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Click the link to see the summary of the trip!
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Address: 27 Hereweka Street, Portobello, Otago Peninsula, Dunedin, 9014
This Holiday Park is located on the Otago Peninsula, about 30-45 mins drive from city center. The only reason why we took to long to drive there was because of the narrow and winding roads. The roads are just between the water and the mountains, if you're sleepy, you'll have a great chance of crashing into the waters!
Portobello Village has a clean kitchen, shower facilities and a TV lounge (not that we ever watched TV while we were there though). As for shower facilities, there was a handicap cubicle which I used to shower at night because it has both a toilet bowl and shower. The shower in that cubicle was must better as compared to the others because you can really adjust the optimal temperature. Gilbert said he showered in the normal cubicle and he had to turn on both the hot and cold water tap and the water was mostly cold.
Yes, I felt bad for using the handicap cubicle. :( Oh! I must add that they have hairdryer too! Many nights I slept with my hair wet because the weather was too cold and my hair couldn't dry in time. That night I didn't intend to wash my hair and only wash it in the morning. Oh, how happy I was when I saw the hair dryer!
Cadbury World
Address: 280 Cumberland St, Dunedin 9016, New Zealand
Tel: +64 3-467 7800
Website: https://www.cadbury.co.nz/en/cadbury-world.aspx
Fees: $20/student for 75mins tour
It is recommended you pre-book your tour online to secure a spot, but because we went in October, it was still low tourist season. We managed to secure a spot with another couple. The tour starts off with watching a video and you have to put your belongings into a secured locker so as to not contaminate the factory. You put on a hairnet and you're given a plastic bag with a bar of chocolate in it! Yumz.
The tour starts with climbing stairs. I know. You need to work for the chocolate!
They brought us around the factory and showed us how they made Easter Eggs and chocolate roses. Every stair we climbed, we were rewarded with either a packet of candy or a bar of chocolate. I swear I was beaming from ear to ear. The best part of the tour was that we get to enter a purple silo and get to watch liquid chocolate form one of the tallest chocolate waterfall! I wanted to stick my hand out and grab some!
Dunedin Railway Station
Address; Anzac Square, Dunedin
Website: www.dunedin.nz.com/railway-station.aspx
Dunedin Railway station is claimed to be the 2nd most photographed landmark in whole of Australasia. The first being the Sydney Opera House.
Dunedin was linked to Christchurch by rail in 1878, with a link south to Invercargill completed the following year, and the first railway workshops were opened at Hillside in South Dunedin in 1875. Early plans were for a grand main station on Cumberland Street, but these did not get further than the laying of a foundation,[1] and a simple temporary weatherboard station was built next to the site in 1884. It took close to 20 years for government funding to be allocated, and planning only really commenced as the 19th century was drawing to a close. The logistics of constructing what was at the time New Zealand's busiest railway station took three years before construction began in 1903.[2] Dunedin required a station for a wide range of activities: it was a commercial and industrial center, close to gold and coalfields, with a hinterland that was dependent on livestock and forestry for its economy.
Larnch Castle
Larnach Castle, is an imposing mansion on the ridge of the Otago Peninsula within the limits of the city of Dunedin, New Zealand, close to the small settlement of Pukehiki. It is one of a few houses of this scale in New Zealand. The house and its grounds are regularly open to the public.
Halfway into Otago Peninsula, heading towards where the Albatrosses were, we stopped by the Castle to have a look. It looked like a typical old English Mansion you can find in the UK. When we first entered the building, we were escorted to the basement where the "Gun Room" is. Instead of guns, there were portraits of William Larnach and his family, as well as write ups on the family's tragedy and legal battle over his properties.
Afterwards, we headed up towards all the bedrooms and nursery for the babies. The furniture reflect the period of the castle though minimally decorated. There was one room where the wedding gown of William Larnach third wife Constance de Bathe Brandon was hung up. There were portraits and other possessions of hers being displayed. To get into the room, you had to draw this heavy velvet curtain, and the entire room was just creepy.
