Wonderland is apparently through a hobbit door

After sleeping in until nine(whoo!) we ate breakfast and packed our bags. However, our bus didn't leave until noon. So we checked out of rooms, but left our packs under Tigger's watchful eyes while we walked through Oamaru. We found that we had wandered to the Oamaru Public Gardens. None of us had very high expectations, since Oamaru is a pretty small town. But, with nothing better to do, we continued on.

After passing through the Iron-rote gates the street noise fell away, and we entered a land of greenery mixed with the scraggly grey/brown winter tree branches, twisting across the sky. The park gardens were much bigger then we had first expected, paths branched out every which way. At first we were indecisive, but then I, a touch impatiently, took the right path. It quickly came across a red bridge, and suddenly we were in China.

Ponds, bridges, and even a gateway-welcome to China!

We quickly passed through the China section to walk through  the garden all on on Plants of New Zealand. Further on we met a random red rooster hanging out with a flock of ducks. Thinking he was just slightly species-confused, we gave him only a passing ponder. 

 

On we walked, past beautiful flowers and exotic plants.  All of which are along a bubbling creek on one side, and a multitude of ponds on the other. Eventually we found an aviary, filled with cockatiels, a peacock and silky chickens. The next building housed  parakeets, lovebirds..and pigeons. Such a strange thing to see in the middle of  what basically is a public park. Well at least we now knew where the confused rooster had escaped from.

Past the aviary, we walked through a green house, until we came to wonderland!

  Wonderland turned out to be our last top since we had to get back to the Empire hotel for lunch, before catching the bus to Dunedin!But first, here's just a couple more pictures from our walk through the gardens.

I might have tried to climb a tree..and failed :(

Arely met us once we arrived at the Otago University. Otago's campus is so much prettier then Canterbury's! Where we have concrete blah, they have stone work and beautiful buildings!

We walked through the campus and across the street to the Otago/Dunedin Museum. There, we learned about Pacific island history and saw some terrible/scary stuffed animals. Afterwards,  it was a quick walk up the street to get ice cream. Too lazy to go out and actually do something, we brought fish and chips back to the flat and watched a movie.