Dunedin has the reputation of being the Edinborough of the South. The City’s Scottish Heritage is reflected in the grey stone buildings that form one of the best collections of Edwardian and Victorian Architecture in the Southern Hemisphere. New Zealand’s oldest City possesses a unique combination of fine architecture, cultural riches and nearby wildlife reserves. The resident University students keep Dunedin a lively place.

Around the City you can easily spend a few hours either at the Otago Museum, Dunedin Public Art Gallery or The New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame. The historic home of Olveston is a perfectly preserved snapshot of Edwardian times and offers regular guided tours. Chocolate lovers will revel in the delights of The Cadbury World Factory Tour and just a few blocks away you can take a tour of Speights Brewery, home of New Zealand’s favourite beer. The Taieri Gorge Railway will take you on a scenic four hour train ride through the rugged mountainous regions of Otago. The comfortable refurbished 1920s wooden carriages provide panoramic views and there is a licensed snack bar on board.

Head out to the Otago Peninsula for a wildlife experience you won’t forget. Visit the Royal Albatross Centre at Taiaroa Head, the site of the only mainland breeding colony of Royal Albatross in the World. Get up close and personal with the Yellow eyed penguins and sea lions in their natural habitat at the penguin Colony and find out more about New Zealand Marine life at the New Zealand Marine Studies Centre. Guided tours provide an informative, personalised view of these amazing creatures. Stop in at Larnach Castle on the way back to Dunedin. Built in 1871 it is notable for its impressive ballroom, ornate ceilings and Italian marble fireplace.

Dunedin has things to do and offers a wide range of accommodation, restaurants and bars. Food enthusiasts will appreciate a wide array of cuisine from around the world. Cafes and fine dining restaurants are strung along the central streets of the City. You don’t have to look far to satisfy your appetite.

Shopping in the designer boutiques and stylish souvenir stores will quench your thirst for retail therapy and a wander through the beautiful 22 hectare Dunedin Botanic Gardens will take you through native forest and a myriad of plants from around the world.

There is a broad choice of accommodation in Dunedin with much of it in or near the city centre. Hotels , motels and hostels are dotted around the area while the best B & Bs and Home-stays are found in the hillside suburbs. Dunedin has a lively theatre scene and performances are presented on a regular basis at concert halls and cinemas. Rugby matches are held in season at Carisbrook Stadium. Dunedin is a City of many parts which is unique in many ways. It is exciting, intriguing and provides perhaps the best links to New Zealand’s heritage.

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