Cycle: 33km

Before heading of to the Otago Peninsula we decided to have a look at the beaches at Dunedin. We had a great time having coffee and cake at the St Clair Beach cafe by the salt water pool before strolling along the beach and watching the South Island Surf Competition. There were plenty of blond haired kids running around in wet suits! The beaches were nice and looked good set by the mountains surrounding Dunedin. It looks like a nice place to live!

We left town and hit an immediate steep hill! This brought us up to the High Cliff Road which runs along the top of the hills along the Otago Pensinsula. The skies were clear and we were treated to spectacular views the whole way.

The only stop we made was at Larnach Castle. We had lunch and a glass of wine before exploring the gardens for the afternoon. This was a nice slice of sophistication and made an enjoyable break from the roads and campsites we normally spend all our time at. We lay down watching the sky for a little while and I fell asleep for half an hour!

We were feeling jaded so decided to just call it quits for the day so made our way to our unusual campsite: Bus Stop Backpackers. Phil (who loved us because we were "real" backpackers - he even gave us fresh grapes!) and Isabella let us pitch our tent in the smallest bit of grass in the universe! Still, the grass was lush and soft and by the sea, so we were happy. They had a small house in which they let out two rooms and two antique caravans that they also let people stay in. It was very unusual and a bit of a squeeze in the kitchen. The other people weren't too friendly unfortunately, but I had the best night's sleep I've had in ages - quiet roads and no other campers.