The tale of too many dogs, 'fatty lane', and a burst water pipe.

Family holidays have always been a tradition in the Macfarlane household. Mostly we hop in the car and see a bit more of New Zealand, and every once in a while if we're lucky we zip overseas for a bit of sightseeing.

Before we begin this tale, I wholeheartedly appreciate that holidays are a luxury and I'm incredibly privileged to go on them. This post is merely an observation of some of the things that happened on our latest escapade. Apologies if I come across as a spoiled brat, but I've got to do something with my time seeing I didn't get that pony for Christmas.

Spontaneity has never been a word that has sat comfortably with me. I like to know when and where things are happening, so I can prepare myself. This year, our holiday plans were thrown up in the air. We were planning a trip somewhere sunny. Head up to Nelson to catch some rays, get a tan and bask on a golden beach. This was going to be the perfect, hot, holiday. Alas just a few short weeks beforehand, that area of the country was hit with a devastating earthquake. Having lived through the Christchurch quakes, we felt we were after a less shaky holiday, so plans were changed. And the location was kept a surprise until a few short days before we left.

Where were we going? Did I need to pack extra sunscreen? Would there be a beach for swimming? What was the weather going to be like?

The mystery location? Dunedin.

Yep. We traded in our togs for merino and our goggles for scarf(ie)s.

Let's start with the hotel. Before we begin, I'd like to clarify that the owners were extremely lovely considering the strange circumstances and I admire their tolerance. You'll understand why in just a few short sentences.

We rocked up with our bags and after we'd had dinner we got ready to head to bed. Our room had an enchanting view of the KFC next door and you could smell the gentle waft of those eleven secret herbs and spices in the air... According to my friend who lives in Dunedin, we were staying on a street with the nickname "Fatty Lane". While un-politically correct - I could see where the title came from given that there were around nine different roadside fast-food joints.

And then it happened. Softly at first, but audible enough to be heard.

'Woof!'

Must've been someone watching Lassie next door. Great movie.

'Bork! Bork!'

It was louder this time. Maybe one of the hotel owners had a Chihuahua or something. I wondered what happened to 'Bruiser' from Legally Blonde? A quick google revealed that he'd passed on to the big dog park in the sky earlier this year. Another casualty of 2016.

Then it started. A chorus of barking from next door.

'BORK! YAP! WOOF!'

Don't get me wrong, I'm a self-confessed dog lover. However, when it's two in the morning and some canine next door is treating you to a chorus of what could be a dog-version of Handel's messiah, that love can only take you so far.

The hotel manager marched over and threw the sliding door open, revealing not one, but three dogs. They'd been smuggled in the dead of night by some American tourists who'd conveniently forgotten to mention that they'd brought a variety of dogs in their carry-on luggage...

Also if you're wondering, Johnny Depp and Amber Heard weren't staying next door.

And while the trio of canines mysteriously disappeared the next morning - the subsequent night we had another interesting experience...

Five years ago, our family visited Venice, Italy. It's a beautiful city with so much history and heritage. Part of that heritage is a freak event called the "Acqua Alta" where seawater flows up the stormwater drains and floods the city. We experienced it first hand on our last day, as you can see from this blurry image taken by young photography protégé Andrew Macfarlane in 2011...

We thought it was unique to Europe, until day two of our holiday.

We awoke to the sound of water hissing at five in the morning. Someone must've been taking a shower really early! The sound continued for another few hours. Upon further investigation we discovered that a pipe had burst next door, filling the room with water.

There's a sad irony in the sense that we'd wanted a hotel next to the beach, and in a way, the Dunedin was providing.

Hotel dramas aside, Dunedin was actually a really interesting place to explore for a few days. My sister and I went to the butterfly house at Otago Museum where we saw a small child who was having a tantrum being attacked by a giant insect. As I said before - the universe works in mysterious but beautiful ways...

We also discovered a slice of China amongst the grotty student flats. Dunedin has this beautiful garden full of Chinese architecture and design, and it's certainly worth a look.

Plus you can make it look like you went on two holidays on Instagram!

Overall it's been a really memorable experience. I thought sightseeing in Dunedin would just be student flats and Otago University. While I did see some interesting flats (one called 'The Greasy Beaver Lodge' - I hate to imagine its backstory), it really did surprise me how much I enjoyed the city.

A x

P.S. how did they make the beaver greasy? Genuinely concerned...

#dunedin #hotel #holiday #students