DUNEDIN - South Island, New Zealand

The southeastern corner of the South Island contains some of the least populated and least visited rural areas in New Zealand with sheep, paddocks, rivers, lakes, and white sandy beaches. The Otago coast stretches from the Waitaki River north of Oamaru to the mighty Clutha River south of Dunedin.

In the heart of the Otago region is the cosmopolitan city of Dunedin (400 kilometres from Christchurch). This is New Zealand's fifth largest city - a city defined by its arts, cafes, local music scene, university life, museums and some of the country's most elegant historical architecture.

Within easy reach of the city is the Otago Peninsula, a unique place with a variety of attractions, including rare and unusual marine and birdlife, historical buildings, a stunning harbour and coastal scenery.

North of Dunedin, the Waitaki district is a place of haunting natural beauty, complemented by Oamaru's historic whitestone architecture. At Moeraki, 40 kilometres south of Oamaru, huge spherical boulders are scattered along the beach. Others can be seen emerging from the sandstone cliffs.

South of Dunedin is another coastal highlight, the wild Catlins Coast, a large magical reserve offering dramatically varied scenery of fossilised trees, beautiful waterfalls, golden sand surf beaches, high cliffs, secret caves and spectacular ancient forests. The reserve provides the perfect home to a variety of wildlife including the rare Hector Dolphin, penguins, seals and sea lions.

Central Otago is a region touched by history, with a powerful landscape of ancient mountains, weathered rock formations, alpine herb fields and fast rivers. In the 1860s Central Otago was the scene of a gold rush.

Trails used by miners can still be seen winding over the hills. Stone cottages, a haunted hotel, cleverly engineered water channels, mines and machinery are other relics to discover.

Nowadays Central Otago is the scene of a 'wine rush'. Pinot noir has become one of the region's newest treasures, and many of the wineries welcome visitors for tours and tastings.

Dunedin City

Sitting at the head of Otago Harbour, a sheltered harbour framed by rugged hills, Dunedin is New Zealand's Scottish city, founded by Scottish settlers in 1848.

The hub of the city is the Octagon, a green tree-filled oasis surrounded by a number of fine, architecturally diverse buildings. Goldrush wealth in the later half of the 19th century produced a grand Victorian city, which is evident in the graceful stone Victorian buildings.

The Octagon is home to the world class Dunedin Public Art Gallery, with international and local collections as well as visiting international exhibitions.

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Alexandra

Alexandra is a small town 10 kilometres southeast of Clyde which sprang up during the 1862 goldrush when huge gold dredges worked the Clutha River. Known as the fruit growing heartland of Central Otago, Alexandra is visited for its wine making, orchids and mountainbike trails.

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Cromwell and Clyde

East of Arrowtown, Cromwell is a flat little town located on the shores of Lake Dunstan. Cromwell's history stretches back to the goldrush days of the 1800s but the town underwent a major transformation in the 1980s when parts of it were flooded (on purpose) during the construction of the Clyde Dam power station and much of its historic core is now underwater.

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Dunedin Transportation

Dunedin has an airport served by domestic flights from most main centres. There are also international flights from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. There are taxis and shuttle buses to meet flights and make drop-offs to accommodation. Dunedin is situated on State Highway 1 and is an easy 5 hour drive from Christchurch.

Dunedin Accommodation

Dunedin Activities