Dun, Dunedin: Rare Wildlife and Frigid Weather

I caught a bus to Dunedin, a city a bit further south than Christchurch, which is said to have a Scottish feel to it, though I wouldn't really know.  The city itself has a lot to offer, though I failed to indulge in it all (more on that later).  I found plenty to do with my time there, though.  At the center of town is the Octagon (refrain from making Anchorman reference), where the Info Site, Library, Cathedral, Public Art Gallery, and various bars and shops can be found.  There were quite a few pieces in the art gallery that I enjoyed, though I was forbidden from capturing on camera.  I'll list the ones I can find online at the bottom of this post if you're interested in seeing them.  Later, I grabbed a drink with some backpackers I met.  When talking about traveling, the Swiss girl put it best when she said, "Life is about experience.  Traveling is such a unique experience and it should be had by all."  Agreed.

While in Dunedin, I stayed in the spare room of fellow Couch Surfers, Miguel and Sophia.  This lovely young couple enjoys interacting with their surfers, and implemented a concept called "shared dinner" where they share their dinner with the hungry backpackers in return for their service of either helping prepare/make dinner or cleaning up afterward, which I was delighted to do.  They successfully made my second Couch Surfing experience quite enjoyable, and unknowingly helped me overcome my distaste for mushrooms.  The only caveat of staying in a house as opposed to a hostel, especially somewhere as frigid as Dunedin, is the lack of a central heating system.  In lieu of said heat, I was able to experience sleeping with a hot water bottle for the first time.  Although it sufficed in keeping me quite warm throughout the night, in the end, I'd prefer to not be able to see my breath when I go to sleep at night.

I dedicated one whole day to investigating the Otago Peninsula.  With the help of a Great Walks book and a bicycle from Sophia and Miguel, I ventured off in search of rare wildlife.  On my journey, I learned of all the joys and sorrows of being a cyclist on a main road.

Positives:

• squeezing freely through traffic, getting a good workout, being environmentally friendly, downhills  

Negatives

• uphills, the elements (not these kind), side of the road treasures (broken glass, roadkill, horse poop, garbage)

After only a short three hour bike ride (half of which was uphill) I arrived at Sandfly beach, where I hoped to spot the rare Hoiho, or Yellow-Eyed Penguin.  After decending from the sand dune to the beach, I found myself face to face with a playful Pakake (sea lion).  Seemingly unphased by my presence, I crept closer for a choice photo.  I soon found that this cunning seal had been toying with me all along, as he leapt up at me, causing me to stumble back, capturing the photo above in the process.  Well played, sir.  Having learned my lesson, I managed to get even closer to the bigger pakake and even had my photo taken with them (above on the left).  Finally, at the end of the beach, crouched in one of the constructed viewing huts, my patience was awarded as a lone hoiho came out from hiding.  Even with my tiny, cheap digital camera, I was able to grab this stunning photo:

It wasn't until my last night, shopping for peanut butter cookies at Pak 'N Save, when I found out about the Dunedin I didn't see.  I overheard a girl talking about going to New York, and although I chose not to creepily approach her about it, we crossed paths a little later and I felt as if fate were demanding that I ask about it.  It was then that she (Jade) told me of all the things I could have done, like take a tour of the Speights Brewery and try all their beer, or tour the Cadbury factory to see their chocolate waterfall, or at least go to Baldwin Street for free and see why it was recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records for being one of the steepest residential streets in the world.  Oh well, maybe next time, or perhaps vicariously through Mai during her later travels.

Heather Straka (The Asian) - This link describes the exhibit, but only shows one of the 50 paintings.  It was really cool to see because in the exhibit, it doesn't identify the original image.

Taryn Simon (An American Index of the Hidden and Unfamiliar) - "A collection of photographs that document the inaccessible places that exist below the surface of American identity."  The first link seems like a pretty comprehensive article.  Go to this link and go to the "Photographs" link at the bottom to see all of them.

- Headcase - Anne Noble (Ruby Room Number 10)

- Madeleine Child (Sweet As) - Sweet As is a playful installation featuring Child's signature range of oversized and deliciously rococo popcorn.

- Lifting My Mother for as long as I can by Campbell Patterson