Dunedin adventures

Yikes!  20 more days until we leave- February is here!  

On our way to Dunedin we passed through Lake Tekapo and could see Mt. Cook from several places.  We stopped in Oamaru to see little blue penguins, but they were still out at sea.  Just before Dunedin we saw the famous Moeraki Boulders.  These large round rocks formations sit on the beach at and you can walk around them at low tide! I thought they looked quite like dinosaur poop, but the real explanation for them is rather complicated!  Ask one of the kids when we get home!  

We have enjoyed our week in Dunedin.  The house we rented is cosy- a good thing because the weather turned cool and rainy!!!!  We were back into jeans and sweaters.  This is how I imagine Scotland- green rolling hills, rock fences and FOG!  We went on one hike to see the harbour- all we could really see was the blanket of fog filling in every corner!  We did see heaps of sheep though!  

Dunedin has many neat things to see and do.  The Cadbury chocolate factory was yummy-  lots of fresh chocolate treats as you look around and tour the factory.   At Christmas they hire an extra 150 people to hand paint all the fancy treats!   At the Royal Albatross colony we could see these huge birds flying around the bluff.  They have a wing span of 3 metres!  The kids learned all about the effects of people pollution- the parent birds will gather bits of plastic and feed it to their chicks!   A big highlight was the Yellow eyed Penguins.   We sat on the beach in a hidden spot and watched a penguin surf out of the water and waddle up onto the beach.  His little chick was calling to him from a rock on a hill and he had to climb up a long way!!!  There were sea lions waiting for them on the beach too.  We managed to see baby seagulls and seal pups too.

  We toured the Larnach Castle- again the views were foggy.  Luke was impressed with all the old guns and the dungeon.  The girls liked the fancy clothes and bedrooms!   The gardens and grounds were beautiful even in the rain.    

The buzz wagon will hit the road early tomorrow morning as we drive the long way to Te Anau via Invercargill!  I hope the rain will hold off!  Love to all at home.