28 Best Sights in Otago, Invercargill, and Stewart Island, New Zealand

Let 265 km (164 miles) of trail unfurl at your feet into pure wilderness when you enter Rakiura National Park: the rest of the world is indeed far removed. Even the most adventurous travelers are liable to experience a growing feeling of utter isolation as they go about exploring the lush, bush-clad hills, sand dunes, unspoiled inlets, and beaches strewn with driftwood. Since spring 2002, about 85% of Stewart Island has been designated as the national park. Memorable hikes include the three-day Rakiura Track and the difficult 11-day Northern Circuit. A popular adventure is taking a water taxi to the trailhead at the east side's Freshwater Creek and making the three-hour walk to the West Coast's Mason Bay Beach. Plane pickups can be arranged. You'll pass a great place to see some of the island's 20,000 kiwi birds. Other park exploring options include flightseeing and boat tours. The park visitor center is at 15 Main Road in Oban. 

The wild and exposed eastern tip of the Otago Peninsula is the site of a breeding colony of royal albatrosses. Among the largest birds in the world, with a wingspan of up to 10 feet, they can take off only from steep slopes with the help of a strong breeze. With the exception of this colony and those in the Chatham Islands to the east, the birds are only on windswept islands deep in southern latitudes, far from human habitation. Under the auspices of the Royal Albatross Centre, the colony is open for viewing all year, except during a two-month break between mid-September and mid-November when the birds lay their eggs; the visitor center is open year-round. The greatest number of birds is present shortly after the young albatrosses hatch near the end of January. Between March and September, parents leave the fledglings in their nests while they gather food for them. In September, the young birds fly away, returning about eight years later to start their own breeding cycle.  Access to the colony is strictly controlled, and you must book in advance. From the visitor center you go in groups up a steep trail to the Albatross Observatory, from which you can see the birds through viewing windows.

Galleries in an 1877 building are a throwback to Victorian times, but the museum also holds a modern science center. The museum's first curator was a zoologist, and many of the original animals collected from 1868 are still on display in Animal Attic, a restored, magnificent, skylighted gallery. Southern Land, Southern People explores the cultural heritage of this region, and other galleries focus on Māori and Pacific Island artifacts, animal and insect specimens, and nautical items, including ship models and a whale skeleton. The Tropical Forest in the Tūhura Science Centre re-creates a humid jungle, complete with live butterflies and other tropical creatures. The science center also has modern interactive exhibitions and a planetarium. 

More than 300 trucks and VW Kombis (that's a VW bus, to Americans) are on display alongside motoring memorabilia and petrol bowsers—or, again for Americans, gas pumps. Kids who get bored looking at old cars will enjoy a special Lego learning space geared to them. There's something for everyone here, including a display of classic motorcycles and an interactive display of heavy machinery. It is reputed to be the largest such private collection in the world.

In the tiny seaport township of Bluff ("The Bluff" to locals) you can taste the coveted namesake oysters. An annual festival, held in May, wallows in seafood delicacies; oyster-opening and oyster-eating competitions and cook-offs are part of the fun. (If you miss the festival, the most spectacular place for oysters, in season, is Lands End Restaurant overlooking the sea.) Don't miss the Maritime Museum on the Foreshore Road—the Oyster boat Monica sits beside it. Bluff is also home to the frequently photographed Stirling Point signpost, at the southern end of State Highway 1, which gives directions to places all over the world, including the South Pole. If it's a nice day, follow the signs up to Bluff Lookout: the views encompass the Catlins and Stewart Island, and give you an excellent lay of the land. Good walking tracks are around Bluff; many begin at Stirling Point. The town is also the main jumping-off point for Stewart Island. It's about 30 km (19 miles) from Invercargill to Bluff, an easy half-hour drive south on State Highway 1.

