Dunedin: The Quirky City in the South
Dunedin, the second most populous city in the South Island, is home to The University of Otago – New Zealand’s oldest university since 1869 – which explains its youthful and vibrant vibe.
The city rests on a hilly terrain from an ancient volcano system, overlooking a pretty harbour and the Pacific Ocean.
Dunedin’s roots can be traced back to Scottish migrants, hence the reason behind its Gaelic name.
While I held no jobs here nor lived in this city while on my Working Holiday stint, I thoroughly enjoyed my short-lived tour around where my partner-then used to work and live for more than three months.
Thinking of visiting Dunedin and wondering what you could do here? This post shall show you how! Let’s go!
I was in New Zealand on a Working Holiday visa for two years during the pandemic from 2020 to 2022. This post contains affiliate links that cost nothing to you but support my blog! It may also be updated periodically. Cheers!
Brief Background of Dunedin
Dunedin’s history dates back as far back as 1100 AD when the Maori settled in the region.
Then the Europeans arrived somewhere in the 1810s, according to Maori’s oral tradition.
In Maori, the area of Dunedin is known as Otepoti. The name Dunedin (links to a YouTube video of its pronunciation) originates from Dun Eideann, the Scottish Gaelic way of calling the capital of Scotland, Edinburgh.
With the occupation of the new migrants, especially during the gold rush of Otago in the 1860s, Dunedin’s population and wealth exploded and became New Zealand’s most prosperous city for years.
The influx of money and people led to the proliferation of Edwardian and Victorian architecture, of which many have survived to modern times. The Dunedin Railway Station is one example.Dunedin is also home to New Zealand’s oldest university, The University of Otago, founded in 1869.
Best Time to visit Dunedin
Anytime is a good time since New Zealand does not experience severe seasonal weather conditions like typhoons, cyclones, extreme heat, or downpours.
But the country in the southern hemisphere has its share of four seasons, with Christmas in its summer, and the bitter cold winter in June and July.
If you’d like to take your time and enjoy the long summer days, visit New Zealand and Dunedin in Dec – Feb. Summer isn’t uncomfortably hot by my standards, coming from humid Singapore.
Jun – Aug is cold with short days. Layer up and keep yourself warm as you travel!
The transition months of Mar – May (Autumn), and Sep – Nov (Spring) may see snow, cold spells, strong winds, and heat all within 24 hours. Make sure you’re prepared for four seasons if you’re travelling in the South Island during these months.
Flowers bloom spectacularly in Spring, while Autumn paints the countryside and forests with warm colours.
Getting to Dunedin
After two years of living in New Zealand, I have concluded that without a car, it is a hassle getting around the South Island.
That said, two daily Intercity buses travel from Christchurch to Dunedin for those without wheels in the morning and mid-afternoon. The journey takes 6 hours.
If you are a Working Holidaymaker, you may have a car or befriended those with vehicles. Read my car purchase guide here if you’re wondering if you should buy your first car.
For others on a 2-week vacation, find your preferred rental car here.
If you’d like to experience New Zealand through the wheels of a campervan, but haven’t done it before, I’ve written a post about my experience with probably the most budget-friendly campervan brand in New Zealand, Jucy. Their campers may look gaudy in purple and green, but hey, at least it’s easier on the wallet!
Travelling within Dunedin
As the second most populous city in the South Island, Dunedin is relatively well-connected with a public bus system, Orbus.
I don’t recall seeing a Bee Card while I was in New Zealand during the pandemic, but this is the pre-paid travel smartcard that can be used not just for the bus services in Dunedin, but also other regions of New Zealand including Queenstown, Nelson, and Invercargill, and regions in the North Island like Northland, Waikato, Gisborne, Bay of Plenty, Hawke’s Bay, Taranaki, and Manawatū-Whanganui!
Using a registered Bee Card to pay for your transport is convenient and works out to be a saver as it is at least a dollar cheaper than paying via cash per trip.
Read more about the cards and where you can buy them here.
Parking fees in Dunedin can add up if you’re relying on your car to get around each attraction. Park in the suburbs or somewhere with a more affordable day rate (make sure you lock your car and keep your valuables out of sight!) and take the bus and walk if you’d like to save money.
