Oct 18 Thursday Dunedin New Zealands Scottish city that sits on the head of Otago harbour. It is sunny this morning and we have a full day of activities. A big bus picks us up and we get a city tour. We see the worlds steepest street (49’) San Francisco doesn’t count as it is crooked Dunedin has the largest concentration of Victorian and Edwardian buildings in NZ. A statue of Robert Burns remains watch over the city center. We pass their university built in Gothic style after Scotlands Glasco university with it’s clock tower. Our first stop is the Cadbury chocolate factory. http://www.cadburyworld.co.nz/ We get a 1.25 hr tour. They make 85% of NZ chocolate. We don hair nets and males with beards have nets over them too. No jewelry ,watches or cameras allowed in the factory area. We get free samples. Yum We can purchase chocolates at the end. Next we go to Larch Caslle. It stands on the highest point of the peninsula .It is an excessive extravagance to impress his French wife. The castle is filled with exquisite furniture, period photos and decorative objects. The ceilings took 12 years to complete .Solid marble bath. marble fireplaces and tiles, glass even the wood was imported from Europe. The Mosaics on the floor in the foyer depict the family crest. 35 acres with rhododendrons gardens, rainforest with Kauri and Totara trees can be seen. The gardens off fantastic views of the peninsula and harbour. No pictures were allowed inside. http://www.larnachcastle.co.nz/ We have some time to see more of city center before our 4 hr train ride. We see beautiful StPauls Cathedral Knox church and St Josephs all fine examples of neo- Gothic church architecture. Now the train station ,it is one of the most photographed RR stations. A 1906 basalt and Oasmaru stone building that includes Majolica wall tiles by Royal Doulton. The beautiful Flemish Renassance style building has stained glass windows.3 huge clock faces, and the roof is Marselle tiles from France. http://www.taieri.co.nz/ We travel in 1920 heritage coaches as we snake the gorge into the high country of Otago passing hills with sheep on green pastures. Too tired to cook a large group of us stay in town and we go to a pub for dinner. I have lamb yum. The bus picks us up at 8 . What a nice way to end a very busy day. The weather at night is considerably colder ( close to freezing) This rig has a TV.