And the tour was definitely worth the wait. Our bus driver (from Winters Tours) was great - he actually was a private tour operator and so he said he could take us wherever he wanted, that he didn’t have to stick to a schedule. After taking us to Dunedin the long way (which was beautifully scenic), we arrived in Dunedin and our first stop was going to be the railway station, but there were already two other tour buses there and so our driver took us to the Cadbury chocolate factory where we had a tour. Colleen was an older lady who did four tours a day and she did ours. She gave us a great tour around the factory (after she ‘confiscated our camera and locked it up - you couldn’t take anything in to the factory). We got to see how the chocolate is made from the beginning with the cocoa beans. Colleen asked questions along the way and if you got the answer right, she gave little chocolate pieces to you. Mike and I got quite a few. :-)
She also gave three our four chocolate bars to everyone along the way as she was telling us about chocolate making. The last thing on the tour was seeing a chocolate waterfall - it was amazing - my mouth was watering while it was falling. :-) At the end of the tour, there was a Cadbury shop and we were able to purchase chocolate at really good prices (they are only allowed to sell to people on a tour). We are looking forward to eating lots of chocolate in the next while. :-)
After the chocolate factory, we went to the train station and what an incredibly beautiful piece of architecture that is. It’s hard to explain in writing - it is just beautiful in that it’s the same as it would have been decades ago.
After visiting the railway station, our driver took us on a very extensive tour of the city of Dunedin. At one point, he even said that we could say he took us on every street in Dunedin - then he had us look at the name of the street we were travelling on and it was ‘Every Street’. :-) It really is a lovely little city - I love the variety of house styles there - it’s so much nicer than the matchbox houses we have back in Canada. The only problem is that it’s cold and wet here so often - which is why I guess it’s so beautiful and green here.
After the tour, we came back and got ready for dinner. Tonight’s fare was beef tenderloin and it was so juicy and tender. It am constantly amazed at what an amazing job they are doing with the food here when they have so many people to feed (there are 2600 passengers onboard this ship). After dinner, we headed off to the Vista Lounge to see the show which was called “C’est Magnifique’ with the Princess singers and dancers. Again it was a good show with the usual people doing a great job and the others not so great, but good enough to watch. Just before the show we saw Grace (a friend we have made on the ship) and she said that the person who had sat where we were (right at the front) had been asked to dance with one of the singers so she moved cuz she is very shy. I stayed and thankfully was not asked to dance, but the guy did come up to me and my head was down (I was hoping that he would just keep on going), but he knocked me with his knee which made me look up - he took my hand and sang to me (briefly thank goodness) before moving on.
On the bus on the way to Dunedin.
On the way to Dunedin.
Train station in Dunedin.
At the Cadbury Chocolate Factory.
Sheep on a hillside in Dunedin.
Surfers in the water in Dunedin.
Lamach Castle near Dunedin.
Park in Dunedin.
Show put on on the ship by the Princess Singers and Dancers.
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