Yesterday afternoon we arrived in Dunedin and started out with a tour of the Cadbury Chocolate factory. For me, this was like going to heaven! We saw the process of making chocolate and saw various sections of the factory where this was happening, products being made and packaged. We got quite a few freebies along the way so this kept me happy!
This morning we drove a short distance to Larnach Castle, built in the 1860's by the Larnach family who resided there until the early 1900's. It lay empty until 1967 when a couple bought it and began its restoration. The views of Dunedin from the tower were magnificent.
We drove from there to the head of the peninsula to see a colony of Royal Albatross who nest there each year. We were lucky enough to see about five birds and their chicks on nests in the hillside. There was also one bird flying overhead. When the chicks fledge, they leave for five years at sea before coming back to land! Amazing, huge birds!
Our last tourist activity for the day was a bus tour around the city. We saw some of the local beaches - Tomahawk Bay, St. Clair and lovely housing around these areas. The city has some stunning churches, a beautiful railway station and school buildings and is extremely hilly. We saw one street that is the steepest residential street in the world!
Tomorrow we're off to Christchurch.