Stop into this volunteer-run centre to dig out your own real limestone fossils (to keep!) or check out the frightening 25-million-year-old shark-toothed dolphin and giant penguin. There are lots of activities for kids, and you can pick up a copy of the Vanished World Trail map ($6.50) outlining 20 different interesting geological locations around the Waitaki Valley and North Otago coast.
Vanished World Centre
Dunedin & Otago
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
22.84 MILES
Every evening the tykes from the Ōamaru blue penguin colony surf in and wade ashore, heading to their nests in an old stone quarry near the waterfront…
22.16 MILES
Consisting of only a couple of blocks centred on Harbour and Tyne Sts, this atmospheric enclave has some of NZ’s best-preserved Victorian commercial…
22.11 MILES
Discover an alternative past – or maybe a quirky version of the future – at this fascinating art project celebrating steampunk culture. Ancient machines…
22.15 MILES
Crammed with weird theatrical sculpture, papier-mâché masks and vintage curiosities, this former Victorian grain store houses an ever-changing cornucopia…
23.45 MILES
Larger and much rarer than their little blue cousins, yellow-eyed penguins waddle ashore at Bushy Beach in the late afternoon from a day of fishing. In…
21.94 MILES
Oamaru’s main drag owes its expansive girth to the need to accommodate the minimum turning circle of a bullock cart. The town's grand pretensions reached…
Maerewhenua Māori Rock Painting Site
0.48 MILES
Sheltered by an impressive limestone overhang with amazing views over the valley, this site contains charcoal-and-ochre paintings dating to before the…
21.95 MILES
This weighty museum plans to reopen after renovation in March 2020. The new space will house Waitaki Taonga (the Willetts Collection), one of the most…
Nearby Dunedin & Otago attractions
1. Maerewhenua Māori Rock Painting Site
0.48 MILES
Sheltered by an impressive limestone overhang with amazing views over the valley, this site contains charcoal-and-ochre paintings dating to before the…
2. Takiroa Māori Rock Painting Site
2.15 MILES
Hidden within the honeycomb cliffs lining the highway, this well-signposted site, 3km west of Duntroon, is of special significance to the Ngāi Tahu. It…
2.98 MILES
Sculpted by wind, rain and rivers, the huge limestone boulders of this bizarre landscape were used as Aslan’s Camp in the NZ-filmed Narnia movies (2005–10…
10.87 MILES
Offering over 40 local wines by the glass, including River T's own well-regarded pinot gris and chardonnay, this new cellar door is gaining a reputation…
10.94 MILES
The valley's most impressive winery, Pasquale produces killer pinot noir, pinot gris and riesling, as well as less common varietals such as…
13.46 MILES
Housed in Kurow's old post office, Vintner's Drop acts as a tasting room for Ostler Vineyards, along with other small local producers. Try the signature…
7. Kurow Heritage & Information Centre
13.52 MILES
Local hero Richie McCaw rates a mention at this very sweet community-run museum, filled with lovingly preserved curios. Staff are knowledgeable and…
8. Childhood Home of Janet Frame
21.53 MILES
Nobel Prize–nominated writer Janet Frame (1924–2004) grew up in this simple suburban home and drew on her time here to write her three acclaimed…