.................Dunedin .............. My Southland Odyssey....................

..........well........... not so much an odyssey as a trip down to Dunedin for Work. Dunedin is referred to as the "Edinburgh of the South".

For those of you unaware of Dunedin, here is an excerpt from Dunedin City's official website...
_____

Abundant Victorian and Edwardian architecture is found in this beautiful city. These elegant buildings often house, hotels, restaurants, and conference venues, and include New Zealand’s only castle, Larnach Castle. These heritage buildings all bear testimony to the wealth that flowed into Dunedin during the gold rush period, 1860-1880.

Dunedin city captivates and enchants, it is a city in which to linger and explore. A city rich in heritage and architecture that leaves lasting memories for its visitors. Once the centre of European commerce and culture in New Zealand, Dunedin retains an elegant grandeur often missing from larger cities in New Zealand and combines it with the vibrancy of youth.

A compact city with a population of 122,000 (including a student population of 23,000) Dunedin is located on the southeast coast of the South Island of New Zealand. It is a safe and compact city with most hotels and restaurants being within easy walking distance of the city centre, ‘The Octagon’.

Dunedin is nestled in tree-clad hills at the head of the Otago Peninsula which is home to some of the world’s rarest wildlife.

Dunedin maintains a position of national importance as a major seat of learning with a strong arts and cultural. Stemming from the early Scottish immigrants bias regard for education, the University of Otago, New Zealand’s first, is recognized as a major force in education and enjoys an international reputation.
This is your chance to travel Dunedin online before you arrive. You can book your Dunedin flights with Air New Zealand or Pacific Blue, and book your accommodation, attractions, activities and transport all online. Don’t miss out on your Dunedin tourism experience when you visit New Zealand.

____

Unfortunately I was there for work and didn't get any time to sight-see - and I wish I could have because the countryside and coast of Dunedin looked absolutely gorgeous when we flew in.

But here are some snaps anyhoo..................... and click on em for the HUGE versions.

Hotel Room - I do like a nice hotel room and this one was very comfortable. The bed was to die for.



I do wish these places would make a LITTLE more effort on the mini-bar nook tho.

Hotel Robe - I like a nice waffled robe to twirl around a hotel room in - and twirl I doth. Julie A would be proud.




The Speights Ale House where I had lunch both days - this is a VERY popular brand of beer here in NZ.



The hot server-lads wouldn't stay still long enough for me to get them in a pic. I am certain the young uni guy was going commando. AND he had a great knowledge of the wine list - paired my wine excellently with my meal. Looks and style - always a nice combo.

This is my meal BEFORE I attacked it..........




This is it after *burp* - pardon.




Here are the obligatory pics of NZ sheep - they are actually quite cute.





More of the STUNNING countryside of Dunedin.




This was a plane getting ready to do take off.




*THIS* was my plane.




It was actually a VERY smooth ride and very comfy - I wish I could've got a pic of the handsome and very good-at-his-job Male Attendant.


In the Airport they have some examples of local natural icons. The city bird is the Albatross.

There is a large Albatross colony just outside of town. I hope to visit it next time.




This is a Moa skeleton that was uncovered in the Dunedin area and is a complete example of the now extinct large bird. It stood up to 7 feet tall and was a flightless bird that fed on the local foliage. Sadly, when man came here approx 1000 years ago they hunted the bird to extinction for meat and its feathers for decoration and clothing. It is commonly agreed that Moa were extinct by 1400CE.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moa




So that was my little jaunt down south.

Hope you guys are good and ready to enjoy your weekend.

Shabbat Shalom

Damien
.