Dunedin: A Weekend Itinerary

Taste-test both chocolate and beer in the same day. Take on the steepest street in the world on foot. Go surfing at Dunedin’s most popular beach. Experience the eco-tourism New Zealand is famous for on the Otago Peninsula. And these are just a few suggestions.

Dunedin, located in the southern half of New Zealand’s South Island in the Otago region, isn’t exactly a well-known tourist attraction. But that doesn’t mean that it shouldn’t make it onto your New Zealand itinerary.

Often called the Edinburgh of the South, Dunedin flaunts its Scottish heritage in its street names, 19^th-century architecture, and its offering of cafes and pubs. But there are plenty of patently “kiwi” things to do in the southern city, as well.

The following suggested itinerary would be best executed during the summer season (October to March in the southern hemisphere) on a Friday-Sunday weekend. Please note that this is being written from the perspective of a student-aged traveler, which will be reflected in some of the activities and lodging suggestions. This would also be an itinerary best suited to two people. Also: The prices listed here are in New Zealand dollars. For a reliable currency coverter, go here.

Above Otago

Getting there: If you’re already in New Zealand, or plan to visit New Zealand sometime soon, set aside a weekend to make it down to the city of Dunedin. Check out Air NZ for domestic deals from Auckland, Wellington, or Christchurch (A one-way flight from Christchurch to Dunedin cost me $61. Look for deals anywhere between $50 and $100.) Various bus lines (InterCity and Naked Bus being two of my favorites) also operate in and out of the city. If you book early enough, you can get fares as low as $1-$10. Or, if you’ve already rented a car, just drive yourself to the main city of the Otago region.

Friday

10 a.m. — Arrival and/or wakeup.

If you’re just arriving into Dunedin, the first order of business will be to pick up a rental car if you don’t already have one. While Dunedin has some public transportation, having your own vehicle for the weekend will not only allow you some flexibility with your schedule, but you’ll be able to see a lot more — and on your own terms.

10:30 a.m. — Drive downtown to the Octagon.

The Octagon is just what it sounds like — an octagonal-shaped “square” in the center of the city. Here you can find useful, entertaining, and visually interesting things. Find a parking spot on the street (some of them are metered, others are not), and make your way on foot into the Octagon.

Town Hall

One of the things that struck me most about Dunedin on first glance was the architecture. In the Octagon, for example, check out St. Paul’s Cathedral and Dunedin’s Town Hall Building.

The Octagon is also filled with many pubs, cafes, and plenty of open-air dining on a nice day.

St. Paul's

If it’s of interest to you, check out one of the Octagon’s “Writer’s Walks,” featuring plaques imbedded in the pavement inscribed with words of famous Dunedin writers and things about Dunedin written by famous visiting writers. It’s something quick and different to do before lunch.

Before leaving the Octagon, stop at the Dunedin iSite for ideas, souvenirs and postcards. Pick up a map of the Southern Scenic Route while you’re there, and plan to use it in a couple of days.

Price: Free, unless you pick up some souvenirs.

12:00 p.m. — Grab lunch at a café.

Around the Octagon, there are tons of restaurants and cafes to choose from. I could list some of “the best” ones, but it’s all a matter of preference. Walk around until you find something that tickles your taste buds, or maybe just smells really good.

Price: Varies.

1:00 p.m. — Take a tour of Cadbury World.

Cadbury World

You’ve probably seen some interpretation or another of Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory at some point in your life. Well, Cadbury World is as close to Wonka’s funhouse as you’ll ever see off the big screen. Or, at least, as close to it as you’ll find in New Zealand. Cadbury World is all at once a museum, living timeline, gift shop, showroom, and working Cadbury chocolate factory right smack dab in the middle of Dunedin.

Tours run daily at theCumberland Street  factory from 9 a.m. to 3:15 p.m., with extended hours during the summer months and school holidays. If you visit on a weekday, you can take a 75-minute tour of Cadbury World, which includes entry into the visitor center, a guided tour of the working chocolate factory, viewing of a chocolate waterfall, discounts in the Cadbury retail outlet, plus plenty of photo opportunities and free Cadbury samples along the way.

If you’re not following this itinerary and can only visit Cadbury World on a weekend, you can still take a 45-minute tour of the facility. Weekend tours don’t include a tour of the factory, since it’s only operational during the week, but still include all the other aspects and goodies.

Price: Weekday 75-minute tours: $18 adults, $16 students/seniors, $12 children. Weekend 45-minute tours: $12 adults, $7 children. (Prices good through September 2011. Reservations recommended.)

2:30 p.m. — Check out nearby things.

Railway Station

Since you’re already downtown, check out some of the other things worth seeing before the next activity. Two that I’d recommend: The railway station, and the First Church of Otago.

