Blogs from Dunedin, South Island, New Zealand, Oceania - page 12

Day 4 - Thursday 17th March –St Paddy’s day We’re in Dunedin and have a very busy day of events ahead of us! First stop...Renee’s Wonderland....Cadbury World! We wandered through the visitor centre and then took the 75 minute tour through Cadbury’s. It was soooo much fun, would recommend it to anyone. You even get free chocolate to sample along the way and it has a great finale. The guide takes you to the top of the purple silo and you get to watch one tonne of chocolate drop from above you and then you have to duck as it splatters all over the stairs and walls around you. Awesome fun! While wandering through one of the packing stations Matt, being the cheeky Matt he is, jokingly asked one of the packers for a free sample, ... read more

Unfortunately not much to say on this day really. It was our free day in Dunedin and we had a trip on a tour bus. Sorry, but that's about it. We did visit the steepest road in the world though - Baldwin Street. We revisted this the next day and walked up to the top. Its so steep that when they laid the road, they couldn't lay tarmac as it slid off down the hill. yeah pretty crazy :) The next day we got up pretty early and went on to Lake Tekapo. This place was pretty amazing and the ride there was great. It was a glorious sunny day and we managed to see Mount Cook - New Zealand's highest mountain. In the evening we got to go on an observatory tour, unfortunately, it wasn't ... read more

I have done something crazy.... I quit my job, I left my family and friends and came to New Zealand to pursue a PhD in Bioethics. Here are my photos so far - I know there will be more to come!... read more

Thought I'd give you a quick update although there's not much to tell you. I haven't done much on the South Island except lots of sightseeing and driving! The drive from Haast to Wanaka was just jaw-dropping. I've done some lovely walks (not mammoth treks) and seen the big glaciers. I wanted to do tours of Milford and Doubtful Sounds (flights and cruises and maybe some more kayaking) but the weather was not good and no planes were taking off so I have come to Dunedin instead and will do the Sounds another day. Yesterday I spent the day on Otago Peninsular - touring the Albatross and Yellow Eyed Penguin Centres - fabulous - both very rare. It's awe-inspiring to see the albatross in flight - sometimes several at a time in formation. Been shopping today!! ... read more

Après notre escapade sauvage et nature, nous revoilà dans l’Otago, où nous allons reprendre contact quelques jours avec la vie citadine. Pour cela, nous débarquons à Dunedin, capitale de la région de l’Otago et seconde ville de l’île du Sud (après Christchurch). Cette charmante cité de 115'000 habitants séduit très vite grâce à son atmosphère écossaise fortement marquée ! Et ce n’est pas qu’une impression : déjà son nom : Dunedin. Il s’agit en fait de la version gaélique du nom « Edimburgh », aucun doute, ils sont passés par là ! Ensuite, plusieurs noms de rues sont directement liés à l’Ecosse (la majorité porte des noms de rivières ou de lieux écossais). Puis, plus aucun doute lorsque nous croisons plusieurs types en kilt en train de jouer de la cornemuse dans la rue ! … ... read more