Dunedin

We shared a table at dinner last night with Myrna and Wayne from Lacombe, Alberta, and Brian and Sandra from Newcastle England. While discussing our various plans for touring Dunedin, we agreed to meet this morning and try to secure a 6 passenger cab so we could follow the suggestions Marc Pavior-Smith, our ex-pat New Zealander from Sydney, recommended. We found Liz and her Toyota van, so boarded for a three hour tour. We started out at the steepest road in the world, boasting a 35% gradient, travelling up and back down in the van and receiving a certificate of authenticity at the bottom, validating the transit. We then travelled to Signal Hill for a great panoramic view of Dunedin a town that emulates a Scottish hamlet which was surveyed and planned prior to the arrival of scores of immigrants from Britain in the mid-1800's.
We visited the First Presbyterian church a beautiful NZ standstone edifice built in the 1800's and then the train station which boasts tiled walls and floors and some great stained glass panels with train images.
Afterwards we visited the Settlers museum for some insights into the relationship between the settlers and the Maori, first nations peoples, who negotiated away the rights to much of NZ for a song. Mediation and restitution only occured in the mid 1990's. After getting dropped off back at the 'Octagon' a central 'square' in town, we found a nice bistro restaurant for lunch and some NZ lager.
We returned to the ship via bus shuttle ($7.50PP one way) just ahead of increasing winds and a driving rainstorm ( and in time for afternoon trivia!).