Well, it's time for me to leave and it's a reluctant parting of ways. I have lived in Dunedin now for 8 months, and never has a city felt so much like home in such a short amount of time. I wasn't even meant to stay here--I was heading for Queenstown, but as I drove through Dunedin it was love at first sight... I've still not made it to the party town of Queenstown, and don't regret it one bit.
Dunedin is a big place by New Zealand standards, with a population of around 140,000 with 20,000 of that comprising the iterant student population. The students add to the feel of the town, as do the lively bars and cafes, and the high level of art and culture.
Dunedin also has a great amount of character--it's one of the oldest if not thee oldest (European) settlement in New Zealand, and the buildings have a very Scottish feel. But these are intermingled with more traditional wooden houses, and vast mansions all nestled together on the hillside overlooking the harbour.
I live a five minute walk from town, and yet I can see the harbour, the peninsula, and the sea from my window. I am on the edge of the town belt--a vast stretch of park land reaching across the hillside--and well away from the noisy festivities of Friday night central Dunedin.
The peninsula is a short drive away, and yet you can feel a million miles from civilization once you're there. It's not just the albatross and penguins, but the lack of light polution from the city at night, and the rolling hills stretching away in all directions.
Most of all Dunedin has the friendliest bunch of residents I've ever met. My feelings of being 'home' are largely created by the welcome I have had since I've been here. The offers of accomodation and a place to spend Christmas should the need arise. And the town is small enough that you can bump into people you know on the high street, yet large enough that you can avoid them should you so choose!
I dearly wish I could stay here, but unfortunately residency isn't all that easy to come by anywhere in New Zealand! But, I've discovered my home away from home, and I will be back...