Moeraki

Sunrise is a perfect time to come visit these boulders as you not only beat the crowds that flock to the beach later in the day but also get to watch the sun rise up behind the boulders.These boulders are a small detour off of Highway 1 so they make a nice stop on a road trip up the East Coast of the South Island or can be a quick hour trip from Dunedin.

From the car park, the trail leads in two directions. Following the track to your left will take you down to a penguin hide overlooking the coast. Watch the rocky shoreline carefully as many of the large boulders are actually napping fur seals. From the hide, you can observe penguins going out to sea or coming back ashore. The transition between graceful swimming and awkward rock-hopping is a m...

The trailhead is somewhat obscured on the side of the Mountain Track Rd - there is a sign that reads Silver Peaks Track. The rest of the trail is very well marked with orange posts and triangles.The trail starts with a gradual incline for 1.5 hours or so until you reach the top of a ridge line. From here you continue downhill for a short while until you reach what is termed "The Devil's Stair C...

Starting from Dunedin, take highway 88 toward Port Chalmers. Once there, take a left to Macandrew road, which will eventually become aramoana road. This drive takes you past a few bays, drive all the way right up to the end of the road, past Heyward Point. The drive itself is quite windy with sharp turns and twists. Its nonetheless pretty safe , just be cautious of the turnings. Once there, get...

From the car park, follow the trail as it begins to go uphill. The slope is fairly gradual at first. Once you enter the trees it begins to get steeper and continues to climb until you are above tree line. You then begin to get views of the city and the harbor, along with mountains in the far distance. Continue along the trail for another half hour to an hour until you reach the top.There are tw...

Let's be honest, there's a carpark right in front of the vista, but we can make it fun too! Dunedin is an amazing city and I had the honor of living there for 5 months when I studied at the University of Otago, an area filled with nature and views in walking distance. The location on this adventure is direct to the Signal Hill Lookout carpark, but for an absolutely walkable hike to the lookout,...

NOTE: Track is closed September 1 to October 15 for the lambing season. If you're one of the lucky ones that have time to squeeze Dunedin into your adventure packed road trip around New Zealand... then you obviously have to make time to visit the Otago Peninsula! Sandymount is a stunning reserve that has become one of my favorite sunset destinations. I'm not lying to you when I say this is an i...

I may be bias, but the Dunedin Botanic Garden has always been one of my favorite places. The city of Dunedin holds a lot of "first" for New Zealand. From hidden corners with little people coming through, to open grassy areas, a bird aviary, duck ponds, winter garden glasshouse, a cafe that makes bangin' hot drinks, and way more -- this was New Zealand's first botanic garden! There are many shor...

Sandfly Bay is one of the iconic beaches on the Otago Peninsula, and is home to a variety of New Zealand natives, including yellow-eyed penguins, sea lions and fur seals. A short but steep (and scenic!) downhill hike is required to access the beach from the carpark, but once you make it down you'll be greeted with close-up views of the sea lions and the chatty oyster catchers.At the far end of ...