Day 18 Queenstown to
Dunedin
My trip started early in the morning for the bus to Dunedin.
I checked my computer before leaving the hostel to make sure there were no
important messages and the computer decided now was the time it wanted to
update when I wanted to leave. Luckily it didn’t take long and then I was off
out t\in the supposed 5C weather that said it was cold. The weather report said
it was going to be wet for the next couple of days. My roommates, a girl from
Melbourne and a bloke from Ireland were going on the Milford sound trip today
as the road had been closed for the last couple of days through land slip near
the Homer Tunnel. I was a little worried as I found my ticket said I left for
Dunedin from the YHA on the waterfront when I was actually in town. I didn’t
need to worry though as I was still able to get onto the bus with no problems.
The driver is pretty good telling us the history of areas as
we go. Only problem is you cant always hear what he says clearly. He did say
the road we travel upon is the road used by the miners to take gold to Dunedin
and I was happy with that and also at one stage there was shacks at the side of
a hill that were used for mining the gold in the old days. Two towns I want to
visit someday are Cromwell and Alexandria. I know and I have seen the museum in
Alexandra about stories from people. I have to visit it to learn more as the
town seems interesting. I really do like the lesson I am being given by the
driver, which could be worse and he could be quiet as a mouse. The town we
stopped for a meal break, which I did not eat anything and wandered around the
town. This place turned out to be a
really historic location as nearly all buildings were listed and I found the
old stamper and a cairn dedicated to some miners. The museum would be of
interest to spend time looking, but I couldn’t stay.
Getting to Dunedin meant we had to pass the airport and it
looks like it is just as big as Queenstown’s. Once we got to the last stop I
produced my map and the helpful bus driver asked if I needed some help and I
said I was going to the Octogon in Dunedin. He told me to go in one direction
and I told him I thought I had to go the other way. I was actually wanting to
go the way on the map and followed the driver’s advice. I ended up going the
long way around. I still got there though and I keep having its a Moray going
through my head since that is the name of my street. I found the hostel alright
and the entry has changed from last time. When I was here last the reception
was on ground floor a door or so down. Now it is upstairs, which is pretty cool
and don’t have to go far at all. I found I could go on a tour to the castle
this afternoon, but I had other stuff to do like a brewery tour and archives.
The castle was a house built by a politician and the first to commit suicide in
parliament or something like it.
The first place to go was grab some food on the run, while
heading to the archives. There was a record I had ordered the night before that
I was interested in looking at, although a friend wanted to see the court
records, which don’t seem to exist as a family member was a witness at the
coroners inquest. I wasn’t worried about doing this and I think looking in the government
gazettes might turn something up. I didn’t stick around for long and knew I had
some time before I had to do my tour. I had to answer the call of nature, so
the Otago museum was my stop. I had been here before and I cant remember if
they had the Edmund Hillary displays last time as we went up the stairs or the
axe that he used on Everest. Different floors had different dsplays and I
started from the top floor that was mainly about nature and conservation along
with the history of people changing the environment. I found another that was
about people who were finding out that they were actually Moriori and their
lives on Chatham island. I had seen many of the other permanent displays before
like the maori and the other one that was about the islands and the various things
that had been found on them.
By the time I had gotten back to the hostel and showered, I
had 10 mins break before I had to be off again on my way to the Speights Brewery
for the tour I was going on. This did include a meal afterwards that was extra
and I thought this would be the best way. I had no problems remembering where
the brewery tour was as I did the same last time. The tour this time did not
seem as informative especially on more history of the area other than the
basics. Could be because the bloke was a master brewer and I have nothing
against that. The people who worked in Christchurch are all moving to Dunedin
and doing shifts here too so one lot is morning shift and the other group is
the afternoon shift. It was one of the reasons the factory is upgrading as the
Christchurch factory was a loss. Another reason for the upgrade was for
earthquake proofing that had to be done or else they wont be insured. The
Canterbury museum, Christchurch had this work done and it caused an uproar at
the time, yet it is still standing with no damage. I did not drink too much in
the tasting and only one I didn’t really like and that was the cider. For the
meal I had a drunken steak and a pumpkin soup.
When I got back to the hostel I found I could do my washing
at anytime so long as it is not annoying the other people. I was happy as I was
out of clothes and I have gotten it done. I had to move lockers or else one of
the blokes would have been stuc with my bum in his face when I wanted my stuff.
I have my own padlock and key, so will make use of this. Keeps everything off
the floor and secure like my passport or zenbook. I will see what tomorrow
brings. If I can do the castle tour and it is n the afternoon, I will do that
and the Dunedin historic walk in the morning. I need to get up early enough to
know and I wot sleep too late.
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