Originally founded on the picks, harpoons & hard toil of goldminers, whalers & early Scottish settlers nearly 150 years ago, much of Dunedin's early wealth & enterprise have left a mark on today's City

The City of Dunedin is sited on land which gives visual evidence of the tectonic forces & the ravaging elements which formed & shaped it. The great Alpine fault system flanking the Southern Alps defines one of the earth's major active plate boundaries, with segments of the crust sliding past each other at rates averaging a few centimetres per year.

Education has always enjoyed a high profile in Dunedin. In fact the city is built around its tertiary institutions like no other in New Zealand. It has the deserved reputation as the country's premier centre of learning & is home to a tertiary student population of 25,000. 

Daily life, as seen in the Octagon & surrounding streets is vibrant & upbeat. Cafes, restaurants & bars compete for space with a fabulous mix of retail outlets, service centres & entertainment venues.

Dunedin offers many opportunities for exploration of our wonderful environment. Partly this is due to the proximity of nature reserves, many found within the city boundaries.