Otago, Invercargill, and Stewart Island

We’ve compiled the best of the best in Otago, Invercargill, and Stewart Island - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.

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  • 1. Otago Museum

    Galleries in an 1877 building are a throwback to Victorian times. The museum's first curator was a zoologist, and many of the original animals collected from 1868 are still on display in Animal Attic, a restored, magnificent, skylighted gallery. Southern Land, Southern People explores the cultural heritage of this region, and other galleries focus on Māori and Pacific Island artifacts, animal and insect specimens, and nautical items, including ship models and a whale skeleton. The Tropical Forest re-creates a humid jungle, complete with live butterflies and other tropical creatures.

    419 Great King St. N., Dunedin, Otago, 9016, New Zealand
    03-474–7474

    Sight Details

    Rate Includes: Free; Discovery World from NZ$10
  • 2. Royal Albatross Colony

    The wild and exposed eastern tip of the Otago Peninsula is the site of a breeding colony of royal albatrosses. Among the largest birds in the world, with a wingspan of up to 10 feet, they can take off only from steep slopes with the help of a strong breeze. With the exception of this colony and those in the Chatham Islands to the east, the birds are only on windswept islands deep in southern latitudes, far from human habitation. Under the auspices of the Royal Albatross Centre, the colony is open for viewing all year, except during a two-month break between mid-September and mid-November when the birds lay their eggs; the visitor center is open year-round. The greatest number of birds is present shortly after the young albatrosses hatch near the end of January. Between March and September, parents leave the fledglings in their nests while they gather food for them. In September, the young birds fly away, returning about eight years later to start their own breeding cycle. Access to the colony is strictly controlled, and you must book in advance. From the visitor center you go in groups up a steep trail to the Albatross Observatory, from which you can see the birds through viewing windows.

    1260 Harington Point Rd., Taiaroa Head, Otago, New Zealand
    03-478–0499

    Sight Details

    Rate Includes: NZ$52
  • 3. Bill Richardson Transport World

    More than 300 trucks and VW Kombis (that's a VW bus, to Americans) are on display, alongside motoring memorabilia and petrol bowsers—or, again for Americans, gas pumps. Kids who get bored looking at old cars will enjoy a special Lego learning space geared to them. There's something for everyone here, including a display of classic motorcycles and an interactive display of heavy machinery. It is reputed to be the largest such private collection in the world.

    491 Tay St., Invercargill, Southland, 9810, New Zealand
    03-217–0199

    Sight Details

    Rate Includes: NZ$35
  • 4. Bluff

    In the tiny seaport township of Bluff ("The Bluff" to locals) you can taste the coveted namesake oysters. An annual festival, held in May, wallows in seafood delicacies; oyster-opening and oyster-eating competitions and cook-offs are part of the fun. (If you miss the festival, the most spectacular place for oysters, in season, is Lands End Restaurant overlooking the sea). Don't miss the Maritime Museum on the Foreshore Road (the Oyster boat Monica sits beside it). Bluff is also home to the frequently photographed Stirling Point signpost, at the southern end of State Highway 1, which gives directions to places all over the world, including the South Pole. If it's a nice day follow the signs up to Bluff Lookout: the views encompass the Catlins and Stewart Island, and give you an excellent lay of the land. Good walking tracks are around Bluff; many begin at Stirling Point. The town is also the main jumping-off point for Stewart Island. It's about 30 km (19 miles) from Invercargill to Bluff, an easy half-hour drive south on State Highway 1.

    New Zealand
  • 5. Bunkhouse Theatre

    A Local's Tail is a quirky 40-minute movie about life on Stewart Island as told by Lola the dog. At three screenings most days (11 am, 2 pm, and 4 pm from October to April) in this neat 53-seater cinema, you'll be introduced to local characters and learn about island living. Write a review on the blackboard, pose for a photo with Lola herself, and perhaps add your name to the rogues gallery of moviegoers past. Additional screening times can be arranged for groups. On some weekend evenings classic old movies are shown. Be sure to grab a bucket of popcorn from the foyer.

    10 Main Rd., Oban, Southland, 9846, New Zealand
    027-867–9381

    Sight Details

    Rate Includes: NZ$10, Closed May–Sept.
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  • 6. Dunedin Botanic Gardens

    Relax and enjoy the birdsong of bellbirds, woodpigeon, and tūī amid 70 acres of international and native flora at New Zealand's first ever public garden. Some 6,800 plant species thrive on flatlands and hillsides ranging up from Central Dunedin, providing amazing seasonal displays of foliage. Attractions include an aviary, a winter garden hothouse, a comprehensive native plant collection, and the spectacular Rhododendron Dell. Parking at the lower part of the gardens, off Cumberland Street, affords easier access than the Opoho end, which is steeper, but both parts are worth visiting.

