Dunedin

Ocho import their fermented and dried cacao beans from farmers in Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and Fiji. They then make the chocolate from scratch, roasting, grinding, conching and tempering the chocolate before molding it into bars. The beans are roasted and processed in small batches so some variations are possible from batch to batch.
Unlike big industrial chocolate makers they use simple equipment and their processes are very hands-on because none of their equipment is automated. One hour guided tours are available of the factory during which visitors taste 15 different chocolates or compounds.

This building was completed in 1882 and designed with a Venetian Renaissance style by architect W. B. Armson, one of the first professionally trained colonial architects to work in New Zealand. The Venetian Renaissance style exterior constructed in Oamaru stone features carving of New Zealand plants and landscapes. The building houses a law firm.

This building which was designed by architect W. H. Dunning was completed in 1913 with a façade of Hobart Sandstone. The building features a domed glass ceiling and is set over a large public banking chamber.

Olveston homestead provided the Theomin family with the perfect setting to entertain both professional and personal friends. Seven servants were employed to service the 35 rooms of the home and to manicure the acre of beautiful garden. The home is sited in the inner city and is within walking distance from the city centre.

In the city centre, it has an octagonal shape instead of the standard square and features a statue of Scottish poet Robert Burns. This statue was unveiled in 1887 and has been restored. It was cast by sculptor Sir John Steell of Edinburgh, Scotland, who made four other, nearly identical, statues, one of which stands in Central Park, New York. Several significant buildings are adjacent to the Octagon, including the Public Art Gallery, St. Paul's Anglican Cathedral, the Town Hall and the Regent Theatre.

Has some great old buildings to wander about and see; when classes are on it's a good place to sit, people-watch and take it all in, some good food/cafes/bars are nearby too.

Children under 15 require adult supervision. The brewery has been a Dunedin landmark since its founding in 1876. The guided tour takes you through the Speight's brewery, sharing the heritage and culture of beer, from the Babylonians to today. The tour's finale is a 25-minute beer tasting. You must be 18 years or over to join in on the tasting, and you must wear flat closed shoes for the tour. There is a tap on the wall of the brewery which provides free water from the spring used by the brewery.

Opened in 1997 and closed in the late 2000s, Arc Cafe was a very popular place for music, art and alternative cultures in Dunedin. You can still view its building on the street (it is now used by a bakery shop called “Body of the Year”). You can also view paintings, photos and music from their website. The website is maintained by Elliott Young, one of the original founders of Arc Cafe.

This gallery displays both local and international work in a modern building. Established in 1884, the Gallery was New Zealand’s first Art Gallery and is renowned today for the richness of its historic collection. Historical works by renowned artists such as Turner, Gainsborough, Claude, and Machiavelli feature alongside the only Monet in a New Zealand collection and master works by Derain, Tissot, Burne-Jones and internationally acclaimed Dunedin artist Frances Hodgkins.

Was founded in 1868 and has a collection of over two million artefacts and specimens from the fields of natural history and ethnography. There is also a (paid entry) "Discovery World Tropical Forest". This features a variety of flora and fauna from around the globe, as well as many species of butterfly from Asia and South America. There are around 1,000 butterflies flying at any one time, and the Forest also has tarantulas, birds, fish, turtles and geckos.

First opened in 1908, this museum refurbished in 2013 is housed in the stunning, original Edwardian galleries and Dunedin's former art deco New Zealand Railways Road Services bus station next to the railway station. It focuses on the people and history of the region. The museum is a short walk from the Octagon and is between the Chinese Garden and the historic Railway Station, in the cultural heritage precinct. Wi-Fi is free throughout the museum and a free bag and coat check is available in the Josephine Foyer. A cafe is available in the entrance foyer.

Playfully named after the Blue Oyster gay biker bar featured in the 1984 comedy film Police Academy, this not for profit gallery run by the Blue Oyster Arts Trust began its life in 1999 and since then has been supporting experimental and innovative art practices.

