Dunedin and the Otago Peninsula

When I posted my last update, I was sitting in the library in Dunedin. Unfortunately, it started raining again around noon, so I only had a quick tour around the city. Dunedin is also known as the Edinburgh of New Zealand. The first settlers who arrived here were Scots, and this has influenced the cityscape and the naming of some streets, squares, and attractions to this day. I walked past some beautiful historic architecture. Especially the train station was a small highlight both from the outside and from the inside. Today, there are only two tourist trains operating there per day. In a park, 1000 white crosses were set up in memory of the victims of World War I, which ended 100 years ago. The sight was quite impressive and sad at the same time. However, parking was relatively expensive and it continued to rain, so I walked back to my camper and drove to a beach just outside the city to spend the night. The next morning, I started early and drove to the Otago Peninsula. The peninsula and Dunedin form a large bay on the west coast of the South Island. The Otago Peninsula was very hilly and provided beautiful views of Dunedin, which was on the other side of the bay. On the peninsula itself, I visited three locations: Sandfly Bay, Allens Bay, and Taiaroa Head. At Sandfly Bay, I had to walk down a very steep path through sand to reach the sea. However, this path was worth it because there were plenty of sea lions on the beach, and later on, I also saw some seals lying in the grass. Due to the time of day, I had the whole beach to myself and found the atmosphere to be beautiful. Furthermore, the sun had once again taken control in the morning, and I had to work up a sweat on the way back to the car. At Allens Bay, I took a short walk and watched the waves. Lastly, I drove to Taiaroa Head, the tip of the peninsula. There are supposed to be albatrosses living there, but I didn't catch a glimpse of them. I was simply too reluctant to pay the high entrance fee for the Albatross Center, and I couldn't see any in the sky either. Instead, there were plenty of seagulls and a fantastic cliff. Afterward, I made my way back to Dunedin, went shopping and refueled, and then headed to Signal Hill. From this point, I had another great view of the peninsula and Dunedin, but unfortunately, the weather had changed again. Then, I made a quick stop at Baldwin Street, the steepest street in the world, and continued on my way towards Christchurch. In the next few days, I will take another detour to the interior of the country, specifically to Mount Cook, the highest mountain in New Zealand. At the foot of this mountain, I have selected some hikes that I want to do. After that, I will head to Christchurch, my final destination for the New Zealand trip. Since I still have a few days left there, I will probably take some day trips to destinations near Christchurch. As always, I will share my experiences with you here :) See you soon!