Dunedin & Otago
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…
Dunedin & Otago
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…
Dunedin
Although it's a youngster by European standards, this spectacular 1906 mansion provides a wonderful window into Dunedin's past. Entry is via fascinating…
Dunedin & Otago
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…
Dunedin
Storytelling is the focus of this excellent interactive museum, which traces the history of human settlement i
Otago Peninsula
What makes the improbably beautiful beaches of this coastal sheep farm different from other important wildlife habitats is that (apart from pest…
Dunedin & Otago
From the impressive visitor centre there are great views over this 307-hectare predator-free nature reserve, which encloses cloud forest on the…
Dunedin & Otago
Discover an alternative past – or maybe a quirky version of the future – at this fascinating art project celebrating steampunk culture. Ancient machines…
Central Otago
The most photogenic of Ophir's many heritage buildings is this still-functioning 1886 post office, the oldest continually operated post office in NZ. Drop…
Dunedin & Otago
Crammed with weird theatrical sculpture, papier-mâché masks and vintage curiosities, this former Victorian grain store houses an ever-changing cornucopia…
Royal Albatross Centre & Fort Taiaroa
Otago Peninsula
Taiaroa Head (Pukekura), at the peninsula’s northern tip, has the world’s only mainland royal albatross colony, along with a late 19th-century military…
Dunedin & Otago
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…
Dunedin
Featuring mosaic-tile floors and glorious stained-glass windows, Dunedin’s striking bluestone railway station (built between 1903 and 1906) claims to be…
Dunedin
The centrepiece of this august institution is Southern Land, Southern People, showcasing Otago’s cultural and physical past and present, from geology and…
Otago Peninsula
Standing proudly on top of a hill overlooking the peninsula, this gorgeous Gothic Revival mansion was built in 1871 by Dunedin banker, merchant and Member…
Dunedin
This street proudly held the title of steepest street in the world until July 2019, when Ffordd Pen Llech in the Welsh town of Harlech was officially…
Dunedin & Otago
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…
Central Otago
When the Clyde Dam was completed in 1992 it flooded Cromwell's historic town centre – 280 homes, six farms and 17 orchards. Many historic buildings were…
Dunedin
Even in Presbyterian Dunedin, the 'established church' (aka the Church of England) gets the prime spot on The Octagon. A Romanesque portal leads into the…
Oturehua
Wander about the chilly workshop filled with lathes, drills and pulleys where inventor and engineer Ernest Hayes manufactured all manner of useful farm…
Dunedin
This impressive brick-and-glass structure is the flash home of Emerson's, the microbrewery founded by local-boy-made-good Richard Emerson in 1992. Forty…
Maerewhenua Māori Rock Painting Site
Dunedin & Otago
Sheltered by an impressive limestone overhang with amazing views over the valley, this site contains charcoal-and-ochre paintings dating to before the…
Dunedin
Founded in 1869, the University of Otago is NZ's oldest. Today the university is home to some 21,000 students, and is well worth a wander, with many…
Dunedin & Otago
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…
Dunedin & Otago
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…
Dunedin
Gaze upon local and international art – including a small collection of Impressionists – at this expansive and airy gallery. Only a fraction of the…
Dunedin
Dating from 1863, these 30 hectares of peaceful, grassy and shady green space include rose gardens, rare natives, a rhododendron dell, an exotic bird…
Dunedin & Otago
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…
Otago Peninsula
Make time to pause at these lush, well-tended gardens, filled with flowers and swaying mature trees, including a 1000-year-old matai. Walking tracks…
Dunedin & Otago
Housed in an elegant, temple-like former bank building, the Forrester Gallery was closed for renovations at the time of research, but should be open in…
Dunedin & Otago
If you've ever fantasised about being transported back to Ancient Rome, stroll through the Corinthian columns and into this gorgeous Catholic church …
Dunedin Museum of Natural Mystery
Dunedin
This oddball collection of skulls, body bits, ethnographic art and beautiful bone sculptures has been assembled by local mural artist and sculptor Bruce…
Takiroa Māori Rock Painting Site
Dunedin & Otago
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…
Otago Peninsula
On private farmland, this reserve protects nesting sites of the rare yellow-eyed penguin (hoiho). The 90-minute tours cover 2km and focus on penguin…
Central Otago
Central Otago's history of gold mining, winemaking, fruit growing and sheep farming is covered in this excellent regional museum and gallery, which shares…
Dunedin & Otago
Opened in 1876, these beautiful gardens are among the oldest in New Zealand, and are a lovely place to stroll and relax, with expansive lawns, waterways,…
Central Otago
Gold was discovered in Bendigo in 1862; relics from the rush can be seen at this historic reserve, accessible off SH8, near the north of Lake Dunstan…
Dunedin & Otago
About as ‘hidden gem’ as you can get in an area rife with nosy tourists, these eerie and kinda creepy pinnacles, ravines and ridges have been shaped by…
Dunedin
Speight’s has been churning out beer on this site since the late 19th century and is the oldest operating brewery in NZ. The 60-minute tour gives an…
Dunedin & Otago
Ōamaru's heyday is brought to life by costumed guides inside this 1882 grain store – and you too can don vintage costumes (adult/child $20/10) and get…
Dunedin & Otago
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…