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DUNEDIN INFORMATION

Dunedin is the second largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the only real "University Town" in the country. Dunedin city captivates and enchants, it is a city in which to linger and explore. A city rich in heritage and architecture that leaves lasting memories for its visitors.

Once the centre of European commerce and culture in New Zealand, Dunedin retains an elegant grandeur often missing from larger cities in New Zealand and combines it with the vibrancy of youth. Abundant Victorian and Edwardian architecture is found in this beautiful city.

These elegant buildings often house, hotels, restaurants, and conference venues, and include New Zealand’s only castle, Larnach Castle. These heritage buildings all bear testimony to the wealth that flowed into Dunedin during the gold rush period, 1860-1880.

A compact city with a population of 122,000 (including a student population of 23,000) Dunedin is located on the southeast coast of the South Island of New Zealand. It is a safe and compact city with most hotels and restaurants being within easy walking distance of the city centre, ‘The Octagon. Dunedin is nestled in tree-clad hills at the head of the Otago Peninsula which is home to some of the world’s rarest wildlife.

Otepoti (in Maori for Dunedin) city stands on the hills and valleys surrounding the head of Otago Harbour. The harbour and hills are the remnants of an extinct volcano. It is the home of the University of Otago. Dunedin maintains a position of national importance as a major seat of learning with a strong arts and cultural. Stemming from the early Scottish immigrants bias regard for education, the University of Otago, New Zealand’s first, is recognized as a major force in education and enjoys an international reputation.

More recently the area was settled by whalers, gold miners and migrants from Scotland and China. Memorable for its historical architecture, Dunedin is one of the best preserved Victorian and Edwardian cities in the southern hemisphere. On the doorstep of the city, you can find incredible wildlife – the world's rarest penguins, a mainland albatross colony, fur seals and sea lions. Dunedin's dramatic hills surround a long, natural harbour, which attracted Maori settlers to the site over four centuries ago.

GEOGRAPHY

Dunedin City has a land area of 3,314.8 square kilometres (1,279.9 sq mi), slightly larger than the American state of Rhode Island or the English county of Cambridgeshire, and a little smaller than Cornwall. It is the largest city in land area in New Zealand. The Dunedin City Council boundaries since 1989 have extended to Middlemarch in the west, Waikouaiti in the north, the Pacific Ocean in the east and south-east, and the Waipori/Taieri River and the township of Henley in the south-west.

Dunedin is the most remote city in the world from London at 19,100 km (11,870 mi) (90 km (56 mi) more than Invercargill, and 100 km (62 mi) more than Christchurch), and from Berlin at 18,200 km (11,310 mi). Its antipodes are some 300 km (190 mi) north of the Spanish city of A Coruña, in the Bay of Biscay.