Blogs from Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand, Oceania - page 13

Well, so much for finishing Italy! I wrote Part 1 and completely forgot that I hadn't done the rest! So anyway, we caught a train at night from Florence to Naples, and eventually made our way out of the station and through the very dodgy station area to our hotel, which was nice and close, though through a very stange little door-within-a-door, into a courtyard where residents parked their car and up a pay-per-ride lift! Luckily the hotel was run by the most charming old Italian man called Mario. For some reason (though we were paying very little) we were given a suite, with 2 bedrooms, great bathroom, eating area etc all with marble floor and the hugest bed we'd ever seen! It was honestly about 2x the width of a normal double bed. Mario brought ... read more

After a couple of nights in Oamaru, where we were lucky enough to see 7 rare yellow-eyed penguins from a hide above Bushy Beach, we continued on our drive south towards Dunedin. We stopped off at the famous Moeraki boulders and spent an afternoon at Shag Point (lots of NZ fur seals, two more yellow-eyed penguins and large colonies of Steward Island and Spotted Shags). Just before we arrived in Dunedin we decided to spend one night in the gloriously named "Seacliff Asylum"...we'll paint you a picture: ...black stallions roaming wild...sheds full of 1920's rusting cars...the ruins of seacliff mental hospital...rumours (found on the internet) that 37 women died there in a mysterious fire in 1942...no locks on the doors...a strange door into our room blocked by a wardrobe whose back had been bashed in (apparently ... read more

Hey there everyone... Well only 9 days until I will be sitting on a plane heading to Thailand! I am started to get excited for the trip although I do admit I am a little nervous about going alone to a place where I don't speak the language at all! It shall be interesting...so this is my last Dunedin post until I return and I've actually done something other than work and surf to tell you about! ***I am going to try and attach some photo's but no guarantee's-this computer is VERY slow to download! Yesterday I went on a tour thru the Catlins which is located on the bottom of the South Island. The Catlins is quite a tourist attraction due to the lush rainforests, beaches and wildlife. I did the tour with a girl ... read more

Well I am still in Dunedin and have a feeling I may be here for awhile. There is quite a bit to do around here and because I am working at the Backpackers I am able to do some tours and surf lessons for free or discounted which is really nice. Working at the Backpackers has been a blast so far. I was warned by the staff who had left that you can get addicted to this sort of lifestyle and she's right. You definetly meet interesting people...I am working in the office taking bookings for rooms and tours, quite fun. Fernanda (the English gal)and I are sharing office hours and she's quite a bit of fun. I start netball tomorrow with a Kiwi girl Jenna which should be a lot of fun (not that I ... read more

Hey everyone, I am alive...I apologize for not updating this sooner...and at the rate I'm going if this blog doesn't go thru (this is my third attempt) I will "snap!" Any way... It is the second rainy day here in Dunedin but I have a feeling it should clear up. For the most part the weather has been nice here and sunblock has become my new lotion of choice...the sun is definetly more intense here then in Canada. I have spent the past week looking for part time work and not having a lot of luck. I have been offered cleaning jobs that entail 4hrs of work a week but nothing more. I will be starting at the hostel Wednesday where I will be working two-three mornings a week for about 2hrs changing bedding...not the nicest ... read more