Blogs from Otago, South Island, New Zealand, Oceania - page 3

After a hectic Xmas and New Year staying with 2 sets of family and friends houses, it was time to head back to hostel life and discover more of New Zealand but more importantly I wanted to relax. Leaving Alexandra I really didn’t have a plan of where I was going to but thought a couple of days back in Queenstown by the lake would be ideal. So out came the thumb and I was hitch hiking there.I was lucky enough to be picked up by 2 german guys who had been in New Zealand for about 4 months and were on their way back to Queenstown with a boat that they had just purchased. They had the rest of the summer all worked out of driving on the lake with beers and friends with the ... read more

Geo: -45.8746, 170.503Was very excited to get to Dunedin which is in Otago Region of the Southern Island, which I first became aware of when travelling to Wellington years ago for work and was exposed to the Otago Highlanders in the elite rugby league.Dunedin is the 2nd largest city in NZ in terms of land mass next to Auckland and is the 7th largest city in terms of population (approximately 120,000), but is recognized as one of 4 main cities for historic, cultural and geographic reasons (plus Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch) - 2 islands their main north and south cities. The maori name is Otepoti - the place beyond which one cannot go, where waka (canoes) had to be put ashore.Dunedin is the modified gaelic word for Edinburgh. Dùn Èideann. The Scots and English settlers arrived in ... read more

Stayed overnight at a beautiful lodge high in the hills above Alexandra. Girls are now getting into the routine of studying whenever they can; so far we've done Maths, Psychology, English, RE, Geography and Physics! Set off towards Arrowtown first stop was Lake Dunstan and the Clyde hydro electric power station and dam which was quite a sight. Next stop was Kawarau Gorge and a ride on the Goldfields Jet Boat! Were delighted to have our own jet boat for the four of us while seventeen Chinese were crammed on to the adjacent one! Absolutely fantastic 45 minutes of adrenaline with loads of 360 degree spins! Stuart was in his element while Abby won the screaming contest. Stuart now wants to be a jet boat driver when he grows up! Watched some bungee jumping nearby, Abby ... read more

Left Timaru this morning and continued our drive south towards Oamaru. Turned off to Waimate to make an impromptu stop at the wallaby park. We were greeted by a very eccentric lady who was hilarious! She showed us how to feed the wallabies and then let us wander around the pens to see and feed them. Some were more brave than others and some even held your hand to make sure you didn't take the food away! At the end she told us to:"go sit down and shut your eyeballs!" Then she brought us out a tiny little baby wallaby to cuddle; Freya's face was a picture and she wanted one desperately! Abby thought it was very cute and cuddled it a lot!! When we were finished she just rolled up the sack and went and ... read more

Geo: -45.8746, 170.503We left Te Anau early - 7.30am- to get to Invergargill for breakfast. It was an easy drive with almost no traffic this far south, passing farms and tiny villages and hillsides lit up by the sun in the early morning, which soon faded as we approached a rather dreary Invergargill- so like Scotland. The next stage of the drive took us through the Catlins- rugged coastal scenery with wonderful sandy beaches, but not the weather to attract a long stop over. Fortunately we found some petrol at the Information- Site to get us to Dunedin. We had one great ambition in Dunedin, to visit the Royal Albatross Centre to see Albatross with their chicks and to see them flying. There were 5 nesting Albatross clearly visible from the viewing centre and when they ... read more