Dunedin

After our stay in Wellington, we were off to the South Island, renowned for its beautiful rural landsacpes. To get there we had to take a three hour trip on the “InterIslander” ferry; we were okay though – the ferry had lounges, a games arcade, a food court, a gift shop and, for the older boys (and Jack Hawkins Yr8), ‘Speed-dating’....

Once we had arrived in the South Island, we then took a five hour train journey to a motel in Christchurch where we were to stay for the night. After the plane journey which we took to get to Auckland from home, five hours seems like five minutes. We then woke up at about 6:30 or in some cases, even earlier in order to have breakfast in time to get the coach to Dunedin.
When we finally arrived in Dunedin, we had no time for sight-seeing as we had a rehearsal for a concert which was taking place in Dunedin Cathedral that night. The cathedral itself was a fantastic building, with a strangely modern organ. Once the rehearsal ended, our host families picked us up for dinner, unless you were an ATB, in which case you stayed in a hotel and went off for your meal in a fancy restaurant!

That night, coming out of the cathedral with my hosts, seemed like walking out into a dull morning in England – the weather wasn’t fantastic, but it kind of reminded me of home. Another thing that was reminiscent of home was the buildings. Apparently, the city is based on Edinburgh, Scotland: Dunedin was Edinburgh’s old name.
Fortunately, the choir was a hit with the locals, the concert having gone extremely well, with the 250 people who were there thoroughly enjoying themselves.

The next day, we woke up bright and early to get on the Taeiri Gorge Train which would take us on a scenic trip trough the countryside. The train ride was nice and smooth, and the landscapes on the journey spectacular. After we got back to the beautiful Dunedin Station (listed as one of the “two-hundred places to see before you die”), we had a school assembly in the Otago Boys High School. We then spent the rest of the afternoon with our host families. I went out to the rugby/cricket stadium, the world’s steepest road and finally the beach. I also know that some of my friends went to see penguins and others went out to see the town.

Euan Carter (Year 7)