Day 35 – Dunedin, New Zealand – 8:56 AM

This morning begins my second full day in Dunedin, the second largest city on the South Island of New Zealand.  I arrived two days ago after an interesting four hour bus ride from Te Anau.  The bus ride itself was relaxing as it was not even a quarter full.  The fact that the driver left someone behind during our lunch break made it unique.  We pulled into the parking lot of a small roadside cafe and were instructed that the bus would leave promptly in thirty minutes.  While the drivers routinely give these ominous warnings about departure times, they always do a headcount prior to departing and will track down wayward riders.

As the time of departure drew near, I walked to the bus and boarded.  A dozen or so others climbed aboard and lastly the driver.  Even with such a small group of passengers I didn’t realize someone was missing.  The driver walked up and down the center aisle counting the number of riders each time.  Satisfied that everyone was aboard he started the engine and pulled away.  Minutes from the cafe, a little girl ran up the aisle towards the driver.  My first thought was she left something behind and was going to ask to return to retrieve it.  I couldn’t make out what she said to the driver but it was a quick conversation.  Moments later she ran back to her seat and I heard the driver grumble to no one in particular.  The driver navigated a U-turn with the bus and returned to the cafe parking lot.  He exited and soon after a teenaged girl stepped aboard followed by the driver.  She wasn’t a new passenger as I then remembered her boarding in Te Anau.  She took her seat, the driver took his and away we went.  Apparently, the driver’s original headcount prior to leaving the cafe after lunch was not the most accurate.

The rest of the trip was uneventful and we pulled into the Dunedin bus depot shortly before 1 PM.  I entered the depot, managed to acquire a street map and set off towards my hostel.  The roads in Dunedin are surprisingly steep and it was not long before I was huffing and puffing my way up hills lugging two packs.  I found my hostel, Hogwartz (apparently, it’s a reference to some aspect of Harry Potter that I’m unfamiliar with).  I checked in and received a quick tour of the building.  I entered my room, chose a bed and freed myself of my luggage.

I took a quick breather, pulled my shoes back on and made my way towards the city center.  I had two things on my agenda: grocery shop and view the annual Dunedin Christmas parade that was taking place that afternoon.  I had an hour to kill prior to its start so I meandered the streets scoping out restaurants and anything else that interested me.  The city center of Dunedin, commonly known as The Octagon, has numerous quaint bars and restaurants.  I paid close attention to the location of a few as I planned to stop there for lunch during my stay.

As 3 PM approached, I found a clear vantage point along George Street and awaited the parade floats to approach my position.  It was not long until bands, fire trucks and other marchers sauntered past.  There were a couple floats that piqued my interest.  One in particular was a large, purple dragon-like creature whose head moved from side-to-side while it’s mouth opened and closed.  I questioned its relevance to Christmas and wondered if it was meant to bring smiles to the faces of the children lining the sidewalks or keep them up at night filled with fear.  Maybe the dragon is a Christmas tradition here in Dunedin that I am unfamiliar with being from the States.

That night I went to a local bar with a hostel mate from Israel and another from Germany.  Over a beer, we discussed our backgrounds, travel plans and a wide variety of other topics.  Unfortunately, they both departed Dunedin yesterday morning.  Once again, the quick cycle of acquaintances coming into and leaving my life continues.  However, for every person that departs, another enters and a new story unfolds before me.

There are numerous points of interest that I hope to explore during my remaining two days.  The New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame and Baldwin Street (the steepest road in the world) are mere minutes from my hostel.  In addition, there are several gothic-style buildings whose exteriors are lit at night.  These provide a great opportunity to pull out my camera and photograph something other than a snowcapped mountain or scenic lake.