This old coal gasworks operated from 1863 until 1987. At its peak in the 1970s coal gas was provided to over 18,000 customers in the city. Much of the facility was pulled down during the 1980s, though many of the Edwardian buildings of the complex were saved by a trust and it is one of only a handful of preserved gasworks museums in the world. The main part of the museum is housed in the engine house. Other buildings which are included in the museum include the boiler room, boiler house, chimney stack, fitting shop, and blacksmith's shop. The museum includes five stationary steam engines, some of which are in working full order. There are also displays of domestic and industrial gas appliances.

This is a small private museum and gallery spread over three rooms of an old central city villa which is the home of Dunedin mural artist and sculptor, Bruce Mahalski. It houses biological curiosities, skulls, bones, ethnological art and unusual cultural artefacts. They include the bones of many different species of animal (including humans), 200 skulls, pinned butterfly collections, vintage books (especially medical texts), etc. The museum also contains a gallery where Mahalski exhibits his bone art and paintings for sale. Please be aware that the museum is part of a private house and entry is strictly at the discretion of the owner.

Occupying 30.4 hectares (75 acres) in the north end of the city; an excellent place to stroll for several hours. Has an aviary along with many themed garden areas such as Rhododendron, Azalea and Rose Gardens.

A piece of serenity in the city. Constructed in Shanghai then dismantled and reassembled in Dunedin, the Chinese Garden is an example of a late Ming, early Qing Dynasty scholar's garden, the only traditional Chinese garden in the Southern Hemisphere. Try some amazing dumplings and Chinese tea.

One of the most impressive churches in New Zealand, looking like an English cathedral. Dunedin's primary Presbyterian church, built of Oamaru stone 1868-73. The spire is 56 m high, making it the tallest building in Dunedin.

The largest church in Dunedin, used by a Presbyterian congregation. Built of bluestone and Oamaru stone, with a wooden ceiling between 1872-76 to design by Robert Lawson.

Construction of this Gothic revival cathedral was started in 1878 to the designs of Francis Petre. It was completed in its unfinished state in May 1886. The original design, however, was for a much larger building, with a tall spire with a height of 60 m over the transept. The cathedral is located beside St Dominic's Priory. The Cathedral Chapel is situated behind the Priory. Behind the Cathedral is the Catholic Pastoral Centre, containing the Bishop's office and also the Catholic library.

Construction on this Anglican cathedral began in 1915 with funds for the project running out before the intended crossing and chancel could be built. In the end it was resolved that a temporary chancel should be constructed using material saved from the old St Paul’s. The new cathedral was consecrated in 1919. A new modernist chancel was added between 1969 and 1971.

This typical Edwardian villa was built in 1909 by Sir James Fletcher, founder of Fletcher Construction Company Ltd for Hubert Green and his wife. The double bay windowed villa with return verandah has views over Turnbull Bay. In December 1990 Fletcher Challenge decided to restore the Fletcher House and after restoration opened it to the public in 1992, making it the first villa in New Zealand to be opened for all to enjoy. It has been fully restored to its former glory and has been furnished in the style of the period by the Otago Settlers Museum.

Glenfalloch, Gaelic for ‘hidden valley’ enjoys a microclimate that extends the seasons and nurtures growth. There are walking tracks meandering throughout 30 acres of lush, well-tended woodland gardens, filled with flowers and swaying mature trees, including a 1000-year-old matai that you can enjoy at your own pace or you can also take a guided tour. Glenfalloch has been classified as a Garden of National Significance. There's also a good restaurant on site.

The only mainland albatross nesting site in the world. It is an hour's drive along the western coast of Otago Peninsula on a road that skirts the water for most of its length without any guardrail. In places, the city buses which frequent the road are wider than the lanes (the local traffic is used to this, and drives very carefully), so if you don't trust your driving reflexes, take a coach instead. Albatrosses may be seen during the summer months, as well as other wildlife at all times of the year. Guided tours of the colony and the old fortifications on and under the headland are conducted daily.

This Armstrong disappearing gun at Fort Taiaroa was installed in May 1889 and was recommissioned during World War II. It is still in its original gun pit. Coastal fortifications were constructed in New Zealand in two main waves. The first wave occurred around 1885 and was a response to fears of an attack by Russia. The second wave occurred during World War II and was due to fears of invasion by the Japanese. The fortifications were built from British designs adapted to New Zealand conditions.
The only public access to the fort is by a 30-minute guided tour.

