail Station (one of the most photographed buildings in New Zealand)

The Main Hall floor is beautifully appointed . . .

. . . and the floor is covered with a zillion mosaic tiles

The train platform is the longest in New Zealand extending nearly 500 meters (nearly 550 yards)

When we left the train station, our guide took us on a tour of Dunedin, but honestly, I was lucky to be able to snap photos. We passed a couple of schools (I think).

And some churches

This agency promised a tour of Dunedin, but it was at Warp 3! If you plopped me down in downtown Dunedin, I'd need a map!

We next headed out on the Otago Peninsula.

Our drive gave us a great view of the city's rugby stadium . . .

. . . as well as some dairy farms . . .

. . . with a unique mailbox

Along the way we saw a monument to those who have served in foreign wars.

Looking back long the peninsula towards where the ship is moored

We soon arrived at Larnach Castle

Built by William Larnach for his third wife, he had selected the site for its great view of the bay

Alice in Wonderland is a theme in the grounds and Theresa is caught here as the Queen of Hearts

Of course, the gardens are fabulous

The stables have been converted into bed & breakfast accommodations.

The Japanese garden has the best view of the bay

A glass gazebo graces the side yard

Alice asked: "I wonder if I shall fall right through the earth! How funny it’ll seem to come out among the people that walk with their heads downwards! The antipathies I think… but I shall have to ask them what the name of the country is, you know. Please Ma’am, is this New Zealand?" Here statues of the Duchess . . .

. . . and the Knave

While we did not have the interior tour included, Bob caught this view through a window - pretty nice!

The final statue we searched for and finally found (thanks to Theresa's sharp eye!) was the Cheshire Cat

Lunch at a local restaurant

Theresa & Peggy at lunch

Fish & chips

Back on the road, we continue down the peninsula

Oosterdam in the distance!

Passing a boat that served as a nice rest for some sea birds

To the Yellow Eyed Penguin Place

This preserve is completely private and takes no public money

This sand beach is the entry for the birds as they return to nest

As we walked toward the penguin preserve, we passed by a cove . . .

. . . with sheep . . .

. . . and male seals fighting for territory

The penguins are viewed from trenches with view slits

This provides a minimum disturbance of the penguins - we're about their size as seen through the slits

and allows us to get very close, especially with the zoom lens - here is a blue penguin

This blue penguin chick is barely visible (thanks to a 20X zoom!)

Next we encountered this fabulous view of a yellow eyed penguin - very rare to find one off the nest!

Just up the hill was this yellow eyed adjusting his/her position over the eggs

Later, another yellow eyed also adjusts his/her position providing a great and rare view of the eggs themselves!

At the end of a long climb up, Peggy has enough energy to clown a little

We were bussed to the site from the reception center in these small mini-buses

Our final stop for the day was the Royal Albatross Center where we were able to see some of the great birds in flight

Our guide told us to watch as the ship left the channel and we'd get some great views of these birds on the nest on Taiaroa Head- again, Thanks to the 20X zoom!