We were getting a little concerned as it neared 11am and our Bottom Bus, due to collect us at 10.30 had still not arrived. As we left Queenstown behind us, Josh our new driver was telling us how the bus had broken down the day before and had just had a new fan bet fitted, hence the delay. This was a minibus carrying just 4 of us on this extra bit down to the most southerly part of New Zealand.
Fruit of all kinds is grown in this area especially peaches ad kiwi fruit, Josh told us as we sailed past a huge effigy of fruit. I mention that I had collected quite a few photos of these huge statues and he immediately turned the bus around.
The joy of being in a little bus and with only 4 of us we were obviously going to get the individual treatment.
It was quite a long journey to Dunedin through fairly mountainous terrain and our next stop for lunch, was at Clyde. This was a sleepy little town made famous by its huge dam built in the 80s which apparently supplies 40% of New Zealand’s power.
We found a wild west type pub, well it was the only pub, in the centre of the this little town which was about 3 shops, a garage and a café, and sat outside in the rather hot sunshine enjoying our Speights cider and a toasted chicken sandwhich. Sunblock is very important in this part of the world.
Our next stop was at a narrow bridge over one of these viridian rivers, where some workmen were doing some repairs. We were kept waiting for about 20 minutes and Josh chatted happily to the old boy with the STOP sign. Everyone is so laid back and friendly here.
The sleepy little mining town of Laurence was our next loo stop and we took the opportunity of buying an ice cream cone each in the heat of the day. I chose Boysenberry flavour. Josh stopped the bus just outside this town to show us a water gully, one of many that had been manmade to sift off the gold in the old mining days.
We continued on through bright yellow gorse-clad hills, a blight on the landscape to New Zealanders. The farmers have difficulty keeping it at bay since it was introduced to the country by the Scots and thrived too well.
We passed through various small towns before finally arriving in the city, including Milton near Waihola Lake, a great place for holidays and containing many holiday homes, then we slowed down as we passed through East Tairea, before entering the suburbs of Dunedin.
This university city, known as the Edinburgh of the South, was far bigger than I had imagined with a population of 140,000, 25,000 of those being students.
Josh drove us around the city pointing out its major features before dropping us off at our hostel. These included St Pauls Anglican Cathedral right in the Octagon In the centre. Then there was the gallery and museum, the Flemish designed railway station, the University area which had major connections with the hospital also built in this area.
He took us out to Baldwin Street which was known to be the steepest street in the world and used locally for many charity raising events.
We returned to the centre past the Botanic Gardens and the famous Cadburys Chocolate Factory although being 4.30, we had little time to investigate this or many of the other attractions the city had to offer. We would be leaving at 7.30 in the morning for Invercargill.
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