South Island Otago Peninsula

We arrive April 10th in Dunedin (population 111 000). We have rented a house 4 Margate Avenue which is on the Otago Peninsula half way along near the small town of Portobello. Here is a view from our balcony across the peninsula to the other side. To the right is the ocean if you carry along the peninsula a bit further and to the left is Dunedin. We are spending 6 nights here as James is giving a talk at the University and visiting with a colleague Steve.We are fascinated by the emptying and filling of the peninsula with the tides. One of the houses we considered renting on the other side could only be accessed during low tide! Backyard of 4 Margate...I think that is Hannah in the treehouse.
Sunset over an intriguing Viking boat.

Hannah demonstates the cat door.

Pineapple Rock

Shiver me Timbers

We are reminded of Dave Backus - both with the bar in his name and also learning about 'mermaid purses' at the University of Otago Marine Research Aquarium. This is a shark egg!

At the Aquarium we also saw baby seahorses born the night before (by the Dad!) and the girls went on a marine Easter egg hunt.Here is Lanarch Castle - new Zealand's only castle. It was built in 1871 by William Lanarch for his wife Eliza. She died quite young and the rest of the story is quite tragic with another wife dying, law suits over money, his first daughter dying and ending in his suicide. So money definitely didn't bring happiness. The front foyer ceiling is all carved wook and took two carvers two years to complete.