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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.
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.