Recreation Opportunities
About Dunedin
Dunedin is one of New Zealand’s most exciting and dynamic cities. Located on the coast of the South Pacific Ocean, it is New Zealand’s fifth biggest city with a population of around 115,000. Its international airport is located 30km south of Dunedin City and accessible easily by shuttle bus, car or taxi. Architecturally, Dunedin is a fascinating mix of traditional and contemporary styles, with well-preserved Victorian buildings next to more state-of-the-art constructions.
The city centre boasts a great range of restaurants, new bars and clubs catering for all tastes. Shopping facilities are good, and their concentration around the city’s main shopping area of George Street allows you to browse at your own pace, perhaps sipping a coffee in one of the cafés along the road if you need a rest.
Dunedin has several excellent theatres. The Regent Theatre, with a seating capacity of almost 1,700, is the largest theatre venue in the Otago region, and offers a wide range of productions ranging from dance and drama to film and entertainment. Musical, opera, dance and drama companies tour regularly, and the annual International Film Festival also takes place here. Several other theatres, such as The Globe and The Fortune, and a variety of cinemas also make for enjoyable nights out. The university’s Allen Hall theatre, located in the beautiful old university complex, hosts weekly performance events.
Dunedin is home to several well-known museums, such as the Dunedin Public Art Gallery with its renowned collection of European and British paintings and other artworks, the Otago Settlers Museum, and the Otago Museum and Discovery World with its Maori and Pacific Island collections.
Sport enjoys a high profile in Dunedin, be it rugby, dance, tennis or badminton. If you want to get away from it all, there is the ocean with long, white beaches on the fringe of the city – a paradise for surfers. The stunning Otago Peninsula, with its penguin and albatross colonies, is one of New Zealand’s greatest natural attractions, only a short distance from the city centre. The excellent ski areas of Central Otago are just three hours’ drive away.
Other informative websites
- Unipol
- Dunedin city council recreation page
- Otago recreation services
- Weather and climate information
- Department of conservation
- Dunedin, Otago and New Zealand