First Church

The sprawling railway station — with its grey and white contrasts — is a beautiful building. It’s also possibly the best-known structure on the South Island. Who needs an Opera House or an Eiffel Tower when you’ve got this?

First Church of Otago sticks out in Dunedin — quite literally. You can see its tall spire from most points in town, and its Gothic construction is definitely worth a closer look, if only for a few minutes.

Price: Free.

3:00 p.m. — Climb up Baldwin Street.

Baldwin Street

According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Dunedin’s Baldwin Street is the steepest street in the world, with a 35 percent (or 19 degree) grade. It may not sound impressive on paper, but when you’re at the top looking down (especially with the knowledge that Dunedin does experience ice and snow in the winter), it’s pretty daunting.

Baldwin Street is just a short drive (a little over two miles) northeast from the city center. You can park on the street on North Road at the bottom of Baldwin, and get a good look up to the top of the short, steep street.

Baldwin Street

I walked to the top, but, if you’re daring, try it at a run. But good luck. Every summer, there’s a footrace up and down the hill called the “Baldwin Street Gutbuster” — and for good reason; I got winded just walking. Whatever you decide, there’s a water fountain waiting for you at the top.

From this vantage point, you can look out over the Dunedin suburbs. You’ll probably notice a lot of steep streets similar to Baldwin. The reason for these is that Dunedin’s streets were originally set out on a grid, with little consideration for the terrain.

Once you’ve caught your breath, head back down the street. Be sure to stop at the Steepest Street Gift Shop, where you can purchase a certificate (signed personally by the shop’s owner) certifying that you made it to the top (whether by walking, jogging, cycling, etc.)

Price: Free to climb. $1 for certificate.

4 p.m. — Visit Speight’s Brewery.

After conquering Baldwin Street, head back into Dunedin city for a tour of the Speight’s Brewery. Speight’s, New Zealand’s favorite kiwi-brewed beer, is brewed right at the Rattray Street brewery, not far from the Octagon. You can take a guided, 90-minute tour of the working brewery and beer museum, and then wind down with a few free samples at the Heritage Bar.

Tours run Monday through Thursday at 10 a.m., 12 p.m., 2 p.m., 6 p.m., and 7 p.m.; and Friday and Saturday at 10 a.m., 12 p.m., 2 p.m., 4 p.m., and 6 p.m. There is no age requirement to join a tour, but you must be 18 to taste test Speight’s at the Heritage Bar.

Price: 90-minute tour: $20 adult, $18 student/senior, $8 children. (Prices good through September 2010. Bookings required.)

5:30 p.m. — Dinner at the Ale House (package with Speight’s tour).

After your Speight’s tour, have dinner at the Ale House, the restaurant adjacent to and affiliated with the brewery. Package your tour and dinner together, and enjoy a traditional “southern” three-course dinner in a restaurant that really has some character. And, of course, have a Speight’s or two with your meal.

Price: $62 (for brewery tour and dinner), though you can also make a reservation for lunch or dinner without packaging it with the tour. (Prices good through September 2010. Bookings required for tour/dinner package. Reservations recommended for evening dining.)

Evening — Explore Dunedin city.

After dinner, spend the rest of the evening exploring the Dunedin nightlife.

Check the schedule at the Fortune Theater, the world’s southern-most professional theater, whose season runs February through December. If you’re visiting in late March or early April, look out for the annual Dunedin Fringe Festival, an 11-day celebration of contemporary and experimental art and performance.

If the university setting is more your scene, check out the student nightlife around the University of Otago, also located in Dunedin.

Overnight — YHA Stafford Gables.

Located just a 10-minute walk from the Octagon on Stafford Street, YHA Stafford Gables is an affordable hostel in the YHA (Youth Hostel Association) network. The hostel is located in a large 1902 homestead and offers both private and shared rooms, a rooftop garden, fireplace, Internet access, as well as a video/DVD collection and a friendly staff.

Stay one night in budget accommodation, so you can splurge on the next evening.

Price: Beds from $24. Rooms from $53.

Saturday

9 a.m. — Rise and shine!

Check out of your hostel, then head back to the Octagon to grab a quick breakfast. Visit a dairy to buy some sandwiches and snacks for the road. This will help you save on restaurant spending the rest of the day.

10 a.m. — St. Clair Beach

St. Clair Beach

Enjoy the morning at St. Clair Beach, Dunedin’s most popular beach destination. The beach is only about a 10-minute drive from the city center, and a walk along the promenade is a perfect way to start out your second day in Dunedin.

Surf lessons

Sign up for a surf lesson with Esplanade Surf School, and take to the waves for a couple of hours. This is ideal for beginning surfers. I had never been on a board before, but I was riding (small) waves on an oversized surf board by the end of the two-hour lesson. Calling ahead for lessons is essential, though if you just want to rent a surf board, you can do so at the Surf School van.

