Dunedin

Baldwin Street holds the Guinness World Record for steepest residential street in the world, with a gradient reaching around 35% (19 degrees) near its top. It's a short, quirky detour rather than a major attraction — most visitors walk (or struggle) to the top for the view and a photo, and it's the site of an annual Jaffa-rolling charity event where thousands of the chocolate lollies are rolled down the slope. Because it's a residential street with a name, expect narrow footpaths and be mindful of the people who actually live there.

Dunedin Botanic Garden: Established in 1863, Dunedin Botanic Garden is New Zealand's oldest botanic garden, spread across a large site with a rhododendron dell, rose garden, native plant collection, and an aviary of native and exotic birds. The upper garden climbs into more informal native bush, with good views back over the city. It's free, well-maintained, and a pleasant couple of hours regardless of season, with the rhododendron dell being especially striking in spring.

Dunedin Railway Station is a grand Edwardian-era building completed in 1906, built in a flamboyant Flemish Renaissance style with a distinctive mosaic-tiled floor depicting steam trains, and often cited as one of New Zealand's most photographed buildings. It's still a working station, with scenic rail excursions (such as the Taieri Gorge Railway) departing from here. Even without taking a train trip, it's worth a stop just to see the architecture and floor mosaics, and there's a small sports hall of fame museum upstairs.

Larnach Castle is New Zealand's only 'castle,' a grand 19th-century mansion built by wealthy businessman and politician William Larnach, set on the Otago Peninsula with extensive gardens and coastal views over the harbour. Its history is genuinely dramatic — Larnach shot himself in Parliament's debating chamber, and the house later fell into disrepair before being restored by its current owners from the 1960s onward. A visit typically covers the castle interior, gardens, and a climb to the rooftop viewing platform, with the ornate woodwork and period furnishings being highlights.

Moeraki Boulders: The Moeraki Boulders are large, near-perfectly spherical stone boulders scattered along a stretch of beach, formed by mineral concretion over millions of years and gradually exposed as the surrounding cliff erodes. Some reach over 2 metres across, and their unusual, uniform roundness makes them look almost deliberately placed. Low tide is the best time to visit, both for safety and because more boulders are exposed and walkable around; the site can get busy with tour buses in peak season.

Nugget Point is a dramatic headland topped by a historic lighthouse, with a short walk out along the cliff edge to a viewpoint overlooking a scatter of rocky islets (the 'nuggets') just offshore where fur seals, sea lions, and sometimes elephant seals haul out. It's one of the most striking coastal viewpoints in the Catlins/South Otago area. The walk to the viewpoint is short and easy (about 20-30 minutes return), making it accessible for most visitors, with wildlife viewing (seals, and sometimes yellow-eyed penguins on the nearby beach) as a bonus.

Oamaru Blue Penguin Colony: The Oamaru Blue Penguin Colony is a protected breeding colony of little blue penguins (the world's smallest penguin species) in Oamaru's historic harbour area, with a viewing stand set up so visitors can watch the penguins come ashore in groups ('rafts') at dusk after a day fishing at sea. It's one of the more reliable, organised places in New Zealand to see wild little blue penguins up close. Timing is everything here — the penguins come in around dusk, so the viewing time shifts with sunset through the year, and it's worth arriving a bit early to get a good spot.

Olveston is an early 1900s Jacobean-style mansion built for the wealthy Theomin family, left almost entirely intact with its original furnishings, art, and household items when it was gifted to the city in the 1960s. It's a genuine time capsule of Edwardian upper-class New Zealand life, complete with an early example of a home with electricity, central heating, and an internal telephone system. Visits are guided-tour only, which limits flexibility but gives good context on the family and house's history — worth booking ahead in peak season since tour group sizes are limited.

Orokonui Ecosanctuary is a fenced, predator-free sanctuary protecting native New Zealand wildlife, including species that are otherwise very hard to see such as takahē, kākā, and tuatara, within a large area of restored native forest. The predator-proof fence keeps out introduced mammals, letting native birdlife recover and, in some cases, be seen far more easily than in the wild. Walking tracks loop through the reserve, and guided tours are also available for those wanting a better chance of spotting specific species and understanding the conservation work.

Otago Peninsula: The Otago Peninsula is a narrow finger of hilly land stretching southeast from Dunedin, with a dramatic mix of farmland, cliffs, and sheltered harbour bays, and some of the best accessible wildlife viewing in New Zealand — royal albatross, fur seals, sea lions, and yellow-eyed penguins can all be seen here. Larnach Castle sits on the peninsula too. It's best explored by car along the winding harbour-edge road, with numerous pull-offs, beaches, and wildlife sites worth stopping for; a full day allows time for a couple of the peninsula's marquee attractions plus general driving and scenery.

Purakaunui Falls is a three-tiered waterfall in native forest within the Catlins, widely considered one of the most photogenic waterfalls in New Zealand thanks to its even, staircase-like drop over three distinct tiers. A well-formed, easy track through podocarp forest leads to a viewing platform. It's a short, low-effort stop rather than a destination in itself, easily combined with other Catlins sights like Nugget Point or Cathedral Caves on a loop drive through the region.

Royal Albatross Centre: The Royal Albatross Centre at Taiaroa Head is the only mainland breeding colony of northern royal albatross in the world — these birds normally nest only on remote subantarctic islands, making this an unusually accessible place to see them, including their huge wingspan in flight from a viewing area. The centre also runs tours covering the site's WWI-era gun emplacements. Guided tours are required to access the observatory viewing area; independent viewing from public areas nearby offers a chance (not guaranteed) to see albatross overhead without a booked tour.

Speights Brewery: Speights is one of New Zealand's oldest breweries, founded in Dunedin in 1876, and its heritage brewery building runs guided tours covering the brewing process and the brewery's history, ending with a tasting session. It's a straightforward brewery tour experience rather than a major sightseeing landmark, appealing mainly to those interested in beer or NZ brewing history. The attached Speights Ale House restaurant/bar is a separate option if you just want a meal and a beer without doing the tour.

The Catlins is a rugged, sparsely populated coastal region between Dunedin and Invercargill, known for native forest, waterfalls (Purakaunui Falls, McLean Falls), dramatic coastline (Nugget Point, Cathedral Caves), and reliable wildlife spotting including yellow-eyed penguins, sea lions, and fur seals. It has a wilder, less-visited feel than better-known tourist routes, with limited towns or services along the way. Most visitors treat it as a full-day drive from Dunedin with several stops, or a one-to-two night stay to see it properly without rushing between waterfalls, beaches, and lookouts.

Toitū Otago Settlers Museum covers the history of Otago from early Māori settlement through European colonisation, the Otago gold rush, and into the 20th century, using a strong collection of vintage vehicles, photographs, and personal stories. It's a well-regarded regional social history museum, more engaging than the name might suggest, with a striking Art Deco extension alongside the original heritage building. Entry is free, and it's a solid few hours' visit for anyone interested in how Dunedin and Otago developed.

Tunnel Beach is a small, secluded beach reached via a hand-carved sandstone tunnel cut through the cliffs in the 1870s for a wealthy local family's private access, ending at a dramatic cove with sea arches and cliffs. The short walking track to get there crosses farmland with good coastal views along the way. It's a relatively short walk (about 30-40 minutes return) but includes a steep descent/climb back up, and the beach itself is only safely accessible at low tide.