Billed as "the only castle" in New Zealand, it's very pretty but it's actually a manor house. Lanarch Castle has a rich and interesting but rather unhappy history. It was built by wealthy businessman William Larnach and later cabinet minister in the New Zealand Government, holding various portfolios, over a period of 25 years. He took his own life in the New Zealand Parliament Buildings in 1898. After the home was sold by the family it became first a lunatic asylum, then a hospital for shell-shocked soldiers and a nuns' retreat. In 1967 it was purchased by new owners and restored.

The ruins of Cargill's Castle stand on a promontory overlooking the sea. This Italianate mansion was built for Edward Cargill, eighth child of city founder William Cargill. Called The Cliffs by its owner it was designed by the young architect Francis Petre. While designing the house, Petre fell in love with Cargill's daughter Margaret. After a difficult courtship (due to Petre's staunch Catholicism and the Cargill family's equally staunch Presbyterianism) the couple were eventually permitted to marry. It now lies in ruins and while plans have been made on several occasions to restore the building to its former glory, but none have yet borne fruit.
There is no public access to the site and it cannot be accessed until stabilization of the site has been completed.

Small columnar rock formation set in a hillside with splendid views. Pleasant hike up a steep bush track from a car park about 5 km out of town along North Road. The track continues up from the Organ Pipes to the peak of Mount Cargill 676 m which gives panoramic views across the city, Otago Harbour and Peninsula, and the surrounding countryside.

A Maori church and meeting-house, which gave the Otago Peninsula its name. Find it on a side-road near Harington Point, at the outer (north-east) end of the Peninsula.

Home to some of New Zealand's most fascinating and rare wildlife and providing visitors with exceptional experiences while allowing native flora and fauna to live naturally in a safe haven. A 307-ha enclosure inside an 8.7-km pest-proof fence, it provides a chance to see Kaka, Tui, Bellbirds, Tuatara, Kiwi and more in a native setting. Offers daily guided tours and night tours twice a week.

Often called the most romantic spot in Dunedin. In the 1870s local politician John Cargill excavated a tunnel down to a secluded beach so that the extended Cargill families could bathe in privacy away from the prying eyes of St Clair. The beach is sheltered by fossil filled cliffs, with massive sandstone boulders, mysterious graffiti carved into the cliffs and a dangerous rip that sadly drowned Cargill's youngest daughter.
The 72 concrete steps through the tunnel is dimly naturally lit, while the path down to the tunnel is steep and can be very slippery following wet weather. The best time to visit is at low tide.
To get there by private vehicle proceed to the car park at the end of Tunnel Beach Road, which is signposted off Blackhead Road in the south of Dunedin. From the car park it is easy 20-minute walk via a track through private farm land to the tunnel and beach. The track is open year-round except during the spring lambing season. Otherwise take the No 33 bus in the direction of Corstorphine and get off at the corner of Middleton Road and Stenhope Crescent. It is approximately 30 minutes’ walk from there to the start of the track.

This is a public pool with water slide and spa, 5 minutes walk up Stuart Street from the Octagon.

This heated outdoor pool sits on the western headland of St Clair Beach. The water is heated to 28°C and contains a mixture of salt and chlorinated water.

Nice movie cinema in a converted old theatre.

A sightseeing train trip travelling through spectacular scenery. It departs from the historic Dunedin Railway Station in central Dunedin and ends at the small village of Middlemarch. Departing daily it takes you on a journey through the rugged and spectacular Taieri River Gorge, across wrought iron viaducts and through tunnels carved by hand more than 100 years ago. Take your camera and lots of memory. The same company runs trips on the Christchurch line as far as Palmerston, about 2 hours away. These go about twice a week in the summer.

A futuristic rugby and soccer stadium, opened in 2011, it's fully enclosed with a grass surface, made possible by a transparent roof. In 2023 it staged matches in the Women's World Cup for soccer, co-hosted by NZ and Australia. Some call the stadium the "Greenhouse of Pain" — a play on "House of Pain", the nickname of Carisbrook the stadium it replaced.