Friday January 31, 2025

I went for a walk early this morning to avoid the crowds.  The light was gorgeous and Lake Tekapo was flat calm.  I got some great photos.

The Church of the Good Shepherd

A monument to the collie dog, without whom "the grazing of this mountain country would have been impossible".

After insisting to the front desk clerk that we really didn't have internet (I don't think she believed us because "no one else in our building had complained") she offered us a free breakfast.  We had already eaten in our room so declined.  Nothing else was offered, so we went on our way, again at around 9:20 am.

We took a different route than our itinerary suggested.  We headed southwest to Lake Pulaki.  At the other end of the lake is Mount Cook, New Zealand's tallest mountain.  I should give its Maori name, which is Aoraki.  You see the Maori language every once in while, not on every sign, but it's there.  I've been watching the Maori channel on TV which is showing the 2024 haka competitions.  Very cool mixture of choir, dance, storytelling and threatening.

Our Yaris

The open road

The hall in Weston, population about 1,100

Katiki Beach

We got to Dunedin mid-afternoon.  These 2 murals can be seen from the hotel car park.

Downtown Dunedin reminds me of Nanaimo a bit.  Some run down buildings, posters papered on the walls, quirky shops, boarded up buildings, older architecture, although Dunedin has way more than Nanaimo.  The biggest difference - no homeless, and I've only seen a couple of people who may or may not have had addition issues at some point in their lives.

I woke up with a scratchy throat, so am downing vitamin C with echinacea to try to head it off.  Fingers crossed!