The Garden of Dunedin

The rain blows over just after we get out our umbrella and head down the hill to the Botanical Gardens of Dunedin. Winding our way through the geographical gardens, we stumble across an aviary, where we see a wide array of New Zealand birds we mostly had not seen elsewhere (no kiwis, though). Among them is Sid, a talking parrot, who regales us with Kiwi-accented questions: “How are you?” “Have a cup of tea?”

We discover the Rhododendron Dell, which is a bit past its prime (late November is bordering on summer in New Zealand), but still magnificent, with towering bushes more petal than leaf. We grab a coffee (Maori-style cappuccino, see photo below) and a crepe in the Croque-O-Dile cafe in the gardens, and make our way out through the rose garden. We stumble across a puddle of napping kitties on our way back to our quirky B&B, then pack up and head off to the airport.

Back in Auckland. Last 24 hours of our trip. Making the most of it, we dine in the O’Connell St. Bistro on a Monday night, joined mainly by banker-types and international businesspeople. We’re in our own world, with one last delicious, hearty New Zealand dinner. (These are the moments that make us city people — we love adventure, but we love a beautifully-executed, wholly delicious meal even more!)