Some car parks are free on Sunday.
Attractions of Dunedin
Map of Attractions
I’ve segregated the attractions in Dunedin into three sections: central Dunedin which is accessible by foot, Otago Peninsula, and the suburbs.
Central Dunedin
Octagon
The city centre of Dunedin is an octagonal plaza bisected by a street.
If you are in Dunedin over festivals like Matariki (Maori’s New Year) or New Year’s Eve, then that’s the place you want to be for fireworks and celebrations.
Several eateries and attractions occupy the Octagon, including the Velvet Burger – my favourite burger in Dunedin – the Dunedin Public Art Gallery, Dunedin City Library, the i-site visitor centre and St Paul’s Cathedral.
We scored a free vanilla cone each from Mr Whippy’s ice cream truck at the Octagon one October afternoon when they were having a promotional giveaway.
Railway Station
Dunedin has several beautiful European architectures, but the Railway Station tops for its grandness, intricate ornaments, and exquisite interior.
The Railway Station looks especially stunning at night when the lights are up to highlight the contrast and texture of its exterior facade.
The car park by the Railway Station is converted into a Farmer’s Market every Saturday from 8 AM to 12.30 PM for a wonderful morning shopping for seasonal fresh produce or artisanal treats.
Toitu Otago Settlers Museum
Founded in 1908, the Toitu Otago Settlers Museum explores the history of Dunedin and the lives of early settlers from the Maoris to the Chinese and then the Europeans.
Admission is free and the museum is open from 10 AM to 5 PM every day except Christmas.
Park your car elsewhere and walk to the museum from the Octagon or the Railway Station.
Lan Yuan Chinese Garden
As we neared the end of our tour in Toitu Otago Settlers Museum, there was a board that pointed towards the direction of a Chinese Garden.
Lan Yuan Chinese Garden is an interesting and unusual spot in the heart of Dunedin with Chinese-styled pavilions, bonsai and manicured walks compacted within the garden.
The origin of Lan Yuan Garden came as a way to remember the city’s first Chinese migrants who helped developed Dunedin during the Otago Gold Rush. Those migrants sailed from China with hopes of a better life. They stayed and brought up their families in Otago.
Admission costs around NZ$ 11 (2024/25), and the garden is open from 10 AM to 5 PM. Enjoy some tea (and maybe mooncakes during the lantern festival) while you’re there in their Tea House.
Otago Museum
The Otago Museum has one of the largest museum collections in New Zealand and you could easily spend half a day or more here cooped up in its exhibitions!
I enjoyed visiting this museum as much as the Canterbury Museum in Christchurch.
Admission is free for most exhibits and the museum is open daily from 10 AM to 5 PM except Christmas. The museum provides a tip-based guided tour every day at 2 PM.
Botanic Gardens
New Zealand’s oldest Botanic Gardens is in Dunedin!
It beats the one in Christchurch by being established 10 days earlier on 30 June 1863. 😂
However, I still prefer the Botanic Gardens in Christchurch – could have been the excitement I felt when I first reached New Zealand on my Working Holiday visa. Unlike the garden in Christchurch, Dunedin’s garden has a volcano trail!
Of all the gardens on display, the Cacti Glasshouse had me tickled. Imagine coming from a hot and humid country with plenty of tenacious cacti – I’ve seen one that crawled onto the walls of a high-rise in Singapore to reach the upper floor – and seeing these same plants coddled in a glasshouse.
Admission is free and the Botanic Gardens is open every day. The garden has recommended several tracks within their park that meander around the different gardens/ glasshouses (opens to a PDF).
Since New Zealand is a temperate country, expect to see different seasonal attractions!
Olveston Historic Home
Like the old houses of Hoi An, Vietnam and Cebu City, Philippines, the Olveston Historic Home was a house museum of businessman, philanthropist and art collector David Theormin and his family.
Built-in the early 20th century, the house was occupied as a family home until 1966, when the last child of David Theormin passed away with no descendants to inherit. The house was then donated to the City of Dunedin, which subsequently converted it into a house museum.
The house still has the furniture and designs of the 20th century with its opulent walls, rich tapestry, carpets, and even a 1921 model Fiat car.
