We decided to have a further small exploration of Oamaru this morning before setting off for Dunedin, so after we had breakfasted and checked out, we had a look round some less familiar parts of the town.
This incredibly beautiful building calls itself the Community House, as you may be able to see.
There is even an Opera House!
We drove up to the top of the hill for a view over the town and out to sea. It was a beautiful sunny morning, and the sea was the most astonishing greeny-blue.
We set off for Dunedin, and it soon became obvious that, though it wasn't nearly so windy in Oamaru as it had been the previous night, the wind was still blowing very hard further down the coast. We passed several places where trees in the pastures had been blown over, and we were nearly blown over ourselves when we got out of the car. We made a stop at the Moeraki Boulders, just to see if we would be able to see if they would be visible this time. As it was low tide on this occasion, we braved the cold wind and there they were!
Most of these ones had been completely covered by the sea last time we came, so we really have managed to see them this time, not just looked at the postcards!
We arrived in Dunedin around lunch time, and were able to book ourselves onto the afternoon rail trip along the Taieri Gorge. There was just time to have a quick lunch and find ourselves somewhere to stay, before joining the train at 2.30.
The Taieri Gorge railway was originally part of the Central Otago railway. It was started in 1879, at a time when transport in the area was very difficult. The first part opened in 1889, but progress was slow. However, in spite of the very slow progress, the railway played a major part in the development of Central Otago, transporting livestock, fruit and other farm produce down to Dunedin and beyond, and things like petrol, oil, supplies for farms, mail and newspapers back to Central Otago. However, when roads improved, the importance of the line declined. Passenger services stopped in 1979, though freight continued, and the line also began to be used for public excursions and was popular with tourists. The Minister of Railways eventually announced the closure in 1990, and the Mayor of Dunedin immediately said the city would buy the 60 km through Taieri Gorge if the community could raise $1,000,000. Within a few months of the closure, the money was raised and the line opened again as a tourist attraction.
The line passes through Dunedin's suburbs and then green pastures, and then climbs into the hills.
Soon, it begins to follow the course of the river.
There are bridges and viaducts to cross - not to mention 10 tunnels.
The train makes a stop at Hindon, which used to be a busy stop and is now only a hut. The river gorge deepens and becomes much more rocky, and the river is faster flowing.
Eventually, the end of the line is reached at another hut called Pukerangi, and the engine is moved round to the other end of the train to take it back to Dunedin.
My camera battery died, so I began taking pictures on my phone, and I think the phone is better able to reproduce the astonishing vibrant yellow of the gorse.
The train made a different stop for photographs on the way back, at a hill with rather an old-fashioned name - nobody would think of naming a hill like this nowadays.
The views were very good though.
We arrived back in Dunedin, a little late, at 6.45 and went back to our hotel and then out to eat. We found one of those 'all you can eat' buffets, so now we are rather full! We will probably continue our journey south tomorrow.
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