Hanging Around Dunedin

We had to stay near Dunedin for a few weeks while my Dad's eye healed. Lucky for me we got to stay in the Hogwartz Hostel. Our hosts had a dog named Asterix which was pretty cool. I became friends with a lady named Linda from Florida who was writing a book about backpacking for seniors. We loved our small car which we called Fred (Flintstone) because we had to use our feet to help it drive up hills. We stayed in Dunedin so long that we got a temporary library membership which we used like crazy. We were fortunate to be able to stay with Dr. Yule at his wonderful home which had the most amazing view of Dunedin. Dr. Yule's grandsons taught me how to play cricket.

There were lots of fun things to do around Dunedin. We went to the Catlins and saw Nugget Point. We visited the Petrified Beach at Curio Bay. When we were in Invercargill, we were the furthest south we will ever get. Tunnel Beach was a fun place to splash around. We drove to the end of the Otaga Peninsula where the albatross nesting grounds are. I had fun posing with lots of different animals. The Moeraki Rocks looked like humongous marbles. I loved the Otaga Settlers Museum which was full of really old stuff. On our way to Christchurch I found out what happens if I don't do my schoolwork. We drove through beautiful mountains and saw many incredibly blue lakes. Then we stayed for a few days in Christchurch which had beautiful gardens and very large trees. Sometimes all this sightseeing just gets me tired! I never found any real Hobbits in New Zealand but I found lots of new friends and people to visit when I come back.

Hobbit Hunting Down South

I continued my search for Hobbits as we went across to the South Island of New Zealand. We stayed in Nelson where we found a great beach in Kaiteriteri to go swimming and play in the sand. I saw the Split Apple Rock and then we drove down the west coast. The Punakaiki Rocks looked like pancakes and had humongous blowholes. We went for a day hike on the Fox Glacier. We got to go through holes in the ice and walk through crevasses. To save money we bought the biggest Coke because it cost less than a small one and had to share it. I found some great Kiwi books for Mrs. Gilmour, my favourite librarian.

We went for a beautiful morning walk around Lake Matheson and crossed a suspension bridge by the Blue Pools. I almost had a building fall on me in Wanaka. We saw the Remarkables in Queenstown and I almost caught a really big fish for Opa. We stayed with the Goodeves on their dairy, beef, sheep, and deer farm near Lumsden. I had fun playing with Lucy, Kate, and their cats Chloe, Mitzie, and Oreo. We went on a phenomenal trip to Milford Sound where we saw lots of seals and went all the way to the ocean.