Visits to the Olveston Historic Home are ticketed and come with guided tours. Buy your tickets from the website for NZ$ 25 (2024/25) or through bookme for last-minute deals. The house is open from 9.30 AM to 5PM.
Brewery Tours
Known for its Gold Medal Ale label, the Speight’s have over 145 years of history in Dunedin since 1876, when three men came together to establish their own brewery.
Within about a decade, the Speight’s grew to become the country’s largest brewery, likely aided by the influx of gold miners! They grew and soon added a chain of Ale Houses to their achievements.
The Speight’s brewery in Dunedin is worth a tour that takes you through the history of Speight’s and taste their prized range. Interested in sampling some beer in this aged old brewery? Then get your discounted tickets here through bookme.
Aside from Speight’s, there is another craft brewery – the Emerson’s – around the corner with more beer. The Emerson’s Brewery has been around since 1992. They have a guided tour that ends with a selection of beers to taste.
Suburban Dunedin
Steepest Street in The World
The Steepest Street was the first place I wanted to visit when I first heard about Dunedin.
You know how adding those adjectives steepest, tallest, longest, biggest, something-est in the world has its selling points.
Baldwin Street held the record as the steepest street in the world for over a decade until June 2019, when another street in Wales toppled it. But the locals were adamant and appealed to have the gradient measured again from the centreline of the street, to be fair.
They won with Baldwin Street having a steeper gradient than the one in Wales, so make sure you visit this street while you’re in Dunedin and feel the stretch on your calves as you walk up.
The street makes for some cool shots!
If you’re travelling via Orbus, Bus 8 goes to Baldwin Street from the Octagon.
Tunnel Beach
The Tunnel Beach track is a gorgeous coastal walk you must experience in Dunedin.
The beach is more like a dramatic rocky coastline with a tunnel dug in the 1870s that opens to a beautiful small beach. It is not suitable for swimming with its rogue waves and strong winds.
Be prepared for some walking and a +/- 100 m change in elevation to complete the 30-minute 1.3 km short walk from the carpark.
Check the weather is fine, or you’ll risk getting blown away by the strong coastal winds!
Orbus has buses from the Octagon – 33 and 50, check Google Maps – to someplace near the Tunnel Beach around Middleton Road. You’d have to cover the remaining distance by foot.
St Clair Beach
St Clair Beach was filled with surfers and swimmers while I was there in October.
The busy beach is probably the most photogenic and well-loved in Dunedin. If you don’t swim or surf like me, grabbing coffee and people-watching at the cafe by St Clair Hot Water Salt Pool is a pleasant activity too.
Or you could join a 90 mins introductory surfing class in St Clair and learn surfing in New Zealand!
The beach is accessible from Dunedin Central by Bus 8.
Otago Peninsula
Larnach Castle
Built in 1871 by William Larnach in honour of his wife, Larnach Castle is New Zealand’s only self-proclaimed castle that took more than 3 years and over 200 labourers to build.
While the Larnach family no longer lives there, the Castle is still privately owned and cared for by the Barker family.
Admission costs NZ$ 45 to visit the castle and its garden from 9 AM to 5 PM. Bookme sometimes has discounted tickets for Larnach Castle – check those before buying!
You could also stay a night in the Larnach Lodge within the castle grounds.
Royal Albatross Centre
Located at the tip of the Otago Peninsula on Taiaroa Head, the Royal Albatross Centre is the world’s only mainland albatross colony.
Featuring a viewing observatory that gets close to the albatross colony, this is one wildlife tour you should go to if you’re interested in the native animals of New Zealand.
The centre provides three different tour packages – a classic 1 hour guided tour, a tour with visiting the yellow-eyed penguin colony, and a triple combo tour with the mentioned two tours plus a wildlife cruise.
Prices can err on the expensive side but recognise that these contributions go towards conserving the albatross population in Taiaroa Head.
Other Mentions
Aurora Australis
While I stayed in New Zealand for two years, I was fortunate to experience one Aurora Australis while I was doing hops training at – of all places – Tapawera, the north of South Island on the Hindu Festival of Light – Deepavali/ Diwali – no less.
Catching an Aurora Australis is much more difficult than catching an Aurora Borealis. The one I saw was so faint that had it not been my camera, I wouldn’t be convinced it was there.
