Friday 18 March 2011 Dunedin

Kia Ora,

Well, this was the morning of good-byes. We breakfasted together in the (former) stables, then said good-bye to Peggy, headed to five days in Nelson, then on to the North Island. Greg and Denny and I were dropped off at the St. George Hotel, a quaint B&B sort of place in the heart of Dunedin. After leaving our luggage with a very helpful and humorous receptionist, we set off to see the city this beautiful sunny morning. We visited the railway station, walked to the Cadbury factory where Greg and I signed up for a 3:15 tour; visited an imposing cathedral; made a call to the oldest golf  course in the southern hemisphere, Balmacewen, much like Gull Lake Country Club in terms of layout and topography , where Denny later played 18 holes... yeah; we went to the Speight’s Brewery (= to Bud’s beer?) where Denny and I signed up for a tour tomorrow; then stopped and bought tickets to tomorrow’s rugby  test (match) between the Highlanders (local team) and the Crusaders at the Carisbrook Stadium, affectionately called ‘House of Pain'. The present stadium will soon be replaced by a brand new one being built right next to the (20,000 in number) student side of town. We finished the day with dinner at Speight's Ale House, sampling beer and other fare, then stopped at an Irish pub to take shelter from the pouring rain before calling it a day. Saturday will be a a morning of wandering. Mimi would still love to make it to the Albatross colony on Otago Peninsula.

Another vibrant college town here.

Yeah for Denny!

526 George Street

Views of Dunedin (= Edinborough in Scottish)

Railway Station in background

That would be O-tah-go

Railway Station

Removing all the parsley and planting winter lillies

Inside the station

Continuing the views

An area called the Octagon surrounded by cafes and a park, hotels, theatre, art gallery...

Yessssss.....

Water here at the Streight's Brewery is coined operated and $$$$ goes to charitable causes

Tour of brewery tomorrow

The Streight Cafe where we had dinner tonight. Was a lot more crowded then!

Lots of little neighborhoods

#15

Can you say meat pie??!!!

Our 'balcony'

Delish!  Tour today. Interesting and mouthwatering and I bought lots of chocolate currently on its way to Michigan!

Nightcap here.. this was this morning's weather

We slipped in here partly to get out of the rain..see it pouring down?