Other Dunedin Photos

Having two nights in Dunedin gave twice the opportunity to take photos. Unfortunately, I can only post a couple for each blog entry. Here are a few churches and other interesting buildings in the city:

The Catlins

The Catlins is a beautiful area on the Southeast coast of New Zealand's South Island. The area is full of coastal scenery, agricultural hills and forests. Here are a few photos of the furthest point south I have ever been, fossils from a petrified coastal forest and coastal areas.

Milford Sound (Fiordland)

Milford Sound, on the Southwest edge of the South Island is truly one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen (sorry that the pictures cannot do it justice).

Queenstown - Where Adrenalin Flows Like a River

If you are looking for adventure, come to Queenstown - from skydiving and bungy jumping to quad biking and riding the luge, this town has it all! I never thought I would enjoy quad biking as much as I did, and I only rolled over once! The luge wasn't bad, either.

St. Bathan's and the Vulcan Hotel

Who knew that a 10-km side-trip off the beaten path would yield such treasures as the Vulcan Hotel and a large quarry. No sign of Dr. Spock, though....

Dunedin, Otago

Dunedin (Derived from Edinburgh) has a Scottish heritage and hosts New Zealand's most prestigious university (University of Otago). Although it was a rainy night when I arrived, I took a few interesting photos to give you an idea of what I saw there. I spent my first and last nights here, with the other nights spent on the road. Here are a couple photos from the train station:

Mere Kirihimete

Mere Kirihimete! (Maori: Merry Christmas!). After 4 office Christmas parties (one hosted by the Auditor General, one hosted by the performance audit group (my office), one hosted jointly with the financial auditors, and another one hosted by my office), I needed a vacation!

Fortunately the city of Wellington shuts down for a month at Christmastime, so I went to New Zealand's South Island with Teki and some visiting friends from Hong Kong.

We flew into Dunedin (Otago), a college town with a few nice pinot noirs, and drove a large loop through St. Bathan's (limestone quarry), Queenstown (where adrenaline flows 24/7), Milford Sound (quite possibly the most dramatic landscape in New Zealand), Invercargill (Southernmost city) and the Catlins (coastal drive). Next few entries will cover the trip....

A Few Good Movies

Although work has kept me busy of late, I have enjoyed a few recent movies I rented from the local video shop, including Hula Girls, Angel-a and Paprika. I also saw Once at the theatre and would recommend it (particularly good soundtrack), but I think it left the U.S. theaters many months ago. Let me know if you have any other recommendations.

Welcome to New Zealand

There's much more to see than just sheep!

Like Father, Like Son(s)

Teki's brother, Tele, visited from Tonga over the weekend with his two sons George (Siaosi) and David (Tavita). We all had the opportunity to enjoy being nine years old (at the arcade) and we also went for a night hike to the wind turbine.

Make Way for Penguins