A Wee Bit O’ Scotland - November 18

We left Christchurch on our coach and headed south.to Dunedin. We had several interesting stops along the way to break up the long road trip and stretch our legs.  We drove past a lot of farmland, with mountain ranges in the background. Sometimes we could see the sea, and it was a gorgeous aqua color.

The Maori name for New Zealand is Aotearoa. It means “the land of the long white cloud.” So, of course, I was always looking for long white clouds. I don’t know if this is the right kind of cloud:

We stopped in a small town called Geraldine. It was cute, well manicured, and rather Victorian. Geraldine had several shops and lunch spots, including a gourmet cheese shop:

OAT usually includes some “Controversial Topics” in its tours. Gavin talked to us during our bus ride about the “Dirty Dairying” controversy. In the 1990’s, fish in local streams and rivers started dying. This was found to be due to effluent from the 6 million dairy cows and 28 to 30 million sheep in New Zealand, and especially in this part of the South Island. In the early 2000’s, the problem was addressed through regulations, fines, targets, bridges (to prevent cows from being driven across streams and thus damaging stream beds), and dikes.

Another “Controversial Topic” we learned about was the “Cost of Living Crisis.” Gavin told us that the average house in New Zealand costs NZ $1,100,000. Wellington, the capital, is especially expensive. The average income is NZ $45,000/year. The average income in Australia is $68,000/year, so many Kiwis go to Australia to work. Inflation is 6% and unemployment is 3.9%. The young people are really struggling. Foreigners are buying up a lot of land and businesses, mostly Chinese citizens. The New Zealand birthrate is low, but there is a high rate of immigration, mainly from India, Fiji, and other Pacific Islands. After living here for 2 years, one can qualify for residency (similar to a green card). After 5 years, one can qualify for citizenship.

Our next stop was the smallish town of Oamoru, famous for a type of white stone that is quarried here. There was a big traffic jam here. It turns out that this weekend is Oamoru’s Victorian Heritage Celebration. We got to see a parade, antique autos, costumes, old-fashioned bicycle races, a functioning steam engine, and, of course, shops. There was even a large “steampunk” display. It was a serendipitous stop. 

The local beer is Emerson’s

A little further down the road we stopped at the Moeraki Boulders.

The next stop was the Karitane Lookout. We turned off the main road and drove through a neighborhood of cozy little bungalows and tiny beach cabins called “batches” to reach a lookout where we could view two lovely half-moon beaches.

Finally, we arrived in Dunedin (pronounced dun-EE-din), a city of 125,000. Dunedin is home to the University of Otago, where our son studied during his semester abroad. The university has about 42,000 students, and a good medical school.

The stately Railroad Station:

Dunedin has a very proud Scottish heritage. On a street corner, a small replica of a famous church spire in Edinburgh, Scotland.

We also talked about education and health in New Zealand. Obesity is a problem. Fresh fruit, vegetables, and meat are expensive and people are turning to fast food. University is three years, not four.

Our hotel, the Distinction Dunedin, was a fairly new remodel of the old post office building. It was terrific. Every room had a free washing machine and dryer - right in the room - free laundry soap included. Many loads of laundry were done by Oaties. 

I want to end by noting that one member of our group has been coughing quite a bit during this long day of coach travel.

Today’s fabric is the official tartan of Dunedin, New Zealand.