Dunedin, New Zealand
This private nature reserve for the endangered yellow-eyed penguin, founded in 1985 on Harington Point (outside Dunedin), is funded entirely by guided tours and donations. When Penguin Place opened there were only eight breeding pairs on...
This history museum was established more than a century ago to tell the story of the first European settlers in Dunedin and Otago. It was later expanded to include other migrants to the region, as well as the native Maori people and all of their...
Of all the historic buildings in Dunedin, the Olveston house is one of the crown jewels. It was donated to the city by the Theomin family, who lived here from 1906 to 1966. The house is decorated in grand Edwardian style, with a museum's...
Take a wildlife tour on an eight-wheel ATV to explore the scenic landscape of the Otago Peninsula and learn about its inhabitants. Ride off-road from conservationist Perry Reid's working sheep farm to observe yellow-eyed penguins, New Zealand fur...
Just outside Dunedin, a small tunnel was hand-carved in a sandstone cliff back in the 1870s to allow access to the beach below for the Cargill family, descendants of prominent Otago settlers. (The mountain overlooking Dunedin was named...
The massive and ornate "gingerbread house" railway station was once a busy transport hub for the South Island, with as many as 100 trains passing through every day. Train travel has become less convenient (and thus less popular), and now the...
Take an invigorating hike up Mount Cargill for rewarding views of Dunedin and Otago Harbour. The mountain was formed 10 million years ago by volcanic eruptions. According to legend, its three peaks represent the head, body and feet of a...
Acquaint yourself with the cultural and natural history of New Zealand's South Island at the Otago Museum in Dunedin. Besides extensive galleries on Maori and Pacific cultures, there are hands-on science exhibits and a three-level butterfly house....
At more than 150 years old, this is New Zealand's first botanical garden. The New Zealand Gardens Trust ranks the country's public gardens according to their importance on a national and global scale, and only six of them have been...
Dunedin's Scottish character and heritage make it a fitting location for New Zealand's only castle. Victorian merchant baron William Larnach had it built for his first wife in 1871, and spent more than a decade perfecting the castle and its...
A stop at Speight's Brewery in Dunedin is as essential as a Guinness factory tour in Dublin. Speight's has been brewing "the Pride of the South" at the same location since its founding in 1876, and is one of the only springwater-fed breweries in...
Scotia exemplifies Dunedin. An intimate bistro calling itself "a wee slice of Edinburgh," it serves traditional Scottish dishes with a contemporary New Zealand flair. House specialties include smoked beef fillet and Scotland's famous (or...
Eating locally is especially important in a small and isolated country. Luckily, New Zealand has an abundance of delicious food. Dunedin's With Sugar Café serves up tempting dishes for breakfast and lunch, with many gluten-free...
Etrusco is a longtime family-run Italian restaurant known for its classic Tuscan dishes, attentive service and impressive wine list. The menu, mostly pizza and pasta, has some gluten-free choices and a few nods to its location, such as the...
The name's not so clever (it's a shortened form of its address), but this quiet neighborhood restaurant is worth the trip to suburban Maori Hill. The all-day menu starts with quinoa pancakes and free-range eggs Benedict. Herb-crumbed...
Owned by a father-and-daughter team, Rata Jewellery specializes in sterling silver and locally made designer pieces that are on trend but not too trendy. Many items are made with New Zealand greenstone or eco-friendly materials, and most of them...
One of the busiest farmers markets on the South Island, if not the entire country, this Saturday-morning event held next to the train station attracts as many as 75 vendors each week. In addition to fresh produce, you'll find baked...
Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Ponder that as you browse the colorful decorative hens at the one-of-a-kind Happy Hens gift shop. The hens were inspired by early New Zealand pioneer women, who tended kitchen gardens and...
Part of Otago's thriving art scene, the Gallery De Novo showcases contemporary and vintage New Zealand artists such as John Badcock, Nic Dempster and Greg Straight. Should you fall for an original work that's priced beyond your...
Just steps from the historic Dunedin Railway Station, this shop showcases works by local potters and ceramic artists. Choose a unique New Zealand souvenir for its form or function from among the many colorful vases, mugs, dishes, wall art...