Relax and enjoy the birdsong of bellbirds, wood pigeons, and tūī (a type of honeyeater) amid 70 acres of international and native flora at New Zealand's first ever public garden, established in 1863. Some 6,800 plant species thrive on flatlands and hillsides ranging up from Central Dunedin, providing amazing seasonal displays of foliage. Attractions include an aviary, a winter garden hothouse, a comprehensive native plant collection, and the spectacular Rhododendron Dell. Parking at the lower part of the gardens, off Cumberland Street, affords easier access than the Opoho end, which is steeper, but both parts are worth visiting.

The shell of an original municipal building has been paired with a sweeping, modern, glass facade to house a collection that includes European masters such as Monet, Turner, and Gainsborough, as well as New Zealand and Otago artists. A special gallery highlights Dunedin native Frances Hodgkins, whose work won acclaim in the 1930s and '40s. Hodgkins's style changed throughout her career, but some of her most distinctive works are postimpressionist watercolors.

A cathedral to the power of steam, the 1906 Dunedin Railway Station is a massive bluestone structure in Flemish Renaissance style, lavishly decorated with heraldic beasts, nymphs, scrolls, a mosaic floor, and even stained-glass windows of steaming locomotives. This extravagant building, considered one of the best examples of railway architecture in the southern hemisphere, earned its architect, George Troup, a knighthood from the king—and the nickname Gingerbread George from the people of Dunedin because of the detailing on the outside of the building. It was once the busiest station in the country, with up to 100 trains a day coming and going. The station is also home to the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame, the country's finest sports museum with displays celebrating rugby, cricket, and other athletic pursuits.

Invercargill's most famous sight is a hardware store, dating to 1932, that stocks every little thing you can think of. It's totally yin-yang (grandma-grandpa) with one half devoted to little glass lemon juicers and whisks and the other half filled with tools and wheelbarrows. The store also has a popular Motorworks Collection where you can view memorabilia of Invercargill's famous son Burt Munro, the motorcycle racer featured in the film "The World's Fastest Indian."

On the south side of Moray Place, the Gothic Revival church is not vast, but it's still impressive, with a base of Oamaru stone topped by a delicate 200-foot spire. It opened in 1873. Check out the leaf patterns, dragon, and other carved details around the windows.

The He Waka Tuia, called a "transitional art and museum space," is a joint initiative between the Invercargill Public Art Gallery and the Southland Museum and Art Gallery (the latter is under renovation at this writing). Its "Tuatarium" houses the rare reptile, tuatara, found only in New Zealand. These reptiles are the last survivors of a breed that thrived in the age of the dinosaurs. The Tuatarium is said to be one of the world’s best enclosures of this kind, where visitors can see live tuatara thriving in an environment that mimics their natural habitat. The gallery has built a comprehensive collection of visual and applied arts that includes early European through contemporary New Zealand art, with a strong representation of local artists and artworks relating to Southland.

High on a hilltop with commanding views from its battlements, the grand baronial fantasy of William Larnach, an Australian-born businessman and New Zealand politician, was a vast extravagance even in the free-spending days of the gold rush in the 1870s. Larnach imported an English craftsman to carve the ceilings, which took 12 years to complete. The solid marble bath, marble fireplaces, tiles, glass, and even much of the wood came from Europe. Larnach rose to a prominent position in the New Zealand government during the late 1800s, but in 1898, beset by a series of financial disasters and possible marital problems, he committed suicide in Parliament House—when, according to one version of the story, his third wife, whom he married at an advanced age, ran off with his youngest son. The 35 acres of grounds around the castle include lodging, a rain-forest garden with kauri, rimu, and totara trees, statues of Alice in Wonderland characters (see if you can find the Cheshire Cat), a herbaceous plant walk, and a South Seas Walkway lined with palms and aloe plants.  New Zealand's only castle is a 20-minute drive from Dunedin but can be tricky to find, so follow the directions on the website.

