Otago Peninsula

Flanking the southern edge of Dunedin's extensive harbour, Otago Peninsula is high and rugged on the ocean side; warm and sheltered on the harbour side. Volcanic in origin, the peninsula is part of the crater wall of a large, long-extinct volcano.

As a scenic drive, Otago Peninsula is spectacular. Beginning at Vauxhall, you can follow the coastal road past small settlements and beaches to Taiaroa Head, where there's an albatross colony. Other attractions near Taiaroa Head include the fur seals at Pilots Beach and sea lions on Te Rauone Beach.

The southern side of Otago Peninsula is high and rugged. Walking tracks lead to cliff lookouts, beaches, penguin nesting areas and seal colonies.

At Victory Beach there's a Egyptian-looking rock formation known locally as ""The Pyramids""; at Allans Beach you might see yellow-eyed penguins, fur seals and sea lions.

>From Portobello you can return to Dunedin via Highcliff Road, which winds along the ridge of the peninsula. Take a detour down Sandy Mount Road to find The Chasm and Lovers Leap; you can also walk to see three historic lime kilns that were in use from the 1860s until 1938. Sealpoint Road, another detour, leads to Seal Point and the track to Sandfly Bay (named for sand flying off the giant dunes rather than biting insects). Larnach Castle is also accessed from Highcliff Road.

Moeraki Boulders

At Moeraki, 40 kilometres south of Oamaru, huge spherical boulders are scattered along the beach. Others can be seen emerging from the sandstone cliffs. Each boulder weighs several tonnes and is up to two metres high.

According to Maori legend, the boulders are gourds washed ashore from the great voyaging canoe Araiteuru when it was wrecked upon landfall in New Zealand hundreds of years ago.

Scientists explain the boulders as calcite concretions formed about 65 million years ago. Crystallization of calcium and carbonates around charged particles gradually formed the boulders in a pearl-like process that took as long as four million years. The soft mudstone containing the boulders was raised from the seabed around 15 million years ago; waves, wind and rain are excavating them one by one.

The viewing platform, just a few minutes walk through regenerating native forest, offers an excellent view of the boulders. If you're lucky, you might also see Hector's dolphins playing in the waves.

Spying on the Little Blue Penguins

Blue penguins are found right around the coast of New Zealand and southern Australia, but none closer to human activity than in Oamaru. The birds nest right around the harbour area and the Oamaru Blue Penguin Colony offers a unique opportunity for you to observe the world's smallest penguin arriving home from their day at sea and returning to their nests. Each evening, groups of blue penguins gather offshore and wait for dark. Just after dark, they swim ashore below the viewing stands. They quickly climb the steep bank, before resting a while at the top. When they are ready, they cross the parade area and head towards their nest sites, often to be greeted by mates or hungry chicks.

Dunedin's inner city heritage walks

Following the 1861 discovery of gold in Central Otago, Dunedin was New Zealand's largest and wealthiest city. Over a relatively short time, large investments were made in industry, shipping and commerce which resulted in the construction of many fine Victorian and Edwardian commercial and public buildings around the city.

Most of these buildings remain today, and it is said that Dunedin has the finest collection of Victorian and Edwardian buildings in the southern hemisphere.

Dunedin's architectural heritage can be explored by following two inner city heritage walks. You'll pass banks, churches, a priory, a gaol, the police station, as well as the impressive offices of traders and commercial companies - all proudly retaining their strong sense of New Zealand history.

Each walk is a little over two kilometres in length and takes approximately one hour to complete. The routes are marked by bronze plaques in the footpath identified as 'Heritage Walk 1' and 'Heritage Walk 2'. Historical information is provided on oval plaques attached to many of the featured buildings.

Both walks are loop tracks and they cross paths on the north side of Dunedin's central Octagon. A brochure is readily available which shows the route of the Heritage Walks, with a numbered key showing the location of each building with a heritage plaque.