May 11 – 12, 2024 came as a lucky time for those living, or who happen to be vacationing, in New Zealand as strong solar wind swept through Earth, painting both poles of the planet with dancing Auroras.
Friends in New Zealand posted the dramatic display of the rare solar flare-ups on their socials. The Aurora Australis they saw were so bright and strong that even friends in southern Australia could see them with naked eyes!
Catching an Aurora Australis in New Zealand is highly dependent on luck. But since Dunedin is already so far south on the planet, finding a dark place away from light pollution on a night with a high Kp index increases your chances of seeing one.
Mountain Biking
Since Dunedin is known for its hilly terrain, it is a wonderland for mountain bikers. There’s even a website containing an informative map of the possible trails to bike in Dunedin.
I’ve tried mountain biking in New Zealand too, on the only Great Walk in New Zealand that allows for bikes – the Heaphy Track. Unfortunately, I lacked the skills, fitness and experience to handle the terrain and came out from the multi-day track with multiple blue-blacks and sore legs. 😅
Accommodations in Dunedin
While in Dunedin, my friends and I slept on the couch/ makeshift beds of two of my friends’ houses in the suburbs. It takes at least 30 mins to travel from the suburbs to Dunedin Central for our exploration. I’m sure there are many Airbnb options in the suburbs.
However, Airbnbs are still expensive to me when we travel around New Zealand. We kept the cost low by staying in our cars, friends’ couches or hostels.
Budget hostel options in Dunedin include the On Top Backpackers and Uptown Backpackers. Both are situated slightly outside the Octagon, which makes it easy to get around the main attractions in Dunedin by foot, and wait for the bus to the suburbs.
If you’d like more comfort and privacy, The Scenic Hotel near the Octagon is the more affordable hotel option, perfect for a couple.
And if it’s something memorable that you’re looking for your vacation or honeymoon, check out the boutique hotel Ebb Dunedin for its beautifully styled rooms and furnishing.
How about staying by the beach at St Clair and catching the sunrise from the coast of New Zealand?
Or within the grounds of New Zealand’s only castle at Larnach Lodge, with unlimited access to the castle and its gardens and panoramic views of Otago Harbour and the peninsula!
Suggested Itinerary for Dunedin
So how many days should you spend in Dunedin?
If I’m on a time-strapped vacation, one night in Dunedin is sufficient to spend a full busy day touring the city centre and take the bus or self-drive to the suburbs for St Clair Beach and/ or Tunnel Beach or Baldwin Street.
It may be possible to squeeze all that in on a long summer day in December or January when the sun rises at 5 AM and sets after 9 PM.
You’d need another day if you’d like to visit the peninsular for the castle and the albatross.
Travel beyond Dunedin
Dunedin is at the southeast corner of the South Island in New Zealand, and a great base to stock up on before you start on a road trip:
- South of Dunedin to Invercargill through the Catlins. I like this road trip that cuts across the Catlins to several beautiful waterfalls, a petrified forest and a coastal cave!
- North of Dunedin to Christchurch. If you’ve rented your car in Queenstown and are returning to Christchurch, this road trip has its share of attractions, like the strange Moeraki Boulders by the coast, Oamaru with its Victorian buildings, and penguins! I saw my first miniature blue and yellow-eyed penguins on this road trip!
- West of Dunedin to Queenstown. If you’re heading to Queenstown, this road trip will bring you to the cradle of the Stone Fruit Valley in Roxburgh, Alexandra and Cromwell. Time your visit to the harvest season in the summer (December – January) and enjoy farm fresh cherries (I’ve picked cherries in Cromwell!) and delicious frozen fruit ice cream!
Conclusion/ Rambles
Dunedin is a beautiful place to live. It’s near the beach to swim or surf, has hills to hike or mountain bike, a harbour to jet off and do some fishing, and museums with regular activities to participate in.
Plus a student population from a university attracts affordable eateries, quirky shops and places to wind down with a beer or two with friends. This city has more nightlife and activities than Christchurch, yet less touristy than Queenstown.
If ever you’d like to live in the South Island, Dunedin might be the place to be. Unless you’re afraid of the cold…
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