SPL#2 - NZ Trip (1-11Nov 07) Day 4

DAY 4 - NOV 4, 2007

Our plan was to cook our own breakfasts on days we had to leave the motel early to catch our bus, and to grab hot breakfast in one of the cafes around town on days we didn't have to rush for time. And since we didn't have to be early birds as our coach to Te Anau departs at 2pm today, we went searching for a cooked Kiwi breakfast!

Otago Railway Station

We decided to dine somewhere close to the Intercity Coachlines pickup point, and that's a five bus stop walk from our motel. Yeah, I detest walking in hot and humid conditions but I totally enjoyed walking there because the weather was cool and dry. No sweat at all!

Finding a cooked breakfast proved a daunting task, because it was Sunday and most restaurants and cafes were either closed or only opened in the afternoon. But finally we found one... hotels oh hotels, they are ever so reliable because they never close.

Anyway, we proceeded to Cadbury World after breakfast. As it was a Sunday (again, because it was a Sunday) the factory wasn't open and we could only join the reduced tour for 10 dollars per person.

Entrance to Cadbury World


Darren landed a new job in Cadbury

And so did they...

We were first shown a video about how Cadbury chocolates are made, introducing the essential ingredients, stuff like that. Then we were led along a walkway leading to the chocolate falls. Even though the factory was closed, we could still smell the unmistakable fragrance of chocolate from the walkway.

At the chocolate falls, which is literally speaking a chocolate WATERFALL, we saw one TONNE of melted chocolate falling the height of a seven storey building at the press of a button. We were not allowed to get too close to it, though, else our shirts would.. uhm.. become very chocolatey.

After the tour, we went to the Cadbury souvenir shop, and I bought $50 worth of souvenirs there, including a T-shirt, pens and some Cadbury dessert series chocolates. This series is not yet available in Singapore, by the way.

Then it was time to leave Dunedin for Te Anau, and that means another long 4 1/2 hour journey. Yesterday there was not much to see in terms of scenery besides the green pastures and Otago coastline en route to Dunedin from Christchurch. But today as we're entering the Fiordland region, we are starting to see more lakes, waterfalls, streams and mountains along the way and they are so, so beautiful.

At one of the stopovers en route to Te Anau

It was hard not to take a photo in this garden

En route to Te Anau we also passed by the townships of Clinton and Gore, which was just south of Clinton. They were not very big towns, but they for sure had "big" names. Then I wondered if they were related to the American politicians in any way, too.

Anchorage Motel

Jumping's a great way to keep warm

We arrived at our destination at six in the evening, and made our way to the Anchorage motel. There's this Lake Te Anau in Te Anau, which is the largest lake in the south island of New Zealand. Our motel was only a two minute walk from the lakefront, so we were constantly belted by the winds that came down from the mountains to the lake. The lakefront would perhaps be a fine place to have an outdoor picnic in summer, but that proposition definitely does not apply to the 4th of November, 2007. My hands became numb after they were exposed to the breeze for a mere five minutes - it was that cold.

Te Anau town centre

After checking in, we slowly strolled to the town centre for dinner. Dinner was at this chinese restaurant, and the food was a welcome change to the instant noodles we had been consuming for our past two dinners.

sweet & sour pork, hotplate chicken, fried rice.. very yummy

Have you ever wished you could relive the best moments in your life, wished the photos you had taken would somehow come to life again? Being back in Te Anau felt exactly like deja vu, and I could still remember some of the shops and the hotel I had stayed in the last time I was here.

Okay, I digressed. After the meal we went to shop for souvenirs. Mum bought some lanolin cream, which I know is made from sheeps' wool and which is good for the skin. Meryl also bought a soft toy, which you will see in one of my later posts. Then it was back to motel sweet motel for a good night's rest.