This
was our first visit here. Previously, we had only visited the North Island of
New Zealand, so it was quite a treat to visit the South Island. Dunedin was
settled by Scottish
Pioneers
and Dunedin is Gaelic for Edinburgh.
I
set up a private tour for 6 of us to visit the Otago Peninsula. With Mark of
Awesome Tours. http://awesometours.co.nz/tours/cruise-ship-shore-tours/private-tailor-made-tour/
sail in
We
were joined today by Tim & Liz and Judy & Phil. We had met Tim &
Liz at the Cruise Critic meet & greet, but we hadn’t met Judy & Phil
until that morning. Very nice group today. The weather was also warm &
sunny with very little wind.
We
were off the ship a bit early to meet the tour. (for some reason, the ship was
cleared quickly and were got off much earlier than expected) We went inside the
welcome center to look for the guide and they asked who we were booked with and
they said he always comes at 8:45. So, we sat & chatted until Mark arrived.
What
a great guide! He was very knowledgeable and could tell us about the history of
New Zealand or the various birds and animals without giving us information
overload. He had the day organized very well and our group was aware of how
important it is to be on time when we were to meet when given free time.
He
gave us a mini tour of Dunedin and he pointed out all the landmarks and
explained that the Cadbury Factory had closed after many years there. He said
it was there from the start, but now they moved to Tasmania. It wasn’t in our
plans to visit it, but many people were disappointed. We also stopped to see Baldwin
Street, the steepest road in the world. (San Francisco’s Lombard Street is
second) We also saw the historic Dunedin Railway Station (in the top 200 places
photographed in the World).
walking to the van
He
took us on lots of back roads and long and windy roads through the countryside.
I feel like we got to see parts of the area that most tours would not have
seen. We stopped for photos of the beautiful views along the way of Otago
Harbour & Sawyers Bay.
narrow winding road
Baldwin Street - steepest road in the world
house along the steep road
Our
first activity was a visit to Larnach Castle where Mark explained the history
and he gave us an inside visit of the first floor and then left us to explore
the other levels on our own and then we went outside to walk around the
beautiful gardens. William Larnach built the castle for his first wife Eliza.
Of
course, there were plenty of juicy bits of the lives of the banking family that
lived there. He married a woman 20 years his junior and then she had an affair
with his son from a previous marriage. It was a very beautiful neo-Gothic
“castle” built in the 1871.
Then we were off to explore the history & landscapes of the Otago Peninsula. The views were incredible. Sheep farms, dairy cattle and sweeping vistas.
Larnach Castle
entry to Larnach Castle
sewing desk
Buffalo Bill's desk
Larnach family
stairway to the tower
views from the tower
Greg coming down
the stables
stable converted to a restaurant
the gardens
sign in bathroom
Then we were off to explore the history & landscapes of the Otago Peninsula. The views were incredible. Sheep farms, dairy cattle and sweeping vistas.
Azamara & Pacific Princess in port
many many black swans
Royal Spoonbills
Our
next activity was the Albatross Express Wildlife Cruise. We saw quite a few
Little Blue Penguins in the water and some Fur Seals. The highlight was seeing the
world's only mainland Royal Albatross Colony. These guys are HUGE. We saw a
couple of other kinds of Albatross as well. There was a fishing boat out there
that helped up by throwing some of their unwanted fish parts in the water, so
the birds came in and we got great views of them. Seeing those huge birds’
wingspans in flight was amazing. We went out to Taiaroa Head and beyond.
Little Blue Penguin
Little Blue Penguin
Little Blue Penguin under the water
Bullers Albatross
Bullers Albatross
fishing boat throwing scraps of fish
feeding frenzy
Royal Albatross
Shy Albatoss
Shy Albatross
Royal Albatross
bird ballet?
White-faced Heron
Cormorants & nests
Cormorant nests
Royal Albatross
Royal Albatross
Royal Albatross
Royal Albatross
Little Blue Penguin
Fur Seals
Liz, Tim & Judy
Greg, boat guide, Liz, Tim
Greg, boat guide, Liz, Tim
Monarch Wildlife Cruises & Tours
We
also came across quite a feeding frenzy since there were lots of Krill and the
birds were feeding and fish were feeding. The only penguin we didn’t get to see
was the Yellow-eyed Penguin. Just a great boat ride!
It
was now lunch time and Mark had already taken our orders, so that the
restaurant could have our food ready when we got there. The restaurant was at Nature’s
Wonders Eco Wildlife Tours. It was some of the best fish & chips I have
ever eaten. Very crunchy and very light batter.
driftwood covered garage (the house above also was covered in driftwood)
Phil & Judy
fish & chips
At
Nature’s Wonders we opted to travel by their 8 wheeled off-road Argo to the
viewing areas. That was a thrill in itself. Bonnie, should you ever do this
trip you may wish to skip that if you are having back issues. It was bumpy and
very dusty. It was great fun, however, and the driver did a few wheelies just
for fun. I was glad you weren’t in the vehicle with us and the bus takes a
different road to get to the same places.
The
Nature’s Wonders tour took us to see a Fur Seal nursery. Tons of babies and
their mothers.
Next, we went to see Little Blue penguins nesting. The owner is
working very hard to protect the species. They built little doors that they
open for a short time so we could get a good look and then closes it again for
their privacy.
Unfortunately,
there were no Yellow-eyed Penguins here either. The driver said it is rare that
you don’t see at least one. Ah well, we had a great day and we told Mark that
he named his company appropriately as his tour was AWESOME! He’s the best guide
we have had in quite a while.
Liz & Phil
entry to "hide" & nesting area
Little Blue Penguin nesting
view from the argo
Forsyth Barr Stadium
Railroad Station
mosiac tile floor
Mark of Awesome Tours
We
had an hour before all aboard, so we walked around the small town. Not a whole
lot there, but we did stop at the grocery store to pick up some snacks and some
wine. You wouldn’t think we would need snacks for the cruise ship, but on sea
days they shut down the buffet upstairs as it is a Bistro only, you can’t go up
for a quick snack. You aren’t allowed in unless you get seated. (nothing
sitting out to just grab a snack) They said if you want something you can order
room service. (sometimes we just want a couple of dates or something like that)
walking around Port Chalmers
views of the sail away
Black Swans
Albatross
We
missed dinner in the dining room, so tonight we ate at the buffet upstairs.
(always open on port days)
We
went to the evening show which was supposed to be the comedy of Michael
Bennett. Yikes, not sure what the hell that was. He talked a lot but didn’t
really do a comedy act. Nothing he said was funny. He said he often did
motivational speaking for students. (not something this crowd needs) He also
made fun of his old nana to a room full of old people. (and not in a funny way)
As we walked out of the show, many of us said to each other “what the hell was
that?” Ah well, they can’t all be good.
It
was another early to bed night since we needed to be up at 5:00 since it was a
tender port and you never know how fast that process would go.
Dunedin,
New Zealand Part 1 https://photos.app.goo.gl/c6Ae8gE3ZXT6KQa47
Dunedin,
New Zealand Part 2 https://photos.app.goo.gl/XWamsmHrCf4eZMdd6
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