Pub Hop in Dunedin New Zealand – Scottish Style

A rental car’s drive from Te Anau or Christchurch or any Dunedin NZ bound flights will land you smack in the midst of youthful Scottish pub student city culture on the Otago Peninsula. Backpackers can easily maximize adventurous adrenaline rushes in nearby Queenstown by day and unwind with marathon bar hopping in Dunedin New Zealand at night.

It’s no coincidence that Scottish bars are the order of the day in Dunedin, since the city was founded by early Scottish settlers, gold miners, and whalers 150 years ago.

This heritage lends unique character that distinguishes Dunedin, New Zealand from anywhere else in NZ or Australia. Pipe bands, highland dancers, and haggis ceremonies maintain a living heritage.

Its architecture has lead to descriptive phrases of “Edinburgh of the South,” “Athens of the South,” and “City of Spires and Towers.” Fine Victorian and Edwardian buildings house original and new city businesses and functions and stately houses. The Railway Station, most photographed building in NZ, still operates in its original 1800’s mode and also houses the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame and Speights Brewery.

Dunedin, New Zealand is known for its lively and diverse University of Otago student population. Its reputation as a premier learning center is also reflected in the New Zealand Marine Studies Center and Aquarium. New Zealand outdoor activities, festivals, circuses, competitions, shopping, cafes, restaurants, bars are among its attractions, along with cultural aspects such as the Otago Museum.

Stop by the Otago Settlers Museum, which has delighted visitors since 1898; the museum offers numerous displays pertaining to the area’s vibrant and fascinating history. In North Dunedin, the University of Otago campus is a popular tourist destination.

This is also the city of gardens, with New Zealand’s oldest botanic garden featuring a bird aviary, rose and Japanese gardens, and a famous rhododendron dell.

Dunedin’s gaining a reputation for being artsy, evidenced by its outdoor café scene. The tempting smell of coffee permeates the Octagon, Dunedin’s version of a town square. With its location near the sea and rich agriculture, high quality produce, meats, and seafood freshly plucked from the Pacific add up to fine restaurants, many of which have won national recognition for their creative flair.

Tours visit Dunedin attractions. Otago Central Rail Trail climbs rugged cliffs for spectacular views of Taieri Gorge and the Pacific Ocean; other tours take in city sights and the peninsula. Harbor cruises and “flightseeing” tours are also available.

City factory tours include Cadbury’s and the living, working heritage of Speights Brewery.

There’s plenty more to see beyond the city in Dunedin, New Zealand. Otago Peninsula has the world’s only albatross breeding colony at Taiaroa Royal Albatross Centre, not to mention seals and various penguin species, including the rare yellow eyed penguin. Small group wildlife tours offer access into the best areas for optimal, undisturbed viewing and close encounters with Dunedin’s wild side. The Otago Peninsula has some of the rarest and most fascinating NZ wildlife, including magnificent sea lions, and seals.

You may want to bypass Dunedin, New Zealand, hotels for superior accommodation that gets up close and personal with wildlife. Nisbet Cottage delivers panoramic views of Dunedin and guided nature and wildlife tours around the city, the Otago Peninsula, and the Catlins.

Pause awhile in this wild city pulse of both nightlife and nature for yet another unique Kiwi experience on your New Zealand vacation.