Dunedin (pronounced "duh-NEE-din"), called Ōtepoti in Māori, is the main city of the Otago region and the second-largest city of the South Island of New Zealand. Archaeological evidence shows Māori hunters have stayed in the area from about 1280. European seal hunters arrived about 1790, followed by whalers, who were busy until 1826. The modern city was predominantly settled by Scots, and its name is an anglicised version of Dùn Èideann, the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh. It had a population of 130,400 in June 2022.
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Dunedin is a university town, a cultural hub, and a city with a strong historical streak. It is a small city with a compact, walkable city centre surrounded by hilly suburbs. It has easy access to beaches, wildlife attractions and areas of native forest. Known also as "the Edinburgh of the South", the city has a proud Māori and Scots heritage. It has as its heart a statue of the poet Robbie Burns and many of its streets carry the same name as streets in Edinburgh (but visitors from Edinburgh may be confused as they are in a different order).
The city layout is focused on the Octagon, an eight-sided 'plaza' consisting of a large traffic roundabout with a central carriageway. It hosts a few significant buildings, and a couple of bars and cafes. The main retail area lies further north up George Street toward Dunedin North, and this could arguably be considered the city centre. Here you will find a larger range of shopping, some malls, cafes, etc. To a lesser there is some retail south along Princes Street and east along Lower Stuart Street from the Octagon.
The following attractions are free: Baldwin Street, Dunedin Railway Station, Otago Museum, Public Art Gallery, Toitū Otago Settlers Museum, and the churches. 1 Baldwin Street. Located in Dunedin's North East Valley suburb, it is recognised as the world's steepest street according to Guinness World Records with a centreline gradient of 34.8%. Take the ten-minute walk to the top to enjoy the view looking down! There is a drinking fountain at the top. Some people have tried, and a few have succeeded, cycling all the way up Baldwin Street – try it if you're a keen cyclist.
Baldwin Street Gutbuster. Take part in a run up and back on the world's steepest street during the city's summer festival. Tramping. Dunedin has some of the most easily-accessible tracks of any city in NZ. In less than half an hour you can be in pristine bush far from the worries of the world. Ask about Green Hut Track, Carey's Creek, Possum Hut, Rosella Ridge, Yellow Ridge, Rocky Ridge, Rongamai, Honeycomb, Powder Creek, Long Ridge, Swampy Ridge, Leith Saddle, Burns, Rustlers, Nichols Creek, Nichols Falls, to name just some of the fabulous tramping tracks around this city.
Dunedin is home to numerous reasonably priced ethnic restaurants and being a university town, the city is home to many establishments that cater to students. Lower Stuart Street, around the Octagon and the northern part of central George Street (including the side streets) have the majority of Dunedin's restaurants. There are also a few interesting places on Albany Street, which runs across the south of the University of Otago.
Dunedin is known for its vibrant nightlife, mainly stemming from its large student population. It is also home to some well known beer breweries, Speights, Emersons and to a lesser extent Green Man. There is also a strong coffee culture with a number of good cafes. 1 Strictly Coffee, 23 Bath St. Has been on the Dunedin coffee scene for 15 years and roasts its own coffee locally. One of its 3 cafes is on Bath St (off Lower Stuart). (updated Jan 2020) 2 Nova, 29 The Octagon. Nova in the Octagon next to the art gallery has won best cafe in Dunedin for a number of years. (updated Jan 2020) 3 Mazagran Espresso, 36 Moray Place.
The city is quite safe, but try to walk in a group on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. People can get excessively inebriated and occasionally look to cause trouble. Exercise the same caution and common sense that you would in any other western city. The police station is in Great King Street, next to Countdown, the supermarket.
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
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In Aug, Dunedin typically sees ~11°C daytime highs and 12 rainy days.
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