NZ Travel: Why Dunedin ticks the boxes for all types of traveller

Iconic Larnach Castle with Otago Peninsula in the background. Photo / Dunedinnz

Destination of the week: Dunedin

Why you should go: From the rugged beaches of the Otago Peninsula to the arty buzz around the Octagon, Dunedin is brimming with history, scenic in all seasons and creative to its core.

Beautiful Tunnel Beach. Photo / Dunedinnz

Top spots: Blow out the cobwebs with a trip to Otago Peninsula, where the countless sandy bays and sparkling harbour views are a tonic for the soul. You're spoilt for choice here when it comes to beaches, with stunning Tunnel Beach, Aramoana and sheltered Macandrew Bay among the most popular.
Back in town, stop in at the many quirky secondhand shops around the Octagon for antiques and vintage threads. Bibliophiles should make a beeline for Dead Souls Bookshop. Soak up the city's creative side at the excellent Dunedin Public Art Gallery, take the kids to the family-friendly Otago Museum, or do a self-guided tour of the street art around the super-cool Warehouse Precinct. If you still have energy to burn, take a jaunt up Baldwin St for city vistas and the best glute workout in the country, or stretch your legs along the St Clair esplanade as waves pound the rocks below.

Evening diners at The Octagon. Photo / Dunedinnz

Best eats: If it's casual and cool eateries you're after, look no further than Good Good and Comes First Chicken Diner for epic burgers and beers, and the Prohibition Smokehouse for meaty morsels. Swing by Plato for a seafood feast, Bracken for hearty Scottish fare, and The Press Club for high-end eats and high tea. Wet your whistle at Steamer Basin Brewery and Taproom, Emerson's Brewery, or Noisy Brewing Company.

Emerson's Brewery is one of many places to grab a drink in the city. Photo / Dunedinnz

For more, see dunedinnz.com