Welcome to our City
The Greater Dunedin Club is the newest in New Zealand having begun in April 2006 Greater Dunedin is known for its friendly lifestyle and great hospitality
Bracken
Go, trav'ler, unto others boast of Venice and of Rome,
Of saintly Mark's majestic pile, and Peter's lofty dome;
Of Naples and her trellised bowers, of Rhineland far away,
These may be grand, but give to me Dunedin from the Bay.
By Thomas Bracken
History of Otago
The Maori tribe, Ngai Tahu, has been in the South Island since approximately 1300AD, and continues to have a small but very strong community here, in what used to be called 'Otepoti'. The main marae (meeting area) is at Otakou. DUNEDIN as it became known in the mid 1800's by the European immigrants, is on the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand - population approximately 125,000 - and was the first city in NZ, also the first to have started a University / Medical / Dental School. The name DUNEDIN is Gaelic for Edinburgh (Dun Eideann) - very appropriate as the city was established by Scottish Presbyterians over 150 years ago. Dunedin is the oldest city in New Zealand, and was founded by the whalers, gold miners and early Scottish settlers. Our city is nestled at the end of the Otago Harbour with an amazing array of coastal bays and beach views. Dunedin is a city renowned for it's proximity to incredible wildlife. We have access to the rare Yellow-eyed penguins (hoiho), the world's only mainland breeding colony of the Royal Albatross and we also have easy access to rare NZ sea lions. These are all within a short drive of the city centre.
Cityscape.
The cityscape has some Victorian architecture lovingly preserved by the Historical Society. We also have atop our Harbour, Larnach Castle, (the only castle in NZ) designed and built over 100 years ago, and which has it's own amazing tale to tell!!! Other prominent buildings include First Church, Olveston Stately Home and a magnificent Railway Station. Other not-to-be missed attractions include the world's steepest street - Baldwin Street - (1:2.9), the local Speight's Brewery and also the Cadbury Chocolate factory. An Olympic sized Swimming Pool with a wave maker and the unique Hot Salt Water Pool are great assets. As is the Botanical Gardens, Otago Museum and Settlers Museum. Dunedin has one of the world's longest running Radio Stations, (Radio Dunedin), beating the BBC by only a few short weeks. Dunedin also has the oldest continuing newspaper within NZ (ODT).
Greater Dunedin
Greater Dunedin ranges from Dunedin City on the east Coast, Oamaru in the North, Alexandra in the west and as far south as Balclutha. In the Greater Dunedin area, we have mountain ranges, plains, rugged terrain, lakes and rivers galore, wineries, parks, artist's studios, hydro stations, fruit orchards, with gold mining history and dredge sites. You may have heard of our famous Otago Central Rail Trail where you can walk, run or cycle along the disused railway embankment which runs for 160km. The Taieri Gorge Railway runs from Dunedin up to Middlemarch through some amazing country. Our weather is varied with occasionally 'four seasons in a day' with those living on the Pacific Coast having predominantly windy conditions. Temperatures are rarely above 25deg C on the coast, but further inland extreme hot and cold conditions can apply, so it is advisable to have layers, rather than heavy weight clothing.