Time for a road trip: Dunedin, Waitaki and Clutha
You certainly won’t get bored on this trip, and if you’re with the kids they won’t be asking ‘are we there yet’ as there are so many great places to stop and play.
What better place to start than Dunedin, the Wildlife Capital of New Zealand (they even have a festival called Wild Dunedin in April to celebrate their love of nature).
Its remote location means birds, seals, penguins, dolphins and other animals are free to live their best lives and tourists can view without causing harm. There are numerous operators like Nature’s Wonder, Blue Penguins Pukekura and the Royal Albatross Centre who will take you to meet the feathered locals - and all of them support the conservation of local wildlife and regeneration of habitats.
Even without the wildlife, the shoreline of this area will leave you speechless - no trip is complete without a visit to Sandfly Bay, Allans Beach or the famous Tunnel Beach.
After all that fresh air, enjoy a vibrant hospitality scene with wonderful restaurants, food trucks and bars. Even better, Dunedin’s craft brewery and distillery scene has grown to a pretty sizeable roster with Speight’s (New Zealand’s oldest operational brewery), Emerson’s (oldest craft brewery), Arc, Noisy, Steamer Basin and Saddle Hill.
If spirits are more your thing, Dunedin Craft Distillers, No.8 and Sandymount all make excellent gins vodkas and even elderflower liquor, and limoncello too. The best thing is that lots of Dunedin’s hospitality and liquor-producing spots are in revived heritage buildings. There’s nothing better than a side order of history with your drink of choice.
JOURNEY NORTH TO WAITAKI
Now to Ōamaru - an hour and a half from Dunedin and in the Waitaki district - rich in both Māori and European history. Travel back in time as you marvel at the beautifully preserved limestone buildings of Ōamaru’s amazing Victorian precinct now filled with galleries, artsy shops, boutiques, artisans, and places to eat and drink (don’t miss Craftwork and Scotts if you’re into local brews).
But that’s all recent history compared to the ancient boulders of Moeraki, or some of the most impressive ancient Māori art in the country that can both be seen in this region.
There are so many truly unique experiences here - visit Totara Estate where the frozen meat industry, now worth billions to New Zealand was born; see the world’s smallest (and cutest?) penguin (kororā) in their natural habitat, check out the wild, weird and utterly wonderful Steampunk HQ or soak up Omarama’s mountain views in a private eco-friendly hot tub.
There’s also The Waitaki Whitestone Aspiring Global Geopark with limestone landscapes, fossils of an ancient marine world, extinct volcanoes, braided rivers, and major awe-inspiring landforms - and of course the famous 316 km Alps 2 Ocean Cycle Trail from Aoraki, Mount Cook to the Pacific Ocean.
HEAD SOUTH TO CLUTHA
To round out your road trip, journey to Lawrence, at the heart of the Clutha District.
The area played an important part in gold rush history and Lawrence - once home to one of the world’s largest gold rushes - was right at the centre. Step back in time by cycling the Clutha Gold Cycling and Walking Trail (one of Nga Haerenga Great Rides) or ride the historic punt at Tuapeka Mouth, the only one of its kind remaining in New Zealand.
Now to The Catlins, nature’s unspoilt playground boasting jewels like Nugget Point Lighthouse, Cathedral Caves, there’s plenty to occupy a few days of your road trip.
Spot Yellow-eyed Penguins (hoiho), or explore beaches, bushes and waterfalls with Catlins Tours (you may even meet some local seals). Explore nature at night - think long tailed bats - with Earthlore Nature Tours (they also have a Give Back to Nature Tour where you can work to create a habitat for yelloweyed penguins).
There’s the famous Nugget Point Lighthouse and if waterfalls are your thing, The Catlins is home to an impressive group of them: Matai and Horseshoe, McLean Falls, Purakaunui and Barr Falls. Over the warmer months you can even visit Cathedral Caves - two large 30-metre-high sea cave complexes.
Ready to plan your trip? Book your activities and accommodation at the Dunedin, Waitaki and Clutha websites.