It’s 5000 miles from Singapore, and over 9000 from New York. Yes, New Zealand's South Island is a long way away
from the rest of the world, but it’s distance that helps make
the city of Dunedin so special. Distance, and the promise of new beginnings is what drew two shiploads of Scottish settlers to the South Island’s Otago region in 1848. These wild shores, fern-filled valleys, and ever-changing skies spoke to
the hardy Scots, just as they had to the Maori who settled the Otago Peninsula centuries before. The industrious Scots made their mark all
over New Zealand, but nowhere is the Caledonian spirit
more alive than in Dunedin. Set at the head of Otago Harbour, the city centre is shaped by The Octagon, an eight-sided plaza that’s a tribute to the Scottish sense of order. Right at the Octagon’s heart sits a contemplative statue of Robert Burns, the acclaimed Scottish poet whose nephew was one of the city’s founding fathers. While all around rise some of the city's
most important buildings, such as Town Hall, St Paul’s Cathedral, and The Dunedin Public Art Gallery. From here, Dunedin spills out
in all its bluestone beauty. Wander down Stuart Street to New Zealand’s
most photographed building, Dunedin Railway Station. In the early 1900s,
when Dunedin was the nation’s commercial capital, the station serviced over 100 trains a day. Today it serves as the departure point for scenic adventures along the Otago coast
and into the rugged interior, yet its grand interiors and mosaics
still sweep visitors back to the great age of rail. Just up the tracks, venture back even further, at the Toitū Otago Settlers Museum. Gaze up into the faces of Otago’s stoic pioneers
in the portrait room, where dreams, hopes and trials drift back
electronically across the mists of time. Just behind the museum, The Dunedin Chinese Garden quietly celebrates the contribution Chinese settlers have made
to the region, particularly during the 1860s gold rush. Across town, at the Otago Museum, discover the complete history of
this Southern Land, from the present day, back to
the legendary Moa, and beyond. Just a short walk from the museum, step into Olveston House, once the family home of a prosperous merchant
and arts patron. Filled with exotic arts and antiques, as well as everyday objects, this 35-room Edwardian time-capsule is
a fascinating window into Dunedin’s glory days. Retracing centuries of history
can be thirsty work, so why not combine a little learning
with leisure, at Speight’s Brewery, which has been serving up the
Pride of the South since 1876. The brewery sits on top of
a deep underground spring, so even if you don’t fancy a cold one, you can still fill up on pure spring water
for free. If it’s too early for beer, just follow the scent of roasting coffee beans
to Dunedin’s many cafes. Dunedin is the home of
New Zealand’s first university, whose students keep the city’s
creative juices bubbling, from its innovative dining, live music scene, to its fabulous street art. When it’s time to walk off lunch, stretch your legs on Baldwin Street, which according to the Guinness Book of Records, is the steepest in the world. Or explore the woodland paths and floral displays
at the Dunedin Botanic Garden, and enjoy the fine views across
the northern suburbs. Just a ten-minute drive south from the city
centre is St Clair Beach, a popular summertime hangout for generations
of Dunedinites, and for those crazy enough, the site of the annual mid-winter plunge! Dunedin offers no shortage of natural escapes. The wildest jewel in Dunedin’s crown is
The Otago Peninsula, which remarkably, sits within the city limits. Rent a car or a push bike and follow the peninsula’s coast road past
the boat sheds and shacks of fishermen, charter boat operators, and rat-race escapees. Head into the hills through forests and farms, to New Zealand’s only castle. Referred to by its creator simply as, “The Camp”, Larnach Castle, is anything but. Step inside these thick stone walls and explore
lavish living rooms, cosy bedrooms and a tower with views
across the harbour to Port Chalmers. Further up the peninsula is another of Otago’s
most important buildings, the Ōtākou Marae. Built on the site of an important Maori settlement, this meetinghouse is the hub
of Ngāi Tahu cultural life. A little further up the road the peninsula
comes to an end, where Taiaroa Head and the vast Pacific’s
many moods meet. A century ago, lookouts at Fort Taiaroa scanned
the horizon for hostile raiders. Today, visitors are on the lookout for something
far more delightful, the Otago sea life. Taiaroa Head is home to the world’s only
mainland albatross breeding colony. Pay a visit to the Royal Albatross Centre, a safe haven where these seabirds who travel
an astonishing 120,000 miles each year, come to rest, breed,
and raise their chicks. While you’re here, sit back and watch the
resident Southern Fur Seals glide by between their long snoozes
in the sunshine. And if you hang around til dusk, you’ll catch Little Blue Penguins,
the world's smallest, return from a big day at sea to
the warmth and safety of their burrows. Once the sea spray and mists of
the Otago Peninsula have whet your appetite for adventure, it’s time to hit the road again. Just to Dunedin’s North, stop in and say hello to rare
Yellow Eyed Penguins at Shag Point. Then just up the road at Hampden, reconnect with your sense of childhood wonder at the mysterious Moeraki Boulders. At the historic farming and port town of Omaru, Victorian warehouses and stores have become
places where imaginations run free, earning the town the title of, The Steampunk Capital of the World. If it’s total isolation you’re yearning for, turn southward to a corner of New Zealand
bypassed by time, the sparsely-populated Caitlins Coast. Explore Mother Nature’s ancient forests, let her watery veils enchant you
at Purakaunui Falls. Then feel the full force of grandeur at
Nugget Point. To the west, Central Otago beckons, from its historic gold towns, all the way to Queenstown’s lakes and
The Remarkables. For centuries this region has been a place
of new beginnings, a place to escape from the constraints of
the past. Today more than ever, we need places that
allow us to catch our breath, experience a little magic, and continue our journeys renewed. Dunedin always has been, and always will be, one of those places.
