Otago

• Dunedin is renowned as the country's capital of eco-tourism and heritage, a city of distinguished architecture and amazing wildlife.
• If you are feeling extremely energetic, climb up Dunedin’s Baldwin Street, which is believed to be the world’s steepest residential road.
• Dunedin’s historic Olveston is a perfectly preserved Edwardian mansion.
• Catch the Taieri Gorge Railway train for a very different view of the region.
• Take a scenic drive along Otago Peninsula to discover Larnach Castle, New Zealand’s only genuine castle, built in 1871. It has magnificent carved ceilings, antiques, breathtaking views and gardens.
• On the Otago Peninsula see rare yellow-eyed penguins and the only mainland breeding colony of royal albatross in the world.
• The Otago Central Rail Trail follows the former Otago central railway line for 150km and has been developed as a recreational facility for walkers, cyclists and horse riders. It’s becoming a very popular way to experience Central Otago.
• Run your hands over naturally spherical boulders at Moeraki, just south of Oamaru. They are over 60 million years old and give the fishing town a wonderful point of difference.
• Oamaru has some of the best-preserved historic buildings in New Zealand. These elegant stone buildings were made from excellent local whitestone and are a legacy of the town’s prosperous gold-mining days.
• Oamaru is well known for its colonies of little blue and yellow-eyed penguins within walking distance of the town centre.
• Gold mining continues today at Macraes Flat and accounts for approximately half of the country’s total annual gold production. Tours to the gold mine and Golden Point Battery operate from the historic hotel on weekends.
• Nugget Point is the place to see three penguin species, Hooker sea lions, Hector’s dolphins, elephant seals and New Zealand fur seals.
• Tour the beaches of the Catlins Coast – Curio Bay has a fossilised forest that is more than 180 million years old, best viewed at low tide.

Southland

• See New Zealand’s largest collection of live tuatara at the Southland Museum and Art Gallery in Invercargill.
• From Bluff Hill there is a wide and famous view. The Foveaux and Greenpoint Walkways are popular coastal walks.
• Cross Foveaux Strait to Stewart Island, where you can see kiwi feeding on the beach at night. You will hear a night-time chorus of moreporks (native owls), weka and kiwi. Walks on the island range from 15 minutes to 12 days.
• When on Stewart Island, also visit the Ulva Island Bird Sanctuary, an idyllic predator-free bird sanctuary for rare and endangered bird and plant species.