Dunedin - Easter Holidays

The trip to Dunedin took alot less than going to Havelock. It was a nice journey, stopping at Timaru and at Oamaru for rest stops and a chance to take some pictures. Unfortunately, Just half an hour outside Dunedin and it was spitting with rain. This wasn't really an issue for what we're wanting to do here in Dunedin but the place we're staying at has a kids play area with slides and swings, mini golf, board games and it would have meant getting wet to enter in these activities. The holiday 'park' was a nice one. The unit we're in was clean but it would have been nice to have more storage space or even a coat hook or two. Tea for me was a curry with red wine. The kids had corn, sausages and potatoes.
On Tuesday we had the trip to the Cadbury factory to look forward to. We popped into town rather early and as my phone was dying I didn't have anyway to tell the time, I had to rely on the clocks in and around Dunedin. At 10:30 we went to Cadbury's and got the tickets. They gave Bees and Jamie some chocolate and made a ssssh-ing motion. The tour started at 11:00 and we wandered around for a while, checking out how they make the chocolates from the bean to the edible stuff. At certain points along the route, we stopped and were given chocolate bars which the kids thought was great. They didn't much like the talking about the factory and the processes there but that at least kept me interested. You weren't allowed cameras in the factory, or jewellery, watches, and we all wore hair nets wich Bees was complaining about as it kept covering her eyes. That was until we made a game out of it. They will only be storing stuff there for making chocolate in the future as well as making assortment chocolates. The chocolate bars will be made in Australia and the slabs I believe they said Tazzie. At the end I took a couple of pictures of Jamie and Bees in the old trucks they have there. After going around here we went to MacDonalds for lunch and the kids played in their play area for a while. We're on holiday and I wasn't going anywhere that afternoon. We got back to the holiday park at about 14:00 and then we all went swimming/splashing in the pool. We had the pool to ourselves for about 30-45 mins which was great. Older kids can be a real pain. The pool also had some water jets and when mixed with air made the whole pool all white water foamy and gave it some waves of sorts. Good idea for swimming against and Bees and Jamie enjoyed being pushed along with their water rings. For tea that evening I had a curry with Elderflower champagne and the kids had potatoes and sausages.
On the Wednesday we went on the train through the Taieri Gorge. The scenery was great. I wouldn't say fantastic because much of New Zealand is like this anyway but compared to many other parts of the world it was. At the start I received the tickets and when we sat down at our allocated seats I said as I looked at the tickets. "Look. One adult. That's me. One child. That's Jamie and one child free. That's you Beesie". "But I'm four" Bees replied. You gotta love those moments. So off we went along the track, through Dunedin and out towards the gorge. I didn't take any pictures on the way up but took plenty on the way back. We stopped to turn around at Pukerangi. You can go onto Middlemarch but that trip was another day and more time spent thinking the kids would get bored, which they did on the way back. Fortunately, the generator supplying the electricity to the train died, so Bees was at least entertained by waving a glow stick that was supplied to some people in each carriage to stop the carriage going pich black. The trip was certainly worth going on. Great scenery and a nice restful sit down after walking yesterday.
Thursday and we went to visit the Chinese gardens in town. I took a few pictures. After that we wandered around the shops for a bit before having a coffee/ice cream and then onto some more shops where Jamie and Bees got some water wings and goggles and a hotwheels car each. In the afternoon we came back after a pizza and went swimming. Leftover pizza for tea.
Friday, the last day of the holiday before the trip home and we went for a drive along the penninsula. We stopped a few times and had a look at the scenery, but I didn't take too many pictures this time. We took the high road right to the end to the albatross colony and then back along the seafront, low road. After that we went to the settlers museum. It had a couple of trains in it so Jamie and now Bees were very interested in those. However, after looking around at much of it, the kids got bored and jumped at the chance of playing with the toys they had there for kids. No interest was made from then on at trains or anything. After I finally dragged them out from the museum, We went for lunch and then a last look around the shops before coming back to the room. Jamie and Bees went outside and played in the playground for some of the afternoon and later on we went swimming again.
On Saturday, we got the car packed and drove home, leaving at 09:00. Along thw was we stopped off at the Moeraki Boulders for a lookie. Then onto Timaru (sophistication!) which allowed the kids some play time and finally home at about 16:00. It doesn't take that long to travel to Dunedin like it does to Havelock and if you're doing it all yourself and not stopping then 4 hours is easy I reckon.
So a good holiday for the kids and for myself. The pictures are up on picasa.