    Great King St. N. and Opoho Rd., Dunedin, Otago, 9016, New Zealand
    03-477–4000

    Sight Details

    Rate Includes: Free
  • 7. Dunedin Public Art Gallery

    The shell of an original municipal building has been paired with a sweeping, modern, glass facade to house a collection that includes European masters Monet, Turner, and Gainsborough, as well as New Zealand and Otago artists. A special gallery highlights Dunedin native Frances Hodgkins, whose work won acclaim in the 1930s and '40s. Hodgkins's style changed throughout her career, but some of her most distinctive works are postimpressionist watercolors.

    30 The Octagon, Dunedin, Otago, 9016, New Zealand
    03-474–3240

    Sight Details

    Rate Includes: Free
  • 8. Dunedin Railway Station

    The 1906 Dunedin Railway Station, a cathedral to the power of steam, is a massive bluestone structure in Flemish Renaissance style, lavishly decorated with heraldic beasts, nymphs, scrolls, a mosaic floor, and even stained-glass windows of steaming locomotives. This extravagant building, considered one of the best examples of railway architecture in the southern hemisphere, earned its architect, George Troup, a knighthood from the king—and the nickname Gingerbread George from the people of Dunedin because of the detailing on the outside of the building. It was once the busiest station in the country, with up to 100 trains a day coming and going. The station is also home to the Sports Hall of Fame, the country's finest sports museum with displays celebrating rugby, cricket, and other athletic pursuits.

    Anzac Ave. at Stuart St., Dunedin, Otago, 9016, New Zealand
    03-477–4449-Station

    Sight Details

    Rate Includes: Sports Hall of Fame $6
  • 9. E. Hayes and Sons

    Invercargill's most famous sight is a 100-year-old hardware store that stocks every little thing you can think of. It's totally yin-yang (grandma-grandpa) with one half devoted to little glass lemon juicers and whisks and the other half filled with tools and wheelbarrows. The store also has a popular Motorworks Collection where you can view memorabilia of Invercargill's famous son Burt Munro, the "World's Fastest Indian."

    168 Dee St., Invercargill, Southland, 9810, New Zealand
    03-218–2059
  • 10. First Church of Otago

    On the south side of Moray Place, the church is not vast, but it's still impressive, with a base of Oamaru stone topped by a delicate 200-foot spire. Check out the leaf patterns, dragon, and other carved details around the windows.

    415 Moray Pl., Dunedin, Otago, 9016, New Zealand
    03-477–7118

    Sight Details

    Rate Includes: Free
  • 11. Larnach Castle

    High on a hilltop with commanding views from its battlements, the grand baronial fantasy of William Larnach, an Australian-born businessman and New Zealand politician, was a vast extravagance even in the free-spending days of the gold rush in the 1870s. Larnach imported an English craftsman to carve the ceilings, which took 12 years to complete. The solid marble bath, marble fireplaces, tiles, glass, and even much of the wood came from Europe. Larnach rose to a prominent position in the New Zealand government of the late 1800s, but in 1898, beset by a series of financial disasters and possible marital problems, he committed suicide in Parliament House—when, according to one version of the story, his third wife, whom he married at an advanced age, ran off with his youngest son. The 35 acres of grounds around the castle include lodging, a rain-forest garden with kauri, rimu, and totara trees, statues of Alice in Wonderland characters (see if you can find the Cheshire Cat), a herbaceous walk, and a South Seas Walkway lined with palms and aloe plants. New Zealand's only castle is a 20-minute drive from Dunedin but can be tricky to find, so follow the directions on the website.

    145 Camp Rd., Dunedin, Otago, 9077, New Zealand
    03-476–1616

    Sight Details

    Rate Includes: From NZ$17.50 garden only, $35 garden and castle
  • 12. Milford Galleries Dunedin

    Milford Galleries, a major fine-art dealer, presents solo and group exhibitions of New Zealand paintings, drawings, sculpture, glasswork, ceramic art, and photography. Among the artists are Neil Frazer (who does large-scale abstract expressionist paintings) and Paul Dibble, one of New Zealand's most acclaimed sculptors.

    18 Dowling St., Dunedin, Otago, 9054, New Zealand
    03-477–7727

    Sight Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sun.
  • 13. Moeraki Boulders

    These giant spherical rocks are concretions that were formed by a gradual buildup of minerals around a central core. Some boulders have sprung open, revealing—no, not alien life forms, but—interesting calcite crystals. The boulders stud the beach north of the town of Moeraki and south as well at Katiki Beach off Highway 1. Be warned that the boulders at Moeraki Beach have become a bit of a tourist attraction, and there are often whole busloads of people wandering the beach. Watch for little Hector's dolphins jumping in the surf just offshore; they're as interesting as the boulders.