Wrap up with a picnic lunch on the beach, utilizing those sandwiches and goodies you bought earlier in the day.

Price: Two-hour surf lesson: $45.

1 p.m. — Drive out to Otago Peninsula.

Otago Peninsula is a spot where New Zealand’s eco-tourism industry shines. You can sign up for various peninsula tours, but driving on your own means you can see (or skip) what you want at your own pace.

Things to consider visiting on the peninsula:

Penguin Place

At Penguin Place, you can see rare yellow-eyed penguins (some of the rarest in the world) in a wildlife preserve habitat. You may also be able to see New Zealand fur seals and rare Hooker sea lions along the shore here.

In the summer (October to March), 90-minute tours depart every 30 minutes from 10:15 until 90 minutes before sunset (7:30-8 p.m.). During winter months (April to September), tours depart every 30 minutes from 3:15 to 4:45 p.m.

Price: $36 adults, $15 children. (Bookings required.

Royal Albatross Colony

Albatross

Have you ever had a bird with “the body the size of a 3-year-old with the wingspan of a small car” fly over your head before? Well neither had I, until I visited the Royal Albatross Colony. (That visual comparison, by the way, came from a tour guide at the Dunedin Cadbury World. It’s pretty accurate, too.)

At the Royal Albatross Colony at Taiaroa Head, you can see a natural albatross colony – the only mainland breeding colony for the big birds in the southern hemisphere, in fact.

Taiaroa Head

Various tours operate from the visitor’s center, with some including viewing a video, watching the birds from the Richdale Observatory, and touring Fort Taiaroa. Tours range from 30 to 90 minutes in length, and run from 9 a.m. to dusk in the summer, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the winter.

You can, however, simply visit the center and watch the birds for free from atop the cliff at Taiaroa point. A warning, though: Beware the wind! It can get quite gusty.

Price: Tours range from $20-$45 for adults. It’s free to just park and watch the birds. (Bookings recommended for tours.)

Larnach Castle

Touted as the only castle in Australasia, Larnach Castle really does look like something plucked right out of the Scottish highlands and plunked down in New Zealand. Well, almost, at least.

Built in 1871 by William Larnach and restored by the Barker family over the past few decades, the “castle” (though it’s really just more a mansion since no royalty ever lived in it, and you won’t find any suits of armor adorning its hallways) comes complete with a history of scandal (multiple wives, affairs, incest, and suicide, to name a few) and a reputation for ghosts. The castle tower affords stunning views of the Otago Peninsula, Dunedin city, and the Pacific, and the grounds are rated a ‘Garden of National Significance.’

You can book a room overnight at the Larnach Lodge (separate from the castle) or in the renovated castle stables (more on this later), but you can also just visit the castle and/or gardens. The castle is open to visitors from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. year-round, with the gardens being open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the summer (October through March), and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the winter (April through September).

A café operates inside the castle from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily.

One-hour guided tours are available for both the castle and gardens (including history, stories of hauntings, etc.), but you’re probably better off just exploring on your own.

Price: Castle, gardens and grounds: Self-guided: $25 adults, $10 children. Guided 1-hour tour: $150 adult, $135 children. Gardens and grounds only: Self-guided: $10 adults, $3 children. Guided: $135 adults, $128 children. (Prices good through September 2010. Guided tours require prior booking.)

Overnight — Larnach Castle

Otago sunset

As mentioned above, you can choose to stay overnight in the Larnach Lodge or castle stables. While this may end up being a budget-buster for some, the experience could be worth it if your wallet allows.

Perhaps a welcome detail for those who believe in ghosts, accommodation at Larnach isn’t actually in the castle at all. Instead, you can stay in the Larnach Lodge (which has 12 unique rooms all with panoramic views) or in one of the stable rooms (though a few of these have spooky stories associated with them). The price you pay for your room includes free breakfast, as well as access to the castle and grounds.

You can also make reservations for dinner in the castle Ballroom (an extra expense) and enjoy a fancy, traditional meal.

Prices: Stable rooms: 2-person room starts at $155 per night. Castle: 2-person room ranges from $260-$280 per night. Dinner in the castle Ballroom: $60 adults, $20 children. (Prices good through September 2010. Reservations required well in advance for castle accommodation. Reservations required by 5 p.m. for dinner in Ballroom.)

Sunday

Morning — Bid Dunedin farewell.

Catlins coast

As you head off the Otago Peninsula, bid the area farewell. Then get out your Southern Scenic Route map, and start in on the next portion of your South Island adventure: driving along the coast through the Catlins to Invercargill.