Top Things to do in Dunedin
1. Walking up Baldwin Street
Baldwin Street was hailed by Guinness Book of Records as the steepest residential street in the world. It has become a popular tourist attraction and one of the most photographed places in Dunedin. The street is easy to find, it is located on the northern side of Signal Hill.
Unlike the other streets in New Zealand, which are usually made of asphalt, this street is made of concrete. The steep incline was not intentional. The foundation of the street was laid out without the proper study of its terrain. The result is a steep slope that holds at least two festivities every year.
One is the Jaffa race which is held during the Cadbury Chocolate Carnival. The Jaffas, which are round, colored hard candies with a chocolate center, are numbered then rolled down the street. The candies are channeled into a chute to determine the winners.
Another event is the Gutbuster wherein 1,000 people participate in different events but mainly to run up and down the street. So grab the opportunity to see Baldwin street and join in their wacky races. Or do the vertical challenge and walk the entire 350 meters (1,150 feet) to the top. Take your time, as there’s a fountain at the end where you can get a good drink of water.
Source — Trip101.com
2. Otago Peninsula Wildlife Tour
Peer at rare yellow-eyed penguins and visit nesting grounds of the northern royal albatross during a full-day tour of the Otago Peninsula and Dunedin. Spend your morning sightseeing in Dunedin’s city center, including highlights of the Octagon, followed by a visit to the gardens of Larnach Castle, with the option to go inside and buy lunch.
In the afternoon, immerse in the natural beauty of the Otago Peninsula and the scenic coast along Taiaroa Head. Numbers are limited to 19 people to allow for personalized attention from your informative guide.
See the highlights of Dunedin, Larnach Castle and the penguins of the Otago Peninsula — all in one day. After morning pickup from your Dunedin hotel or the Port Chalmers cruise port, your guide transports you by minivan throughout the city. Get a look at steep Baldwin Street, the University of Otago and Dunedin Railway Station, renowned for its ornate Renaissance Revival design.
You’ll pass Dunedin Town Hall and St Paul's Anglican Cathedral in the Octagon — the lively city center — and step out at the Signal Hill lookout for a wider view.
Next, explore the extensive Larnach Gardens with your guide before free time to meander at your own pace. Opt to tour the mansion for a historical overview, including rumors of its haunting (choose the Castle option when booking).
You can purchase lunch at the ballroom cafe adjacent to Larnach Castle before continuing on. Upon arrival at a nearby nature reserve on the Otago Peninsula, you’re greeted by a naturalist guide for a tour to observe New Zealand’s yellow-eyed penguins.
A moderate walk plus a descent of 90 steps takes you through hides for close-up viewing of the nesting site without disturbing the world’s rarest penguins.
Then rejoin your minivan for the drive to Taiaroa Head to visit nesting grounds for the northern royal albatross. Search for seabirds with the widest wingspans gliding over the headlands. Then marvel at the coastline on the return to Dunedin where your day trip ends.
Source — Viator.com
3. Toitū Otago Settlers Museum
The extensive collection of interactive displays and intricate scale models bring the fascinating history of the Otago region to life.
At the Toitū Otago Settlers Museum, view replicas of traditional Maori boats and discover how the indigenous people of New Zealand adapted to accommodate arrivals from abroad. Go below deck on a replica immigrant ship and check out a genuine 19th-century British train.
Begin your visit to the museum by gaining an understanding of life in New Zealand before the first settlers arrived at the end of the 18th century. The Ara-i-te-uru exhibit will show you how events unfolded through the eyes of the Maori. Don’t miss the examples of typical Mokihi watercraft and the fully interactive storehouse of knowledge.
The next section of the museum gives a detailed account of the first encounters between the people of New Zealand and their British counterparts. Discover why this was such a turbulent period and why the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi was such an important moment.
One of the museum’s most enthralling features is a life-size depiction of the interior of an immigrant boat. Climb aboard to get a sense of the long, arduous and often terrifying journey around the world from Britain to Otago. Short video clips help illustrate the realities of the journey.
Elsewhere in the museum hear stories about the famous gold rush of 1861. Stand completely surrounded by portraits of Otago’s early pioneers in the Smith Gallery. Built-in 1908, this is the oldest part of the museum.
Spend time admiring Josephine, the green locomotive that was transported from England in 1872 to be used on the Dunedin-Port Chalmers Railway. Having been saved from the scrap heap, it has now retired to the museum where it provides a tangible glimpse into a bygone era.
The Toitū Otago Settlers Museum is at Queens Gardens in central Dunedin. Stop at the museum’s café and souvenir shop during your visit. The museum is open every day, all week with free access. Special exhibits may charge a small fee for entry.
Source — Expedia.com
4. Swimming at Tunnel Beach
For centuries the Southern Ocean and its salt-laden wind have sculpted the sandstone coastline south of Dunedin. The outcome is a line of magnificent high cliffs, arches, and headlands that provide endless vantage points for breathtaking views.
Follow the fenced track downhill to the spectacular, rocky coastline. At the end of the track, you will find the hand-carved rock tunnel that gives Tunnel Beach its name. Built-in the 1870s, the passage allows access to a secluded and sheltered beach at the base of the cliffs.
Be sure to examine the rock along the way, where you may discover shell fragments and possibly a fossil, such as a brachiopod shell or echinoderm (sea urchin), or even bones of an extinct whale.
Above, tenacious plant species, such as spleenwort, happily exist in the absence of soil.