A major fine-art dealer, this gallery presents solo and group exhibitions of New Zealand paintings, drawings, sculpture, glasswork, ceramic art, and photography. Among the artists are Neil Frazer (who does large-scale abstract expressionist paintings) and Paul Dibble, one of New Zealand's most acclaimed sculptors.

These giant spherical rocks are concretions that were formed by a gradual buildup of minerals around a central core. Some boulders have sprung open, revealing—no, not alien life forms, but—interesting calcite crystals. The boulders stud the beach north of the town of Moeraki and south as well at Katiki Beach off Highway 1; the area is 37 km (23 miles) south of Oamaru via State Highway 1. Be warned that the boulders at Moeraki Beach have become a bit of a tourist attraction, and there are often whole busloads of people wandering the beach. Watch for little Hector's dolphins jumping in the surf just offshore; they're as interesting as the boulders.

The Mole, which splits the picturesque white-sand beach at the end of the Aramoana Peninsula, is a 1-km-long (½-mile-long) artificial breakwater protecting the entrance to Otago Harbour. A walk atop the breakwater is especially exciting when there is a big running sea. The beach and sand dunes to the east are known as Shelly Beach, while to the west, Big Beach extends for more than 2 km (about a mile). At points along this stretch, steep rock faces come down to the waterline; these are popular with rock climbers. Seals can be found sunbathing on the rocks, and it's a great hangout for seabirds, too.

The penguins in this protected breeding area at Friendly Bay might be present any time of the year, and viewing and tour opportunities run day and evening. There's a small visitor center on-site with a shop and toilet facilities. The actual times penguins come ashore in the evening affects the nighttime hours, but the center opens every day at 5 pm. Access to the public beach is free.

The city's hub is the eight-sided town center, with several imposing buildings and a smattering of market stalls, cafés, and bars with tables spilling onto the pavement. In summer it's a meeting place, and it's also the site for the occasional student demonstration. Dunedin City Council provides free Wi-Fi in this grand arena. A statue of Robert Burns sits in front of St. Paul's Cathedral, a part-Victorian Gothic, part-modern building with an imposing marble staircase leading up to a towering facade of Oamaru stone. On Stuart Street at the corner of Dunbar, check out the late-Victorian Law Courts. Their figure of Justice stands with scales in hand but without her customary blindfold (she wears a low helmet instead).

If you'd like to observe the world's most endangered penguin in its natural habitat, visit the OPERA (Otago Peninsula Eco Restoration Alliance), where an ingenious network of tunnels has been disguised so that you can get close. The yellow-eyed penguins, also known as hoiho (meaning "noise shouter" in Māori), are characterized by their yellow irises and headbands. This conservation and rehabilitation project is entirely funded by guided tours of the private reserve. Tours run throughout the afternoon but must be booked in advance. 

The surf at this spot 9½ km (6 miles) southeast of town is often too rough for swimming, but locals do swim in summer, and surfers and windsurfers take advantage of the wind and swells that whip the coast almost constantly. The annual Burt Munro Challenge in February sees motorcycles hurtle across the sand as riders pit their wits and machines against one another in honor of the local hero and motorcycle land speed record holder from whom the race gets its name. Amenities: none. Best for: solitude; surfing; walking; windsurfing.

A 30-minute drive northeast of Dunedin is a 759-acre forest where native plants and wildlife thrive in relative safety, surrounded by an 8.7-km (5-mile) predator-proof fence. This is necessary because much of New Zealand wildlife is threatened by pests and predators introduced into the country before settlers knew any better, and Orokonui is unique because it was the first of only three mainland eco-sanctuaries on the South Island. One popular attraction here is a jewel gecko enclosure, and the park offers good walking tracks, informative displays, a café, and a souvenir shop. Parents, grab a Kiwi Ranger booklet from the front desk, which lists lots of activities to keep the kids amused during the day; if they complete the tasks, they earn a Kiwi Ranger badge.

