AccuWeather Not So Hot In Dunedin
I checked Culture Hack today to see how cold it was in Dunedin today according to my AccuWeather badge – it said it’s 90F right now. Don’t believe it! I don’t know if we’ve gotten above 60 degrees Fahrenheit today. I do believe it when they say it could be in the mid-40s tonight. Our room heaters may see their first action this evening.
Take The Last Train To… Palmerston?
While I have have been working and researching diligently for the past week or so, we decided to have one last “tourist day” before M?lia begins school next week Monday. There are several train tours available on Taieri Gourge Railway, we opted for the shorter, shoreline route which runs from Dunedin to Palmerston and back. The day began overcast and ominous, so much so that we took umbrellas. We didn’t need to – the sky opened and once we left the Dunedin harbor area it turned out to be a fantastic day. The entire trip from Dunedin to Palmerston and…
Week Three Aready? Jeesh!
It’s been a few days since my last report, been busy with UHH work duties, and dealing with a pressing technology issue there. On Tuesday we had a meeting with the International Student Dean and principal at M?lia’s school, Logan Park High School. After reviewing her transcripts from N?wah?, they put her into year 13, which is the same as senior year in Hawai’i. She’s already done one semester of junior year at home, and NZ schools are just starting their school year now. As a result she doesn’t have to wear the school uniform, and has a choice of…
Being Green In Aotearoa
Since we’ve arrived in New Zealand, we have been conscientious about conservation and environmental issues here. While we do many things at home as well (solar water heating and heater on a timer, recycling, etc.), it is easy to see how government policy here in NZ also works to benefit the environment. As I have mentioned in a previous post, in order to have your refuse picked up on the side of the street, it must be in a bag that is approved by the Dunedin City Council. They run $6-8 per bag depending on size, and also have a…
Heat Wave, New Zealand-Style
It looks like what everyone has been telling us is true – that the weather has been spectacular by Aotearoa standards. Daily New Zealand News reports that it’s been been the best stretch of summer weather here since 1998-1999. To us it’s been like everyday weather back in Hilo. One drawback to our flat at this time is that there are only very small windows that can open in each room, and they don’t bring much relief from the stuffiness of the day. I’m sure that will be of little consequence when the weather turns cooler. DNZN also reports that…
Tourist Friday: Dunedin Peninsula
We spent an enjoyable afteroon on a tour of the Dunedin Peninsula, including a visit to Lanarch Castle (see pictures linked to the graphic at right), and Nature’s Wonders. Nature’s Wonders takes you on an ATV vehicle ride to see New Zealand Furry Seals basking in the sun along the shorline, as well as a view of some yellow-eyed penguins, which are apparently the rarest penguins of the 18 known species. Supposedly there are only about 400 left, and none in captivity as they reportedly do not fare well under those circumstances. We watched a few of them come up…
First Week Has Flown By
It’s hard to believe we’ve been in Dunedin a week now (well, in about 10 hours). Having thoroughly explored the city center and areas to the south of our flat and the university, we headed out to a short strip on St. King Street to the north of us. There we found a McDonald’s, Pizza Hut, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Domino’s Pizza as well as a number of bars and a big liquor store. Must be the end of town the university students frequent on evenings (drinking age here is 18). There are some some McDonald’s and Subway Sandwiches and a…
First Saturday In Dunedin: More Walking
Marie and I headed out to the Dunedin train station near the city center today as they hold the Otogo Farmers’ Market there every Saturday. It’s about the same size or perhaps slightly smaller than the farmer’s market in Hilo, minus all of the new age, incense and crystal-type vendors you find there. The train station is about a 20 minute walk from our flat. The fruits and produce were nice, perhaps a bit more expensive than what we are used to. Cherries, apricots and berries are plentiful and expensive, but delicious. Sorry there are no pics, but we knew…
Network, Sweet Network!
We finally got wireless broadband at our flat today, so life is sweet. Just in time for the weekend. I’ve posted some pics of Dunedin and our place on my Flickr account. We also caught a performance of Rarotonga song and dance in the Octagon in the Dunedin City Center. I need to catch up on some office work this weekend, so we’ll probably do less exploring this weekend than we did during the week, but who knows.