The view from the roof was fantastic though. You could see the whole Otago Peninsula and Dunedin!
Royal Albatross Colony
Address: 1260 Harington Point Rd, Harington Point 9077, New Zealand
Tel: +64 3-478 0499
Website: http://albatross.org.nz/
Fees: $45/adult for guided tour
The Royal Albatross Centre operates viewing tours for it Taiaroa Head facility using a modern, purpose built indoor viewing area. Tours take place throughout the day and offer 60 minute guided wildlife tour telling the story of the Northern Royal Albatross, followed by a short movie by Natural History NZ then a visit to potential viewing areas on Taiaroa Head.
If you see the picture carefully, you can see Gilbert standing next to a mock up of the Albatross. Yes, that is the actual size! It's wing span is about 3m in length, and because it was so long, it has to be tri-folded. After a short movie and a short walk up to Taiaroa Head, we stood inside an indoor viewing gallery and tried to spot an Albatross. Pretty soon, we could differentiate them from the gulls and other birds. There was an Albatross sitting just a few meters from the viewing gallery and pretty soon, it was joined by two others!
The guide said we were very lucky as it is very rare to see the Albatross land and take off as they only land once a year to mate and raise their chicks. We saw the courting process and even heard them calling out to their mates. They mate for life by the way, so after raising their chick, they go on a year long "Holiday" and meet up with their mates once again during mating season.
Otago Peninsula
The Otago Peninsula is a long, hilly indented finger of land that forms the easternmost part of Dunedin, New Zealand. Volcanic in origin, it forms one wall of the eroded valley that now forms Otago Harbour. The peninsula lies south-east of Otago Harbour and runs parallel to the mainland for 20 km, with a maximum width of 9 km. It is joined to the mainland at the south-west end by a narrow isthmus about 1.5 km wide.
Caught an amazing sunset on the pier by Portobello Village before we headed back to camp. One of the most amazing sunset I've seen in my life!
Portobello Village Tourist Park
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| Portobello Village Tourist Park |
Tel: +64 3 478 0359
Website: http://www.portobellopark.co.nz
Fees: $38 for 2 pax for powered site
Fees: $38 for 2 pax for powered site
This Holiday Park is located on the Otago Peninsula, about 30-45 mins drive from city center. The only reason why we took to long to drive there was because of the narrow and winding roads. The roads are just between the water and the mountains, if you're sleepy, you'll have a great chance of crashing into the waters!
Portobello Village has a clean kitchen, shower facilities and a TV lounge (not that we ever watched TV while we were there though). As for shower facilities, there was a handicap cubicle which I used to shower at night because it has both a toilet bowl and shower. The shower in that cubicle was must better as compared to the others because you can really adjust the optimal temperature. Gilbert said he showered in the normal cubicle and he had to turn on both the hot and cold water tap and the water was mostly cold.
Yes, I felt bad for using the handicap cubicle. :( Oh! I must add that they have hairdryer too! Many nights I slept with my hair wet because the weather was too cold and my hair couldn't dry in time. That night I didn't intend to wash my hair and only wash it in the morning. Oh, how happy I was when I saw the hair dryer!
Cadbury World
 |
| Cadbury World! |
Tel: +64 3-467 7800
Website: https://www.cadbury.co.nz/en/cadbury-world.aspx
Fees: $20/student for 75mins tour
It is recommended you pre-book your tour online to secure a spot, but because we went in October, it was still low tourist season. We managed to secure a spot with another couple. The tour starts off with watching a video and you have to put your belongings into a secured locker so as to not contaminate the factory. You put on a hairnet and you're given a plastic bag with a bar of chocolate in it! Yumz.
The tour starts with climbing stairs. I know. You need to work for the chocolate!
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| Chocolate buttons! |
Dunedin Railway Station
 |
| Dunedin Train Station |
Website: www.dunedin.nz.com/railway-station.aspx
Dunedin Railway station is claimed to be the 2nd most photographed landmark in whole of Australasia. The first being the Sydney Opera House.
