Dunedin, New Zealand

I suppose this post would be better titled "Port Chalmers", since I didn't actually take the shuttle bus into Dunedin (about a 20 minute ride) but instead stayed in the small port town of Port Chalmers, something I never did the couple of times I visited this port last year on the Rhapsody.

Jane and I walked through the docks, past piles of timber (a common sight in NZ ports) and around the corner into the tiny port town. It has quite a bit of history, the Scottish landed here in the 1800's, and it is a very small fishing village to this day. It was a really rainy day for us, and we headed first to a cafe for some hot chocolate. We ended up at the "Tall Poppy", an expression which means someone is too big for their britches. We relaxed there for a while, then explored some of the shops and a neat antique/thrift store. As this was our last port in the country, I used up my last NZ $5 to buy a beautiful old scarf that I fell in love with.

The rain sent us indoors again, and we settled in at the very nice little library in town, and caught up on some internet for a couple of lazy hours which went by much too quickly. It was actually a really enjoyable, relaxing, cozy day for both Jane and me. Sometimes rainy days can be the best kind.
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Wellington

Today was a fun day - I tried my hand at organizing a tour and it was very successful! I booked with the Wellington Rover tours for a Lord of the Rings half day tour that visited several film locations around Wellington. About 15 of us ended up going, which was really fun. We saw the sites of Rivendell, Isengard, Minas Tirith and Helm's Deep, with a quick visit to the Weta Cave - the studios in Miramar where much of the work is done. Our driver also surreptitiously 'happened' to drive our van quickly past a set where they were still working on filming The Hobbit!! We saw a huge green screen outdoors and a set that looked like some little town buildings. I can't wait to look for them in the movie next Christmas!! It was a bit overcast and drizzly, but the tour was still enjoyable. Our guide was pretty knowledgeable as he was actually an extra elf in the movies and did a lot of the filming back then.

After the tour there was time for a quick lunch and a very brief but much enjoyed catch-up with my good friend Hayden, who I visited here last year after my contract and did my road trip around the north island with. I got to meet his new fiance, which was awesome. And it turns out the Wellington Jazz Orchestra which he plays in is coming to L.A. In July, so it won't be long til we meet again. Always nice to know!
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