These 200 acres in the center of town create a fine layout of public gardens. Included are two rose gardens with both modern and "antique," or heirloom, rose varieties; a Japanese garden complete with meditation area; and an impressive hothouse, which acts as a sanctuary on a wet day. The park has miles of gentle walking paths and waterways, an 18-hole golf course, a fitness trail, and a decent café. There's also a small zoo area and an aviary with a walk-through section that children love. The main entrance is off Gala Street.

This charmingly eclectic and extensive collection telling the island's history includes Māori artifacts, ambergris, old schoolhouse memorabilia, tools from gold and tinning prospectors, and even a china moustache cup (there's a story behind every item). Scattered among the exhibits is an extensive collection of shells and crustacea from around the island. Superb historical photos reveal past endeavors. Allow a minimum of one hour to take it all in; the old photos alone are worth the visit.

For a tasty indulgence, head to the Speight's Brewery Heritage Centre for a 90-minute tour of the South's top brewery, which dates back to 1876 on this very same site. Here you can see the various stages of gravity-driven brewing, learn the trade's lingo such as wort and grist, and taste the results. Speight's makes several traditional beers, the most common being its Gold Medal Ale. The company claims that this is the drink of choice for every "Southern Man," which isn't far from the truth. Watch a video of various Speight's iconic television ads and learn to say the tough Southern way, Good on ya, mate.  Reservations are essential; sign up in advance online. 

The sea at Dunedin can be a little wild; in summer an area between flags is patrolled by lifeguards. St. Clair has some good surfing and hosts some prestigious competitions. Don't be too spooked by the shark bell on the Esplanade: a fatal attack hasn't occurred since 1964 (although nonfatal attacks have occurred at least once a decade). Local residents show what they're made of at the annual "midwinter plunge" held on the beach at winter solstice. If the ocean is too cold for you, try the Hot Salt Water Pool at the southern end of the beach (NZ$7 admission). South of town is the Tunnel Beach Walkway, a sandstone tunnel cut in 1870 by Edward Cargill so that his family could get down to the pretty beach below (this walk is closed from August through October for lambing). Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (free); showers; toilets. Best for: surfing; walking.

Overlooking the albatross colony at Fort Taiaroa on Taiaroa Head is the world's only restored Armstrong "Disappearing" Gun, a 6-inch-caliber artillery piece installed during the Russian Scare of 1886, when Russia was making hostile maneuvers through the Pacific. The gun was shot in anger only once, during World War II, when it was fired across the bow of a fishing boat that failed to observe correct procedures. Tours offered through the Royal Albatross Centre range from 30 to 90 minutes and can include albatross viewing, Fort Taiaroa, and a wildlife cruise in various combinations.

A route along the now-closed Otago Central Railway (now christened The Inlander) runs from Dunedin to Pukerangi and Middlemarch, home of the annual Middlemarch Singles' Ball; each year this very train imports young city women up to a dance with lonely Otago sheep shearers. The highlight of the trip is the run through the narrow and deep Taieri Gorge, with 10 tunnels and dozens of bridges and viaducts, all of which can be enjoyed from open-air viewing platforms. The train runs every day; check the timetable for its destination. Cyclists can connect at Middlemarch to the wonderful Otago Central Rail Trail. Also available are a seasonal Seasider route from Dunedin up the coast to Palmerston and some other routes. Reservations are essential for these trips. 

Documents, works of art, technological items, and forms of transport tell the stories of all Otago settlers, from Māori and early European and Chinese to later Pacific Islanders and Asians. The museum hosts changing exhibits and events, with a charge for some events.

The tower is an exceptional example of Victorian architecture that can be seen peeking above the city's gentle landscape. Built in 1889 to pressurize the water supply, the structure was recognized by New Zealand's Historic Places Trust as one of the country's most outstanding industrial monuments. This ornate landmark is still completely functional. On Sunday afternoon you can sometimes scale the internal staircase of the 139-foot-tall structure.