Dunedin, South Island

We were lucky with the weather when we arrived in Dunedin, as after a couple of cups of tea the rain stopped allowing us to explore in the dry. Our travelling was a bit hit and miss - low clouds, mizzle and heavy rain. We left Lake Tekapo at around 10 am and chose to take the same route back which led to about 4 hrs drive! In hindsight we should have probably chosen to go via Twizel and the other side of the range, oh well! Still had amazing scenery though and stopped for coffee after 1 hrs 30 mins at a 'drivers rest' point - to give a break from the rain, a lovely ginger slice and coffee, could have had an early lunch - the food looked amazing!
We drove through Omaru which looked beautiful; then took a driver break after an hour at Moeraki Boulders on Koekohe beach, along the rugged Otago coastline.
We didn't know what this was when we stopped but we had a wander following a track down to the beach where large, spherical boulders litter the beach. Some have cracked, some are buried in the sandy beach or in the Cliffside. Local Māori legends explained the boulders as the remains of eel baskets, calabashes, and kumara washed ashore from the wreck of Arai-te-uru, a large sailing canoe. This legend tells of the rocky shoals that extend seaward from Shag Point as being the petrified hull of this wreck and a nearby rocky promontory as being the body of the canoe's captain.
After this stretch of our legs we finished the last part of the journey to Dunedin (the old Gaelic word for Edinburgh). The centre of the city is based around an Octagon and you can explore from the centre out. We passed Cadbury World, home of Cadbury in NZ but not in time for a tour! Further down Stuart Street we arrived at Dunedin Railway Station building (houses the NZ Sports hall of Fame on the second floor) which has a stunning ticket office hall and stained glass window. There are two steam engines based along here, one by the station and one in The Toitu Otago Settlers Museum. We had a good 30 mins here but could have spent longer.
The museum traces the lives of Otago settlers – indigenous Māori, the early Chinese, and the following waves of migrant groups – and their technological innovation, art, fashion, domestic life and transport.
It is housed in the original Edwardian galleries, Dunedin's former New Zealand Rail Road Transport Building and the modern entrance foyer. The museum first opened in 1908, the 60th anniversary of the founding of Dunedin city and the Otago Province.
We then wandered around to the Chinese Garden but it was just closing so took pictures outside. May be able to see it before we leave tomorrow.Read more