    Moeraki Boulders Rd., Moeraki, Otago, New Zealand
  • 14. Oamaru Blue Penguin Colony

    Penguins at Friendly Bay might be present any time of the year, and tours and viewing opportunities run day and evening. There's a small visitor center on site with a shop and toilet facilities. The actual times penguins come ashore in the evening affects the nighttime hours, but the center opens every day at 5 pm. Access to the public beach is free.

    2 Waterfront Rd., Oamaru, Otago, 9400, New Zealand
    03-433–1195

    Sight Details

    Rate Includes: Tours from NZ$36
  • 15. Oreti Beach

    The surf at this spot 9.5 km (6 miles) southeast of town is often too rough for swimming, but locals do swim in summer, and surfers and windsurfers take advantage of the wind and swells that whip the coast almost constantly. The annual Burt Munro Challenge in February sees motorcycles hurtle across the sand as riders pit their wits and machines against one another in honor of the local hero and motorcycle land speed record holder from whom the race gets its name. Amenities: none. Best for: solitude; surfing; walking; windsurfing.

    Dunns Rd., Invercargill, Southland, 9810, New Zealand
  • 16. Orokonui Ecosanctuary

    A 30-minute drive northeast of Dunedin is a 759-acre forest where native plants and wildlife thrive in relative safety surrounded by an 8.7-km (5-mile) predator-proof fence. This is necessary because much of New Zealand wildlife is threatened by pests and predators introduced into the country before settlers knew any better, and Orokonui is unique because it was the first of only three mainland eco-sanctuaries on the South Island. The latest attraction here is a jewel gecko enclosure. The park offers good walking tracks, informative displays, a café, and a souvenir shop. Parents, grab a Kiwi Ranger booklet from the front desk, which lists lots of activities to keep the kids amused during the day; if they complete the tasks, they earn a "Kiwi Ranger" badge.

    600 Blueskin Rd., Waitati, Otago, 9059, New Zealand
    03-482–1755

    Sight Details

    Rate Includes: Tours from NZ$20
  • 17. Penguin Place

    Harrington Point

    This conservation project is entirely funded by guided tours of the private reserve. If you'd like to observe the world's most endangered penguin in its natural habitat, visit Penguin Place, where an ingenious network of tunnels has been disguised so that you can get close. The penguins, also known as hoiho (meaning "noise shouter" in Māori), are characterized by their yellow irises and headbands. Tours run throughout the afternoon but must be booked in advance. If you can't bring yourself to leave, Penguin Place Lodge offers basic and inexpensive farm-stay accommodation.

    45 Pakihau Rd., Dunedin, Otago, 9077, New Zealand
    03-478–0286

    Sight Details

    Rate Includes: NZ$55, Reservations essential
  • 18. Queens Park

    These 200 acres in the center of town create a fine layout of public gardens. Included are two rose gardens with both modern and "antique" rose varieties; a Japanese garden complete with meditation area; and an impressive hothouse, which acts as a sanctuary on a wet day. The park has miles of gentle walking paths and waterways, an 18-hole golf course, a fitness trail, and a decent café. There's also a small zoo area and an aviary with a walk-through section that children love. The main entrance is through the stately Feldwick Gates next to the Southland Museum.

    Queens Dr. at Gala St., Invercargill, Southland, 9810, New Zealand
    03-217–7368
  • 19. Rakiura Museum

    This charmingly eclectic and extensive collection telling the island's history includes Māori artifacts, ambergris, old schoolhouse memorabilia, tools from gold and tinning prospectors, even a china "moustache cup" (there's a story behind every item). Scattered amongst the exhibits here you'll find an extensive collection of shells and crustacea from around the island. Superb historical photos reveal past endeavors. However, it's only open from 10 to 3, albeit daily.

    11 Main Rd., Oban, Southland, 9846, New Zealand

    Sight Details

    Rate Includes: NZ$10
  • 20. Rakiura National Park

    Let 265 km (164 miles) of trail unfurl at your feet into pure wilderness when you enter Rakiura National Park: the rest of the world is indeed far removed. Even the most adventurous travelers are liable to experience a growing feeling of utter isolation as they go about exploring the lush, bush-clad hills, sand dunes, unspoiled inlets, and beaches strewn with driftwood. Since spring 2002, about 85% of Stewart Island has been designated as the national park. Memorable hikes include the three-day Rakiura Track and the challenging 11-day Northern Circuit. A popular adventure is taking a water taxi to the trailhead at Freshwater Creek, on the east side of the island, and walking across to the West Coast's amazing Mason Bay Beach, where you can arrange to have a plane pick you up. It takes close to three hours to walk to the end of the beach; along the way you'll find one of the best places to spot a few of the island's 20,000 kiwi birds. They especially come out in late evening.

    New Zealand

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