The remains of the old breakwater at St Clair Beach speak of Dunedin's constant battles with the elements. Photo / Supplied
From wildlife to heritage to chocolate, Peter Feeney finds plenty of reasons to extend your visit to Dunedin.
Believe it or not, Dunedin is New Zealand's second most visited cruise ship destination. I don't envy those time-crunched passengers though, as Dunedin deserves more time. You'll find here one of the very few authentic traditional Chinese gardens found outside China; historic home Olveston; and the Dunedin Gasworks Museum, one of only a handful of preserved gasworks museums anywhere in the world.
The seaside suburbs of St Clair and St Kilda remind of Sydney's Manly and Bronte, with a heated saltwater swimming pool, art deco buildings, Dino Park and chic cafes. I caught a world-class show at the Fortune Theatre, with great performances - including a standout by local actor Simon O'Connor.
The Otago Peninsula is a sub-Antarctic wildlife sanctuary with sightseeing tours that take in penguins, seals, sea lions and albatrosses. The area was lauded long ago by environmental campaigner David Bellamy as "as the finest example of eco-tourism in the world". Our kids braved the lively swells on the magnificent MV Monarch, the old fishing boat that plies the tourist trade around the harbour. Binoculars tightly clutched to their eyes - the wrong way around - they craned for a glimpse of an albatross or fur seal.
Also on the peninsula is Larnach Castle, bought by Margaret Barker and her late husband in the 1970s. They restored it to its past glory and it is now a flourishing tourist business. I've never seen a high tea disappear as fast as the one our family was served in the ballroom, after a morning chasing penguins. The gardens outside are one of only five nationwide to have been given the rating of "International Significance" - another is Dunedin's Botanic Gardens.
Back in town there's wet weather cover too. No prizes for guessing why the Cadbury Factory chocolate tour rates high on any child's Dunedin bucket list (for myself, I hope I never see another Pinky bar again).
The Toitu Settlers Museum has historically authentic and child-proof interactive displays; the Otago Museum is home to the official Ed Hillary Collection and a butterfly enclosure. Then there's all the wonderful old architecture everywhere - and guided walks to take it all in.
A legacy of Dunedin's boom times seems to be an abundance of antique and retro treasures. When you visit Plato restaurant you gape at a Mad Hatter's dream come true - a colossal teapot assemblage lining the walls. At Ombrellos Kitchen and Bar it's a Crown Lynn ceramic collection.
Deceased estates go under the hammer at Hayward's Auction House on Princes St each Wednesday, while student furniture goes to die down the road at Bob's Place - an antique junk store meets Aladdin's Cave. Here, a 1950s fully accessorised picnic hamper in pristine condition will set you back $150, or for $10 you can become the proud owner of a rusting fire extinguisher likely to explode on touch. Between the two shops you could outfit a mansion for next to nothing in the style of Noel Coward or Austin Powers.
Across the road is Anderson & Paul Antiques and Furniture Recyclers. Their workshop is at the back of the store so you can chat to Ray or Geoff as they polish a farmhouse table. If you favour the simple, modern lines of the Georgian period - not the mass-produced and more ornate Victorian clobber of Dunedin's halcyon days - this is the place.
On my last day I had lunch at the Speight's Ale House with Neil Harraway, the new owner of the Monarch. I wondered how he was settling in to tourism after a career in documentary making.
"The key," he told me, "is not being afraid to ask the stupid questions."
I wasn't, so I asked him what he liked about his home town.
"We get a rap for the weather but it's nowhere as bad as London, New York or Paris," he replied.
"And being slap in the [middle of the] Roaring Forties gives us great wildlife, great surf, great snow an easy drive away, and four great seasons - not to mention our hardy southern spirit."
Dunedin's small enough that if you wave at someone, they'll wave back, not glare at you suspiciously. Neil's right. Dunedin is cool - so its people don't have to try to be.
Say hello to furry cuties
As well as the yellow-eyed penguin, the rarest in the world, there are also fur seals, rare Hooker's sea lions, and the only mainland royal albatross colony anywhere.
Our Otago Peninsula trot was with Elm Wildlife Tours, a family operation that offers a boutique experience alongside a genuine conservation ethos. Larnach Castle and the one-hour Monarch cruise from Wellers Rock are recommended.
Dougal's visitors: 'It's a much bigger place than we thought ...'
Retired newsreader Dougal Stevenson lives halfway between Dunedin and Port Chalmers at St Leonards on the west side of the Otago Harbour, looking across to the peninsula including Larnach Castle.
"I make a point of getting visitors in the car," he says, driving first to the university campus, then up the hills along Highgate to the top of Roslyn.
"We get out and look over the city, the harbour, St Clair and St Kilda beaches. Invariably, visitors remark, 'This is a much bigger place than I thought it was it'.
"Then I bring them through the town belt, that marvellous stretch of greenery that runs around the hills below the upper suburbs, to Mornington and then sweep down High St - one of the finest streets in the country. Either side you have wonderful houses, modern, Edwardian, Victorian, and there used to be a cable car when I was a kid. You come over some of the lips from the plateaus on to the steep stretches of High St, it is a bit of a ski jump; in fact, people have skied there during snows."
Next is Olveston. "They gape at the size of that Jacobean pile and I tell them it is a living museum.
"Then we go to the Otago and Toitu museums, possibly to the Chinese Gardens and the commercial centre. I guess we have more late 19th, early 20th century buildings because there wasn't the pressure to knock them down and turn them into high rises. The best way to see the architecture is to walk around, to look above the awnings.
"I might take them to First Church, the railway station and then to my place to look across to the peninsula. Sometimes, I take people to the spit at Aramoana. At the right time of the year you can look across with binoculars to the albatross colony.
"We [may] go to some of the beaches on my side of the harbour, to Purakaunui and Whareakeake. There is also Mapoutahi Pa - the model of that in the Otago Museum always fascinated me as a child."
- Donna McIntyre
CHECKLIST
Getting there: Dunedin is a two-hour flight from Auckland.
Details: Get picked up from the airport in style for less than a standard taxi fare by Classic Jaguar. Our ride was a 1971 Daimler DS420 limousine that had carted about the Queen, Auckland's mayor and Nelson Mandela at different times. Five of us plus luggage and driver piled in, with leg-room to spare.
Further information: See dunedinnz.com.
Getting there with Jetstar
Flying to Dunedin with Jetstar has never been easier with direct flights daily! Plus you can add Avis or Budget car hire when you book, so you can start exploring Dunedin and the Otago region as soon as you touch down. For more information and to book your South Island adventure, visit Jetstar.com
Places to stay with Booking.com
Whether you're looking for a luxury hotel, bed & breakfast, or backpackers for your stay in Dunedin, make sure to book through Booking.com, who offer a free cancellation and pay-when-you-stay policy on most of their properties.
LOW COST: On Top Backpackers - A 3-minute walk from City Art Gallery, choose to stay in a lively dorm room or in a private room.
MEDIUM: Chapel Apartments -An old church converted to offer guests spacious and stylish accommodation - designed combining historical features with luxury.
LUXURY: The Brothers Boutique Hotel - Relax in this European-style hotel with spectacular views of Dunedin city and harbour.
Visit Booking.com for your accommodation needs.
Some domestic regional flights have been affected.