Source — Newzealand.com
5. Intriguing Larnach Castle
Sitting down to a candle-lit table set beneath the dim light of a Victorian-era chandelier, it was once just men who filled this room drinking whisky, smoking cigars and playing cards. The ladies sat in the drawing-room opposite drinking tea and embroidering. Vogel, Stout, Seddon, and Ward – four of New Zealand’s former Prime Ministers – have all been entertained in this very room.
Dining in the library of Larnach Castle, perched in the heart of Dunedin’s Otago Peninsula, it is even more enchanting by night than it is by day. With the fireplace to my right, I’m surrounded by delicate golden-framed Victorian paintings and rows of old books. While dinner is usually served in the traditional dining room down the hall, this unique experience of the castle by night is exclusive to Larnach accommodation guests.
New Zealand’s only standing castle – the other is but a shell of its former glory – Larnach Castle has undergone a lengthy revival spanning more than 35 years. Climbing up and down the carpeted spiral staircase disguised behind Venetian glass panels, it feels like nothing ever changed.
From the master bedroom to the music room and the stunning detail of the entrance foyer, 20 percent of the trinkets and antique furniture are originals from the Larnach residence. In-display cabinets, 19th-century guns, costumes, and jewellery provide a personal touch of insight.
Source — Flightcentre.com.au
6. Hare Hill Horse Treks
The abundant greenery that surrounds Dunedin to the north, west, and south makes for some ideal farmland, so it only makes sense that chances for hopping on horseback to explore this beautiful region are easily accessible and highly enjoyable opportunity.
The facility of Hare Hill, which can be found roughly 20 minutes' drive to the northeast of the city CBD is an expansive farm spread out over 60 acres with a spectacular outlook over the northern side of lovely Otago Harbour, and it's here you'll want to head for the area's premier horse riding experience.
Both beginners and advanced riders are welcome to come along and join in one of the most eco-friendly ways to tour the greater Dunedin area, with the choice of riding through a variety of trails that traverse their way through lush, green open paddocks overlooking the vibrant blue harbour, or instead head down to the beaches of Aramoana for some waterfront riding and an up-close look at the coast.
The facility is run by friendly and down-to-earth owners who are very patient with those hopping on horseback for the first time, and during the rides, they're always happy to share their vast knowledge on not only the Dunedin region but New Zealand in general while answering any questions you may have.
Source — Experienceoz.com.au
7. Hike to Signal Hill Lookout
Signal Hill has five main hiking trails; the North head Trail, the Ladies Lookout Trail, the Centre to Citadel Trail, the Burma Road Trail, and the Gibbet Hill Trail. A short, fully accessible trail, known as the Lookout Trail, goes around the top of the hill, circling Cabot Tower and connecting various lookout points. In addition, a number of Grand Concourse connecting trails connect the Signal Hill Trails to the Grand Concourse Trail system, which winds its way throughout the city of St. John's.
Lookout Trail is the shortest of the Signal Hill Trails, at just 300m, and circles the summit of Signal Hill. It is rated easy and is fully accessible. The trail is a loop that enters from, and exits to, the parking lot. Starting at the city side the walker steps onto the boardwalk which runs along the length of the parking lot on that side. The boardwalk ends on a gravel portion of the trail that leads around to the back of Cabot Tower. This portion of the trail provides a beautiful panoramic view of the city.
Where the trail loops around the rear of Cabot Tower one will find a number of lookout points, some equipped with viewing scopes, which give spectacular views of the city, the harbour, the narrows, Fort Amherst, and the Atlantic Ocean. The entrance to Cabot Tower is also around back, and it is certainly worthwhile, if there during its hours of operation, to take the time to tour this interesting and historic building. From the trail loop at the rear of the Tower, the hiker can either continue around the building and take the trail back down to the parking lot or get on the Centre to Citadel trail.
Source — Skyaboveus.com
8. Taieri Gorge Railway
This is a fascinating journey into some of New Zealand’s most iconic scenery and history, where passengers are amazed at the engineering feats of New Zealand’s early pioneers, set among the stunning landscape of the gorge.
Negotiating the winding gorge, the comfortable train travels through ten tunnels and across numerous bridges including the famous Wingatui Viaduct – the second-largest wrought iron structure in operation in the world.
Enjoy refreshments from the on-board café, or take that must-have photo from one of the open-air platforms, all while the train manager shares fascinating stories about the environment and history of New Zealand’s gold rush era.
Source — Dunedinrailways.co.nz
9. Otago Peninsula
The Otago Peninsula is truly a wonderland of wildlife, heritage, and scenery. It is the only region that facilitates breeding of any species of albatross in the world. It has plenty of accommodation options for tourists to choose from.
The place has a range of luxury accommodation to full fill need of every visitor. It offers world-class hospitality that you never had.
The range of activities is numerous which starts from wildlife tours and prisons to cruises and mountain biking. It is one of the most amazing things to do in Dunedin.
While in Otago Peninsula don’t miss to visit NZ’s only castle, the Larnach Castle. The castle is located on the top of Otago. It is home to a garden of worldwide importance.
Source — Thingsplan.com
10. Sandfly Bay
Sandfly Bay is a bay with large dunes on the Otago Peninsula, 15 km east of central Dunedin. The bay was often thought by locals to have been named for a small biting insect known as the Sandfly, but this is incorrect. It was named after the sand which, given the windy nature of this coast, flies from the dunes surrounding the bay.
An island at the north-eastern end of the bay is known as Lion Rock or Lion's Head Rock, due to its shape. A distinctive landmark, it can be clearly seen in good weather from Second Beach, close to Saint Clair.
The beach is a popular site for the Hooker's Sea Lion to bask on the sand. It is also an excellent site for washed-up Durvillea Antarctica to be found.
Source — Dunedinnz.com
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