Dunedin is a small city nestled on the edge of the Taieri Plain, on the east coast of New Zealand.

Dunedin was the first city in New Zealand to be settled. In 1848, two ships, the Phillip Laing and the John Wickliffe, crossed the Atlantic and Indian Oceans with settlers from the United Kingdom, arriving in the small Otago Harbour after six or seven months afloat. Of course, there were already a few pioneers living there; the Weller brothers who were local whalers; Octavius Harwood who was a genius bed-hopper; and the local Ngai Tahu, a southern Maori tribe who had been there by far the longest.

From then on, Dunedin prospered under the influence of its Scottish/Presbyterian heritage. As it grew, the features for which it is now famous appeared: the Octagon, the Royal Albatross Colony, the Yellow Eyed Penguin Colonies, Larnach Castle, and the beautiful gothic architecture.

The Octagon is the central zone of the city, and is shaped like an octagon - hence the name. It sports St Paul's Cathedral, the Dunedin Visitor Centre, and a statue of Robbie Burns, the famous Scottish poet and one of the heroes of the original settlers. From the Octagon you can see many examples of the architecture, most notably First Church, which was the first church in Otago (hence the name, again). Its massive spire towers above what was formerly known as Bell Hill.

It is the Otago Peninsula that holds most of this small city's history and wonder. Across the very small harbour bridge, down the Portobello Road, you can find many natural and cultural attractions, and this is where most of Dunedin's tourist attractions are situated. Firstly, there is the Royal Albatross Colony (at Taiaroa Head), the only mainland colony of albatrosses in the world. The Northern Royal Albatross is the largest seabird in the world and its wings can span to almost three metres. Sadly, the entire population was almost lost in the late 19th Century when gun emplacements were built there to assuage the fear of Russian attacks. There are also numerous yellow-eyed penguin, or hoiho¹, colonies at intervals along the coastal parts of the peninsula. Hoiho are found only in New Zealand and are probably the rarest penguin in the world. The Otago Peninsula is one of the few places where they come to live on the mainland.

Other than these natural features of the peninsula, the historical features such as Lanarch Castle attract many tourists. Larnach was one of the richer men who settled in Dunedin and built himself and his family a small castle for which the materials had to be shipped over from England. Later, Larnach's daughter supposedly committed suicide by jumping off the tower, and Larnach himself died a lonely man. The castle and gardens have been successfully restored and are open to visitors, although there is a story that the castle is still haunted by the spirit of Larnach's daughter. An annual charity ball is held in the stables.

The local Ngai Tahu (a southern tribe or iwi of Maori) also has their marae - like a small village and meeting grounds - at Otakou, and this provides Dunedin with its most ancient culture. There are many sacred tapu places around the peninsula. These are like burial grounds and places where fights have taken place. When the settlers from the United Kingdom came, as with all settlers over the world, they took advantage of the iwi, although some understood them and respected their aboriginal status on the island. Today, respect is given to the Ngai Tahu, and people largely understand the wrongs of the last century, although there is still some conflict.

Dunedin, with its many historical attractions, is still quite a modern city, indulging in the University Scarfie² culture, and the local rugby spirit is tremendous. All in all, Dunedin is a beautiful little city to live in and will continue to surprise and attract visitors well in to the new century.