The City that Smelled Like Chocolate
A good breeze and anywhere you stand in the center of Dunedin smells. That's because Cadbury is here. The stone-white manufacturing plant dominates an entire city block and the scent of chocolate is unmistakable.
John and I are booked for a free tour tomorrow afternoon. Fargo is anxious to come along; anything to ease the pain of his jilted love (his Hawaiian girlfriend stiffed him).
Unfortunately Cadbury doesn't allow photography inside the plant. I'm not sure I understand, does the flash hurt the chocolate or bring it's cooling temperature up those fatal few milli degrees? But I suppose in the interest of security you can never be too cautious. That innocent looking middle-aged man in the corner with the plaid pants, striped shirt and Instamatic might not be just another chocoholic seeking euphoria by means of a hazel-nut bar; he might be a spy from Nestle sent to steal precious dipping secrets.
The city of Dunedin has more than nose appeal however. The architecture here is stunning and the eyes can also get in on the wowing of the senses. The towers of Otago University stand tall in Scottish grandeur. Castle-like churches, theaters and even the train station are regal against the sky and their backdrop of rolling hills.
The hills here are steep. Many of them peppered with houses with undoubtedly incredible views. We had the honor of visiting one of them. Neill Glover and his fiance Helen (we met them through e-mail) invited us to their home in Anderson Bay. From their living room we had a grand view of the city sitting beneath a spreading orange sunset.
Dunedin is the home too of Baldwin Street, the steepest street in the world. We haven't yet tackled it's vertical incline. When we do, it will be on foot. The VW Golf, with it's tiny 1100cc engine, would need a gear somewhere around minus three.
we are training our legs for the hike by climbing through downtown. By John's watch altimeter, we've been climbing 50 to 80 meters to get from the Octagon to where we park our car everyday. (No point in paying for metered parking closer to sea-level. We tried that once and were rewarded with a parking ticket. Not to worry though, Neill told us how to have the Mayor take care of it.)
The Octagon is at the heart of the city, a small park surrounded in an octagon by the information center, theaters, church, restaurant and shops. During the day it is bustling with activity; past 7:00 pm you could drop a pin and hear it hit the ground. Such is the night life in Dunedin.
We've been in the city now for five days: touring, shopping, relaxing and working on this web page. Soon we will be heading to the Otago Peninsula. We hope to get a glimpse there of the giant albatross that fly over the cliff-lined coast. They fly only when it is windy enough to give them lift since their bodies are so heavy with up to a three meter wing span.
