Dunedin

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Our last day in a NZ port starts with a gray day as we board the historic Taieri Gorge train right on the dock. After loading a full train of 12 cars with 400 plus cruise passengers, we sip our champagne as the train proceeds along beautiful Otago Harbor, across causeways to the Scottish heritage city of Dunedin (Gaelic for Edinborough). Stopping briefly at the picturesque Victorian railway station built in 1904, we continue across the Taieri plains to climb into the Taieri River Gorge. With jagged rock ledges and cliff faces plus dramatic ravines we climb at a 1 to 10 ratio and marvel at the engineering feat accomplished by skilled railway gangs, stone masons and engineers who constructed the steel latticework viaducts and tunnels. Complementing the views are the local beers and tea served by the volunteers manning this Historic Trust property. After climbing out of the gorge we retrace our travels for another view and enjoy a longer stop at the downtown railway station before continuing on to the pier. We had great sunny and clear weather after last night’s rain. With my afternoon tea trivia partners waiting, I join them for a frustrating contest of Valentine Day questions and then join 3 other guys for a croquet match run by one of the ship’s dancers (additional duties) and come in 2nd to capture another Regent point (to be traded in later for the likes of book marks, caps, etc.). After dining last night in the premier Prime 7 Restaurant with surf and turf (lobster tail and filet mignon), tonight we will try La Veranda’s Italian fare. Our butler has brought our evening’s hor doevres and replaced the Budweiser in the frig with several brands of excellent NZ beer (Lion Red, DB, etc). This morning our room service breakfast was right on so we could get to the train ride check in with a minimum of delay. We’ll be sorry to leave NZ as it has been a great visit with wonderful scenery, warm friendships, and generally good weather given the required rain to keep this land so green. The Tasman Sea and NZ’s fjords await tomorrow before we dock at Hobart, Australia. I’m especially looking forward to visiting the namesake of my college even though it was named for Episcopal Bishop Hobart.
Of interest to Floridians is the fact that our distilled water comes from Zephyrhills!

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