Lots of Sheep and Scottish Presbyterians

Wednesday, 16 December

Happy Birthday Sandilla!

We are back on the East Coast of the South Island of New Zealand in the bustling city of Dunedin.

Taeri Mouth via scenic road from Waihola

Ned drove the four hours down from the dramatic granite of the Southern Alps in Te Anau to where the sheep graze on gentle grassy knolls. We went through sweet little towns and saw lots and lots of sheep.

New Zealand's two main islands are about 1,000 miles long, top to bottom. That's roughly the distance from Portland to San Diego. The people population of the country is only about 4.5 million, which is approximately the same as the number of people living in Los Angeles.
One-third of the people population in New Zealand resides in Auckland, another one-third elsewhere on the North Island, and the final third is scattered on the South Island, where most of the sheep are. For every one person on the census, there are seven sheep. Yes, there are lots and lots and lots of sheep!

However, it seems that very few of these many, many sheep contribute to the making of cheese.
Ned's theory is that sheep are incapable of multi-tasking. Many are busy making wool (Merinos). Others are preparing themselves to end up on a dinner plate.

University of Otago

Dunedin RR

Dunedin RR

Dunedin RR

Dunedin - the Gaelic word for Edinburgh -  is situated on the edge of the Otago Peninsula on the eastern coast of the South Island of New Zealand. The city center features Victorian and Edwardian architecture as well as being the home of the University of Otago and the Larnach Castle http://www.larnachcastle.co.nz/

 In 1843, there was turmoil in the Scottish Presbyterian Church. This led to a split. Influential members of the new Free Church of Scotland immigrated to New Zealand and purchased the land upon which Dunedin sits from three local Maori chiefs. Immigration was further fueled by high unemployment in Scotland and social unrest in Britain. Immigrants to Dunedin labored in the whaling industry as well as gold mining (and, have we mentioned sheep?).

St. Paul's Cathedral in Dunedin

We are planning our route northward tomorrow, ever hopeful for sunshine and warmer temps as we head closer to the equator. I have called in a marker: Moeraki Beach where the shoreline is strewn with huge round boulders. It is also where we hope to have lunch at Fleur's Place, recommended to us by Cindy at the Mediterranean Market in Wanaka. http://www.fleursplace.com/

We don't know where we will alight tomorrow evening. Happy Birthday then to Willard!