Dunedin

Sunday afternoon we arrived in Dunedin, a medium sized city in the southeastern part of the island. We were a bit early to check into our hotel, so we left the car and walked around the neighborhood a little bit. We had lunch at an irish pub and then walked to the Otago Museum. Dunedin in part of the Otago region and the museum covered a variety of topics from the region. They had a Maori cultural section and an exhibit on the region's Scottish settlers. They had a large exhibit about the extinct Moa which I found very interesting as it highlighted the impact of humans.

After checking into the hotel, we walked into the city center. Dunedin has a strong Scottish influence and its architecture is very evocative of Scotland. The regal town hall sits right next to a large Presbyterian church. A few blocks south we found the Cadbury factory. The world renown chocolate company got its start in Dunedin and still produces most of its NZ chocolate in that factory. We missed out on the tour because it was a Sunday. Nearby was the ornate train station and court buildings. After admiring the architecture we headed back to the motel. We stopped at a small cafe for a light dinner and then returned to the room to watch a movie.

Monday morning we drove out of Dunedin and to the nearby Otago Peninsula. Driving into the peninsula we followed a winding road along the shoreline with very little shoulder between us and the water. We passed through a few small towns before reaching the end of the peninsula and finding the Royal Albatross Research Center. The huge royal albatross birds nest at the head of Otago Peninsula and the research center monitors the endangered species. It is currently mating season so we could not go out and see the birds. We were able to go out to a nearby overlook and see the point and the lighthouse. The wind was incredibly strong and the peninsula and we couldn't stay outside too long. Driving back along the peninsula we took Highcliff Road which lived up to its name because it went up the hills and followed the cliffs. The sheer dropoffs were a bit harrowing, but the view was great. After descending, we stopped at a beach and took a moment at the ocean.

We drove north out of Dunedin heading towards Christchurch. We stopped in Oamaru for lunch, but had trouble finding something that open. It was Labour Day, a national holiday and everything was closed. We found a small cafe and had a snack and then drove through town. Oamaru was prosperous at the turn of the 20th Century as a refrigerated shipping center and built many large limestone buildings in town. Driving north we ran into traffic for the first time in our journey and it was largely due to the holiday. In the early evening, we finally arrived in Christchurch and found our lodgings and unpacked the car. As it was our final stop, I returned the rental car after driving 1,231 miles in the south island.