SOMETIMES I think I should put more effort into Photoshopping pictures of myself for this blog, to make myself ridiculously pretty and flawless, but I ALWAYS realise that people who actually know me read this, and they’d be like "Who the heck is that!?"

SOMETIMES I see awesome heels on other blogs and think "I want them!!", but I would ALWAYS end up faceplanting in about 3 seconds if I tried to walk!

SOMETIMES my wisdom teeth annoy me a bit and I wonder whether I should get them out, but I go to the dentist and am ALWAYS told they don’t need to be removed…so I think I will save myself the pain and misery, since I’m apparently one of the lucky ones whose teeth are normal!

I SOMETIMES feels this real drive to "make the most out of" having this Mysterious Kidney Disease, because I want to gain something from this experience, but then I really ALWAYS end up wishing I didn’t have it in the first place! Swings and roundabouts, I suppose.

On our first morning in Dunedin (Saturday), mum and I visited the Dunedin Chinese Garden. Mum had visited before, about a year ago, and insisted that we go back. It was really great and definitely worth a look if you happen to be in Dunedin!

 
This plaque and the awesome archway were outside the entrance to the garden. I loved the colours of the archway.

  
Huge mountain made out of rock imported from Lake Taihu in China, and me, standing next to a cute little bridge. The church spire in the distance behind me is First Church, which will make an appearance in a later post. :)

 
The view from the top of the rock mountain. I did fix my hair before I left the hotel that morning, but it was so windy that I may as well not have bothered!

  
More miscellaneous photos of the garden. Huge goldfish lived in the pond, which wasn’t actually as murky and green as it looks!

It was strange how quiet and peaceful the garden was, since it was in the middle of the city and also right next to a railway! A few other people were there at the same time, but for the most part, I think I avoided having them in my photos.

The awesome courtyard at one side of the garden. The big building in the bottom photo was used as a function room for hire.

Upstairs in the function room, there were traditional Chinese wooden puzzles, and costumes to try on. Obviously they were designed for women somewhat smaller than I am, but they still fitted, so obviously I dressed up. Couldn’t convince mum to put one on, though. :P

I really liked the one I tried on because it had pink and teal on it. Two out of three favourite colours wasn’t bad. ;) The jeans underneath spoiled the effect a bit, though. :P

I was planning to write about where we went on Saturday afternoon in this post as well, but this has already become INSANELY long and picture-filled, so I’ll do a separate post about that tomorrow. :)

I hope my international readers are enjoying seeing a little bit about New Zealand…and maybe catching a travel bug or two!? ;)

1. A giant salmon. Look at its expression – it doesn’t look too pleased to be stuck on a pole. :(
2. Part of an awesome Chinese archway.
3. Latticework in a Chinese garden we visited last week.
4. A painted vase at the Chinese garden.
5. Awesome parrots. I think this might be one of my favourite Instagram photos in awhile!
6. A butterfly in the Otago Museum.
7. An amusing (and mouldy!?) sign I saw. I mostly took this to post on FB to amuse my TColl friends. ;)
8. Me, matching a 1930s Cadbury chocolate deliver truck.
9. Olveston, an historic house in Dunedin.
10. A church which was too big to get far enough away from to photograph!
11. The beach at Moeraki. I’m not going to say where, as it would give away my quiz below. ;)
12. Cute little red bridge at the Oamaru Botanic Garden.

Also, one other photo to share…

Is anyone REALLY super clever and able to tell me which Mystery Location I am at, and what I am sitting on? ;-) 

EDIT: Rachel was correct! I was at Moeraki sitting on a boulder. :)