Dunedin
was founded in 1848 by Scottish settlers at the
head of the Otago Harbour. It had a sudden increase
in wealth when gold was discovered in Central
Otago in 1861. Dunedin has retained many of its
old buildings and its Victorian and Edwardian
houses are of great interest to anyone exploring
the history of architecture. Dunedin is a university
city and the beautiful buildings of the University
of Otago are close to the city centre. Cafes,
restaurants and bars compete for space with a
fabulous mix of shops and entertainment venues
around what is known as the “Octagon.”
Close to the university is the Otago Museum, which
is well worth a visit. A short distance further
north the Dunedin Botanic Gardens spread over
the hillside and a particular attraction in the
spring is the rhododendron dell.
On the Otago Peninsula a mansion in the style
of a Scottish baronial castle was built in 1871
by William Larnach and the present owners open
it to the public.
The albatross colony at Taiaroa Head is across
the water from Dunedin's port at Port Chamlmers.
It is possible to book to visit the colony except
at breeding times or when there are no birds to
be seen.
Of course the city has an impressive selection of cafés, restaurants, bars, fine swimming baths, sports grounds
and pleasant walks, especially in the Town Belt
- a green area half way up the hills behind the
inner city.
The main shopping area is on George Street with an eclectic mix of Dunedin fashion boutiques, jewellery, galleries, antiques, souvenirs and book stores.
Many of the inner city attractions are within a 5-25 minute walk from Bluestone on George. If you are keen on doing one of the Otago Peninsula Tours then most of them will pick up and drop off from us.
The following are links to a
few of the most popular attractions/services in and around
Dunedin.
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