Dunedin was linked to Christchurch by rail in 1878, with a link south to Invercargill completed the following year, and the first railway workshops were opened at Hillside in South Dunedin in 1875. Early plans were for a grand main station on Cumberland Street, but these did not get further than the laying of a foundation,[1] and a simple temporary weatherboard station was built next to the site in 1884. It took close to 20 years for government funding to be allocated, and planning only really commenced as the 19th century was drawing to a close. The logistics of constructing what was at the time New Zealand's busiest railway station took three years before construction began in 1903.[2] Dunedin required a station for a wide range of activities: it was a commercial and industrial center, close to gold and coalfields, with a hinterland that was dependent on livestock and forestry for its economy.
Larnch Castle
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| Larnch Castle |
Address: 145 Camp Rd, Dunedin 9077, New Zealand
Tel: +64 3-476 1616
Website: http://www.larnachcastle.co.nz/
Fees: $29/Adult
Larnach Castle, is an imposing mansion on the ridge of the Otago Peninsula within the limits of the city of Dunedin, New Zealand, close to the small settlement of Pukehiki. It is one of a few houses of this scale in New Zealand. The house and its grounds are regularly open to the public.
Halfway into Otago Peninsula, heading towards where the Albatrosses were, we stopped by the Castle to have a look. It looked like a typical old English Mansion you can find in the UK. When we first entered the building, we were escorted to the basement where the "Gun Room" is. Instead of guns, there were portraits of William Larnach and his family, as well as write ups on the family's tragedy and legal battle over his properties.
Afterwards, we headed up towards all the bedrooms and nursery for the babies. The furniture reflect the period of the castle though minimally decorated. There was one room where the wedding gown of William Larnach third wife Constance de Bathe Brandon was hung up. There were portraits and other possessions of hers being displayed. To get into the room, you had to draw this heavy velvet curtain, and the entire room was just creepy.
The view from the roof was fantastic though. You could see the whole Otago Peninsula and Dunedin!
Royal Albatross Colony
 |
| Royal Albatross Colony |
Address: 1260 Harington Point Rd, Harington Point 9077, New Zealand
Tel: +64 3-478 0499
Website: http://albatross.org.nz/
Fees: $45/adult for guided tour
The Royal Albatross Centre operates viewing tours for it Taiaroa Head facility using a modern, purpose built indoor viewing area. Tours take place throughout the day and offer 60 minute guided wildlife tour telling the story of the Northern Royal Albatross, followed by a short movie by Natural History NZ then a visit to potential viewing areas on Taiaroa Head.
If you see the picture carefully, you can see Gilbert standing next to a mock up of the Albatross. Yes, that is the actual size! It's wing span is about 3m in length, and because it was so long, it has to be tri-folded. After a short movie and a short walk up to Taiaroa Head, we stood inside an indoor viewing gallery and tried to spot an Albatross. Pretty soon, we could differentiate them from the gulls and other birds. There was an Albatross sitting just a few meters from the viewing gallery and pretty soon, it was joined by two others!
The guide said we were very lucky as it is very rare to see the Albatross land and take off as they only land once a year to mate and raise their chicks. We saw the courting process and even heard them calling out to their mates. They mate for life by the way, so after raising their chick, they go on a year long "Holiday" and meet up with their mates once again during mating season.
Otago Peninsula
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| Map of Otago Peninsula |
The Otago Peninsula is a long, hilly indented finger of land that forms the easternmost part of Dunedin, New Zealand. Volcanic in origin, it forms one wall of the eroded valley that now forms Otago Harbour. The peninsula lies south-east of Otago Harbour and runs parallel to the mainland for 20 km, with a maximum width of 9 km. It is joined to the mainland at the south-west end by a narrow isthmus about 1.5 km wide.
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| Amazing Sunset partly covered by clouds |
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| Taken on a pier at Portabello Village |
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