Larnach Castle |
|  | | | Maps provided by
 | |
 Find a cruise to Dunedin
Find Australia & New Zealand cruise deals
View 5 port reviews of Dunedin cruises
Dunedin Overview
The city of Dunedin, located on the Otago Peninsula, on the South Island of New Zealand, has strong links to Scotland in terms of history and architecture -- so much so that its name means Edinburgh in Scottish Gaelic.
Scottish emigrants, looking to escape religious persecution at home, settled in the region in the first half of the 19th century -- and because they surveyed the land and planned the city carefully before starting to build, Dunedin is laid out wonderfully. The centre of the city is a square called the Octagon, and most streets surround it in an easy-to-navigate grid. There are large parks and rolling hills that add bucolic character to the city.
Dunedin started to grow in earnest after gold was discovered in the area in May 1861. At first, just 150 men began digging, but soon 65 ships on a single day arrived with new prospectors. The population of Dunedin doubled to almost 6,000 in a course of six months. By 1870, it was the biggest and wealthiest city in New Zealand. The fortunes of prospectors fluctuated over time, but a more lasting effect on the city's prospects came in 1882, when the first shipment of refrigerated meat left the port for Britain.
Today, it is the oldest and the fourth-largest city in New Zealand with a population of some 105,000. It is a lively place with lots of young people, thanks to the University of Otago, which has many buildings in the north end of the city. In line with New Zealand in general, Dunedin is very clean, and the people are friendly. Life proceeds at a gentle pace, and everything in the city is on a human scale with Victorian and Edwardian buildings, as opposed to skyscrapers -- all built to charm, rather than stun.
The compact city is built in a narrow valley around the end of Dunedin Bay and is easily walkable. Two principal streets, Princes Street and George Street, start at the Octagon and head south and north, respectively. George Street is particularly busy with shops, restaurants and cafes. The surrounding hills afford a great view of Dunedin and its verdant countryside, but both are a few miles away, and you need transport to get there.
|
 |
 |
|
Other Australia & New Zealand Cruise Ports:
Auckland • Brisbane • Cairns • Darwin • Dunedin • Melbourne • Sydney • Wellington
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Best Souvenir
Look for "kiwiana" -- items common or unique to New Zealand -- such as paua, the polished shells of a native fish that are often turned into jewellery.
Language
English
Currency & Best Way to Get Money
The local currency is the New Zealand dollar. (At press time, one U.S. dollar is about 1.30 NZD; check www.xe.com for the latest exchange rates.) There are lots of cash machines and foreign exchange offices, particularly along George Street and Princess Street.
Where You're Docked
Your cruise ship will dock in Port Chalmers, a suburb of Dunedin, in the mouth of the Dunedin Bay.
Hanging Around
Port Chalmers itself is a very small community. There are a few art galleries on George Street and a shop that sells retro clothing and folk art on Grey Street.
Dunedin itself is beautiful, clean and friendly, so it does pay off to get to there! The Octagon is the centre of Dunedin, and it has many lively bars and cafes that are good for both people watching and resting your feet. Many sights are within an easy walking distance from here too. There is a tourist information office at the city hall on the square, as well.
Getting Around
There is a shuttle bus service from the dock to the Octagon in the city centre, about eight miles or a 15-minute drive; allow 30 minutes for the journey, to be on the safe side. The road follows the bay side, so you'll get a short sightseeing trip, as well. The fare is 7.50 NZ.
Once in Dunedin, thanks to its compact size and clear layout, you will be able to cover the city centre on foot. Buses to various locations around the city depart from the Octagon. Four taxi companies operate in the city: City Taxis (tel 03 477 1771), Dunedin Taxis (03 477 7777), Mobility Taxis (03 4555282) and Southern Taxis (03 4766300). Classic Jaguar Limousines (03 488 5691) offers tailored tours of the city and its surroundings in vintage Jaguar cars.
Watch Out For
Dunedin is located well in the south, so the weather can be a bit chilly if your visit takes place early in the spring or late in the autumn.
Don't Miss
 The only castle in New Zealand, the late Victorian Larnach Castle, is situated on a hilltop some 12 kilometres from the city centre and offers stunning views over the Dunedin Bay and the ocean. This is not Versailles or Blenheim Palace; it only has a dozen or so rooms, and you will not see them all. The rooms are designed in an eclectic style, often with dark wood paneling, reflecting the Scottish ancestry of William Larnach and his family -- for whom it was built. Still privately owned, the building has been beautifully restored, and the surrounding gardens are truly pleasant. Please note that you need to climb stairs to enter the castle. The house is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (closed at Christmas), and a ticket to see the castle and the garden costs NZ$25. No pre-booking is required.
Another great structure, Olveston House, with its 35 rooms, was built between 1904 and 1906 for the Theomin family. Owned by the Dunedin City council since 1966, the building has fine interiors with Chippendale furniture. Like Larnach, Olveston mixes a number of styles, and the building's exterior, with its red-brick walls and oriel windows, is reminiscent of a 17th century English country house. The house is located at the corner of Cobden Street and Royal Terrace, near Roberts Park in the city. Although the house is open every day except for Christmas, please note that you need to book in advance.
