Dunedin

Dunedin is a city on the southeastern coast of New Zealand's South Island, surrounded by extinct volcanic hills and the waters of Otago Harbour. The city stretches along the coast with sandstone Victorian buildings, narrow central lanes, and sprawling suburbs on the surrounding slopes.

The settlement grew rapidly during the gold rush of the 1860s and became New Zealand's largest urban center by 1865. Scottish settlers shaped the architecture and social order, which still shows today in street names and building forms.

The city celebrates its Scottish roots each year with bagpipe performances, highland dancing, and a traditional Burns Supper in January. Students from the local university shape the social life with many cafes, bookshops, and a lively nightlife in North Dunedin.

The center is compact and easy to explore on foot, with George Street and the Octagon plaza serving as orientation points. The railway station, First Church, and other old structures stand close together and are easy to reach.

Baldwin Street in the suburb of Normanby is considered the steepest residential street in the world, with a slope of nearly 35 percent in the steepest section. The Royal Albatross Centre at Taiaroa Head shows the only mainland breeding colony of northern royal albatross worldwide.