Dunedin

Dunedin is an endearing city of classical architecture, truly unique wildlife, noted education establishments and even the world’s steepest street.

It is a striking locale with clear blue-green ocean, a score of white sand beaches sheltered by towering cliffs and a harbor sprinkled with bush-clad islands. Few cities in the world have such a richly diverse population of coastal wildlife including many Antarctic species preferring Dunedin’s kinder climate.

It is the second-largest city on the South Island the and the principal city of the Otago Region. The Dunedin skyline is dominated by a ring of seven hills which form the remnants of a volcanic crater.

The core of the city is very reminiscent of its namesake in Scotland. Larnach Castle and Oveston are fine examples of Victorian and Edwardian style architecture; another is the iconic Railway Station. A city tour ending at The Otago Settlers Museum will uncover the tales of those who settled in Dunedin from early Maori, Scottish pioneers and Chinese gold miners.

Larnach Castle is New Zealand‘s only castle. It is open daily from 9 am – 5 pm and you can explore the beautiful Castle and gardens. Visitors receive an informative brochure which guides them through the rooms of the Castle and shares its exciting, tragic and sometimes scandalous history.

Dunedin has a reputation as a fine center of learning with the University of Otago being NZ’s oldest university. The Dunedin Public Art Gallery and Otago Museum showcase both classical and contemporary art with domestic and international collections.

The city is a plant paradise. Dunedin’s Botanic Gardens is New Zealand’s oldest garden, first opened in 1869. It has an extensive rose garden, Japanese garden, bird aviary and a noted rhododendron dell.

Interesting facts:

Check out Dunedin’s quirky annual events including a nude rugby international match and a race of 30,000 Jaffas (hard coated candy balls) down the world’s steepest street during the Cadbury Chocolate Carnival. Baldwin Street, officially named the world’s steepest street by the Guinness Book of Records, is also home to the annual Gutbuster Challenge event where participants race to the top.

The city is also home to the oldest brewery in the country, Speight’s Brewery which dates back to the 1876.One of the world’s only gravity-fed breweries, Speight’s Brewery is a Dunedin icon and can be toured daily.

There are pubs and bars offering a quiet, relaxed, traditional atmosphere and nightclubs and student pubs for fun, lively surroundings. Good food and plenty of it is standard fare at many of Dunedin’s restaurants, which offer everything from traditional hearty meals to contemporary al fresco dining. Dare you try the Scottish national dish – haggis?

The Octagon is the city center of Dunedin and is an eight-sided plaza bisected by the city’s main street – George Street. The main retail area, around George and Princes Streets, are dotted with stores and boutiques

Tairoa Head, at the start of the harbor, is the world’s only mainland albatross breeding colony. Here you can visit the Royal Albatross Centre for an up-close look at these majestic ocean wanderers. Tairoa Head is also home to Fort Tairoa and the rare Armstrong Disappearing Gun.

Just around from the Albatross colony, one can visit the home of the world’s rarest penguin at the Yellow-Eyed Penguin Conservation Reserve, and marvel at a colony of blue/fairy penguins  – the smallest in the world. And nearby is the NZ Fur Seal colony where you can see young pups cavorting in tidal pools.

For those who fancy a round of golf, there are 12 courses all within minutes drives of the city center. The Otago Golf Club is the oldest golf club in the entire Southern Hemisphere.

Dunedin is also world famous for its’ surf beaches and massive breaks as well as winds which make it a prime locale for windsurfing.

Dunedin’s climate

The climate of Dunedin in general is temperate, however the city is recognized as having a large number of microclimates and the weather conditions often vary between suburbs mostly due to the city’s topographical layout.  The weather is also greatly modified by its proximity to the ocean. This leads to warm summers and cool winters. Winter can be frosty, but significant snowfall is uncommon

A bit of Dunedin history

Archaeological evidence shows the first Maori occupation of New Zealand occurred between AD 1250–1300, with population concentrated along the southeast coast. A camp site at Kaikai’s Beach, near Otago Heads has been dated from about that time.

James Cook stood off what is now the coast of Dunedin between February 25, 1770 and March 5, 1770, naming Cape Saunders on the Otago Peninsula and Saddle Hill. He reported penguins and seals in the vicinity, which led sealers to visit from the beginning of the 19th century.[

In 1852, Dunedin became the capital of Otago Province – the whole of New Zealand from the Waikati south. In 1861 the discovery of gold at Gabriel’s Gully to the southwest, led to a rapid influx of population and saw Dunedin become New Zealand’s first city by growth of population in 1865.

After WW2, prosperity and population growth revived, although Dunedin trailed as the fourth ‘main city center’. A generation reacting against Victorianism started demolishing its buildings and many were lost, notably William Mason’s Stock Exchange in 1969.

During the 1980s Dunedin’s music scene scene blossomed. The term “The Dunedin Sound” was coined to describe the 1960s-influenced, guitar-led music which flourished at the time.

Exploring outside the city

There is a maze of walking tracks around Dunedin including Mount Cargill and Ross Creek through native forest, the rather un-tropical Pineapple Track and the beautiful Silverpeaks.

A bit further afield one can visit New Zealand’s only inland salt lake near Middlemarch. A not-to-missed experience is to ride the Taieri Gorge Railway. This is a half-day return trip from Dunedin that passes over the spectacular Wingatui Viaduct – 47 meters (154 ft.) above the river bed.