The start of the South Island

Its my Beach and I will ignore you if I want to... (a rare yellow eyed penguin)

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So onward to the South Island by the cheapest flights I could (well I am backpacking... ) and to those I have left at home, going South in New Zealand is like going North in the UK, great places to visit but it gets colder as you go further in that direction.

As far as NZ is concerned North = Warmer.... South = closer to the Antarctic and therefore Colder....

Originally, I had planned only to be in Dunedin for 2-3 days but a few things conspired to keep me here a little longer.

1 - It was Waitangi weekend so there was an unaccounted for Bank Holiday (well unaccounted for by me!), so even though I knew it was a bank holiday, I am so used to all the places in the UK being open that I didn't think about the fact that they wouldn't be in NZ

2 - When on extended holidays keep track of the Day of the week if you can - Sundays are not a good day to hire a car in most places ... oops

Posing, who's posing?

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Still, there are worse places that Dunedin to take a few extra days, since there is plenty to see and do; it also gives you time to relax when you have more time that you thought to see things.

Its also incredibly familiar place to those from the UK, since it is very like Scotland, both in naming conventions and the surrounding coutryside, it even has the Scottish weather, so I left Hamilton airport at 11am in shorts + t shirt in a pleasant 27 degrees and got to Dunedin in the same outfit at 3pm but to Rain and 17 degrees - that was a little shock to the system...

But all that aside, it was a great place to stay and introduced to me to some of the funnier sides of Dorm life, as I crept into the dorm at midnight to see 3 people already asleep (well bodies in beds the light was off as I was trying to be good) a loud German Voice shouted something I didn't understand..

Something other than animals ;-)

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Damn I thought, I have woken one up, do I apologise and risk waking others? but then he murmoured something else and I caught a few words before realising he was sleep talking... at least I hadn't woken him up, even if he had woken at least one other person....

In addition, I can safely say backpacking is for all ages, there was a young couple there, probably around early 20's who were taking his Nan on part of their journey so that she could see part of New Zealand, the main difference was that she was booked into single rooms for the duration to give her a better nights sleep.. so anyone and everyone can backpack... go on you know you want to :-)

There is another reason for those of an older nature to come to Dunedin, anyone over the age of 40 who thinks they excel in a sport of some kind, every other year (even ending years), Dunedin hosts the Masters games, this is a competition in which the only entry requirement that you have is the ability to complete the entry form - no qualification is required apart from that and enthusiasm.

Having said that, it did appear that all the competitors who you could see walking around town were all dressed alike, within their own little group, matching waterproofs and t-shirts proclaiming themselves to be entrants to the competition - I don't think this was an event requirement, but maybe it's the mind set of the entrants - those that dress together play together maybe....

Apart from that wildlife, there is also a great place to see local wildlife, so unfortunately you get to see lots of pictures of Penguins, Seals, Seal lions and Albatross (well large birds in the sky to most people).. so you have been warned that there are lots of pictures to be found here....