...I note that license plates in NZ are not associated with the locality where a car is registered, like in Belgium
...I notice a particular local flavor of ice cream, chocolate and cakes: hokey pokey! It's basically honeycomb toffee. And in the case of ice cream it's vanilla with chunks of such toffee!
...I'm still puzzled as to what my how my AA card works. It's a like regular customer/discount card which I use at gas stations and supermarkets. They always ask me if I want to redeem my discount or get points. I never collect points but somehow I always have something to redeem and end up paying less for gas. Hooray New Zealand!
...I walk around Dunedin, which seems the prettiest town I have seen in NZ. Architecturally. It has a lot of Scottish heritage and even the name itself is the old name of Edinburgh, derived from Scots Gaelic. It rains a lot though! Just like in Scotland.
...I even find stores with traditional Scottish souvenirs, kilts, tartan and all.
...I see they have a grand tradition of eating game here. Venison is everywhere. Even in Indian restaurants where you can get venison curry
...when I get addressed "Good day!" (Pronounced: G'digh!) at 10.30pm I realize it's a 24/7 applicable greeting
...I notice not only Mexican places close early here. Starbucks close at 6pm! Compared to 11pm in Queenstown that is a significant downgrade!
...when making a booking for a penguin tour over the phone, reception is so bad that for the first time in my life when I say Lucas, the guy on the other end interprets it as: "Richard" (!)
...I drive out to Otago peninsula and take a scenic tour to see the yellow-eyed penguin rookeries. It's pouring rain but the drive in normal weather would have been incredibly scenic with a narrow winding road skirting the seashore almost on the water level - impressive!
...I try to visit the Larnach Castle, a supposedly Scottish style castle in the area, on the way, but it's closed.
...I take the tour - it's a very informative lecture and then we get heavy rain jackets. We set out into a maze of tunnels built for penguin peeping and we see a couple of young and adult ones up close. Perfect!
...it's late when it ends at 9pm so I book my next hotel tempted by nice photos. However it does not have many reviews. Mistake, it turns out the place is out of town on a very windy hill in the middle of nowhere. I barley find it and when I do the car can't even make it up their steep gravel driveway. I call them but no one picks up. I give up and book a standard motel in the center. Funny how all motel receptions seem to be manned by Asian people here.