Heading north from the Octagon, George Street is the principal shopping street in the city. The Knox Church is also located there, as is the Otago Museum (419 Great King Street, one block to the east off George Street). Heading north, Olveston House is just four blocks away on your left.
If you wish to venture farther afield, the Taieri Gorge Railway has daily departures from the city's railway station -- usually at 9:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. -- over cast iron bridges and tunnels, built in 1879 to the scenic river gorge. Some tours are sold by your cruise line, and if you book one of these tours, the train will depart from the dockside at Port Chalmers. Otherwise, trains leave from the Victorian Gothic railway-style train station on Thomas Burns Street in Dunedin. Fares range from NZ$69 to NZ$77.
Been There, Done That
Dunedin is also a city of artists and features about a dozen art galleries. If this is your thing, you can follow 17 trails of art and galleries in the region with self-lead tours, using the Otago Arts Guide -- available in bookshops or directly from the publisher.
If that is a bit too much for you, then just drop in at the Dunedin Public Art Gallery on the south western side of the Octagon. The building itself is attractive, with a spacious lobby rising through three floors and columns that recall the Art Deco-style of Charles Rennie Mackintosh, the Glasgow architect. The collection itself focuses on contemporary painting and photography and also features exhibitions that change. Off the lobby, there is a lively restaurant and bar that is popular with tourists and students.
Lunching
New Zealand is great for lamb and fish, and the centre of Dunedin offers a good range of restaurants and cafes for a relaxing lunch.
For local cuisine: The Palms Restaurant (18 Queens Gardens, tel 03 477-6534) is housed in the Imperial Building, built in 1906 with a fifth floor added in 1927. The style of the food is local New Zealand fare, influenced by tastes from around the world. Start with salt and pepper squid, Chinese barbeque sauce and lemon wedges (NZ$9.00) and move on with creme fraiche scrambled eggs, palms cured and hot smoked salmon and wilted spinach (NZ$12.00) or seasoned beef strips, smoked cheese, capsicum in flour tortilla, mango and chilli salsa and salad (NZ$14.00). To finish off, vanilla mascarpone cheesecake, passion fruit syrup, berries and fresh cream will set you back NZ$13.00 There is a good selection of wines, with focus on New Zealand and Australian producers. It's open Monday through Saturday, 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. for lunch and from 6 p.m. for dinner.
For Wine Lovers: The Bacchus Wine Bar and Restaurant at 12 the Octagon (tel 03 4740824) offers fish of the day for NZ$22.50 at lunchtime, while baked Italian chicken breast with pesto, prosciutto and Parmesan will set you back NZ$17.50. The price for wine ranges from NZ$36.50 for 2008 St Clair sauvignon blanc to NZ$65 for 2005 Cable Bay chardonnay. It is open Monday through Friday for lunch from 12 p.m. and Monday through Saturday for dinner from 6 p.m. It's closed on Sundays.
Casual Dining: The Reef Seafood Restaurant at 333 George Street (tel 03 4717 185) offers seafood curry that comes with fish, shrimp, boiled rice and coriander -- and lots of curry. For NZ$19.50, you will not only get a lunch that will keep you going for the rest of the afternoon; you'll get one that will also warm you up if it's a bit chilly out there. A glass of Church Road chardonnay (NZ$8) is pleasant in itself, but perhaps not quite up to the job of coping with a hot curry. It's open from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. for lunch and from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. for dinner, seven days a week.
Staying in Touch
Netplanet, on 78 St. Andrew Street, offers many terminals and fast connections. An hour's session cost NZ$4 on our recent trip. Otherwise, the Visitor Centre at the Octagon (open 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. daily) will help you to find the Internet cafe nearest to you.
Shore Excursions
Best overall tour: On the Taieri River Gorge Experience, you board a train on the quayside for a journey through farmland before climbing to the gorge, where cast iron bridges and viaducts carry the line past cliffs and ravines and along the river. Morning tea and lunch are served on this six-hour excursion. Several stops are made during the journey to allow you to take pictures of the dramatic scenery.
Best for active travellers: Nature's Wonders Wildlife Safari. You drive past a few small towns before arriving at the Nature's Wonder Wildlife Centre. After a safety briefing, you will board an eight-wheel-drive vehicle, called Argo, that will take you off the beaten path to see, for example, the yellow-eyed Hoiho penguins -- the rarest in the world. The vehicle descends from 620 feet to the sea level, where cormorants and other birds nest. You then move on to see nesting seals before climb to 660 feet for a great view of the Otago Peninsula. The trip takes about 6 hours.
For More Information
On the Web, visit www.dunedinnz.com.
-- by Kari Reinikainen, a U.K.-based writer and regular contributor to the cruise industry's top business publications, from Fairplay to Cruise Business Review
|
|
|
|
|
 Shore Excursions
|
)
)
)
)
