Dunedin

Dunedin is cold and rainy, comparatively speaking of course. I have heard that it was primarily settled by Scottish folk because it was so much like back home. It was designed to look like Edinburgh and had a very Euro-looking train station, more for tours from what I gather than as any actual infrastructure. It is also the home of Otago University and the Highlanders (a rugby team—I fall under the Crusaders as my team in Chch).

Near the university, there was a FANTASTIC museum with a very big section highly reminiscent of Science North in Sudbury, ON (because I know you’ve all been there). Though this section was geared toward a younger crowd, I’m pretty sure we all spent the bulk of our time there. There was even a traveling exhibit showcasing all sorts of butterflies. One simply cannot be unhappy in a room full of butterflies. The rest of the museum was pretty great too, with exhibits celebrating all components of the natural world, the evolution of fashion in culture, Maori culture, Chinese culture, and other things I’m sure I didn’t see. My favorite part though, aside from butterflies, was that the public toilets had really crazy, gaudy seats. In the picture, whatever is in the toilet is not from me and it is not any sort of excrement, just so you know.

Dunedin is also the official home of the world's steepest street. We walked up it, and yes friends, it is a steep street. I don't remember any of the specific facts surrounding just how steep it is and, I don't know that my photos do it justice, but it is steep, and I would imagine inconvienent to live on. I can't imagine it in the winter when it is icy.

The hostel we stayed in was pretty neat. It was set up above a pool hall and had open air hallways between the rooms and to the bathrooms. Something got messed up, so there were only five girls in our room, plus Debbie a really nice traveler from Ireland. After vagabonding for a year, she was working on heading home. She was very tolerant of our copious complaints about each other, our program, and other petty things that after being together continuously for an extended period, become big deals.

For dinner I had venison pie and mashed potatoes, and afterwards, a good chunk of us went out and saw, “He’s just not that into you,” that movie with Jennifer Aniston, Julia Styles, and a couple other big names. I am not a romantic-comedy kind of gal, unless you count “Better off dead.” However, this movie wasn’t even close to being as horrible as I expected, and while I wouldn’t actually put forth the effort to recommend it, I would say don’t fret if you’re stuck watching it.

After Dunedin, it was time to work our way home. We managed to stop at Gore, the NZ capital of country music and home of a giant fish sculpture—we stopped elsewhere closer to Christchurch for another giant fish as well—I don’t have that picture uploaded though.

gets icy.