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Driving along the road out onto the Otago Peninsula you will experience outstanding views of the Otago Harbour. You can also visit historic lime kilns, a mansion styled like a castle and one of the most accessible wildlife areas in the South Island.
Captain Cook sailed past the entrance to the Otago Harbour in 1770, but in 1809 sealer Captain Daniel Cooper entered the harbour and by 1831 a whaling station, a store and a farm had been built at Otakou, trading in whale oil, seal skins, potatoes and flax. In 1848 the Otago Harbour saw the arrival of the John Wickliffe and the Philip Laing, two ships that were carrying 340 colonists from Scotland. During the 1850s another 12,500 immigrants arrived, most of them Presbyterian Scots who brought their families with them. The settlement was isolated and for a time it remained the smallest in the country until the discovery of gold in 1861, brought massive change. A total of 256 ships arrived that year and gold diggers were most of the new arrivals. Otago's civic leaders, the Rev. Thomas Burns and Captain William Cargill, were worried that the influx of single men would bring social and moral decline. As one historian summed it up, the town was developing into a 'bustling, rowdy, raffish outpost of the goldfields'. Commerce thrived and Dunedin developed rapidly, adding distinctive architecture to its natural beauty while also becoming a seat of learning. Today Dunedin is a university city with a large academic population fostering its special character. Surrounded by hills, Dunedin's 22 km harbour is one of the regions finest assets, renowned for its marine wildlife and magnificent natural setting.
Glenfalloch, a colonial dream house
1glenfalloch
From the Octagon in the centre of Dunedin head south 0.5 km on Princes Street, turn left onto Jetty Street and drive 0.4 km, turn right and continue 0.7 km on Wharf Street and then turn right onto Portsmouth Drive. Continue 1.2 km southeast and turn left onto Portobello Road. Drive east 6.5 km to Glenfalloch on the right.
The old kauri Glenfalloch homestead dates back to the 1870s. Originally the home of George Gray Russell, a Dunedin businessman who turned the surrounding 40 ha property into a botanical wonderland. The gardens feature many of the original plantings of European trees from 1872 along with numerous azaleas and rhododendrons, including many unique hybrids and large leafed species which thrive in Dunedin's cool climate. They are best viewed in September and October while in autumn the gardens feature colorful maples and silver birches. Now owned by the Otago Peninsula Trust, the gardens are open to the public.
Larnach Castle
2larnach castle
Continue northeast 2.8 km on Portobello Road to McAndrew Bay. The mud and rock walls at Macandrew Bay were built in the 1860s by prisoners housed in the floating hulk of the Success, which was dragged along the harbour as the workers slowly moved along the bay. Turn right into Castlewood Road and drive 2.9 km southeast. Turn left onto Camp Road and drive 0.9 km to Larnach Castle.
Construction began in 1871 under the guidance of renowned architect R.A Lawson and continued for 15 years on this extraordinary neo-Gothic home of politician and financier William Larnach. He spent a fortune on its interior, with 43 rooms, including a huge ballroom with a sprung floor, a Georgian-style hanging staircase, elaborately carved ceilings and Italian marble fireplaces. There are superb views across Otago Harbour from the battlements, 330 m above sea level.
3sandymount lime kilns
Return 1.9 km south on Camp Road, turn left onto Highcliff Road and drive 1.8 km to Sandymount Road on the right. The first of the lime kilns is visible less than 1 km along this narrow winding road.
Dating back to the 1860s, lime kilns produced an essential component of many of the buildings constructed in early Dunedin. Limestone was a precursor of modern-day cement. It was burnt and made into mortar that was used in brick and stone construction work. The circular tower of the kiln rises above arched brick fireplaces with a large tunnel at its lower level, providing access for removing the burnt lime. The best preserved of the three old lime kilns in the area is close to the road.
4nz marine studies centre
Continue north on Highcliff Road 4.8 km to Latham Bay. Continue north onto Hatchery Road and drive 2 km to the NZ Marine Studies Centre.
The University of Otago's NZ Marine Studies Centre and aquarium at Portobello was originally built as a fish hatchery in the early 1900s. Unsuccessful attempts were made to acclimatise Atlantic herring, turbot, European crab and Australian prawns so the focus of the station changed to studying native species. The aquarium is open to the public and offers the opportunity to observe an amazing array of life from the southern oceans and New Zealand's coastal waters. There are touch tanks where you can encounter starfish, anemones and pick up crabs.
5otakou
Return to Latham Bay and turn left onto Harington Point Road and continue north-east 7.7 km to Otakou. The access road to Otakou Marae is signposted on the right.
The name Otago is derived from Otakou which was the site of a whaling station in the 1830s. The church at the Otakou Marae was opened in 1941 to commemorate the centenary of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi. There are wooden carvings that have been simulated using moulded concrete, adorning the church as well as the meeting house, which was opened in 1946.
pilots beach
Return to Harington Point Road and continue 3.7 km north-east. The access road to Pilots Beach is signposted on the left.
The rare Hooker sea lion and New Zealand fur seals can usually be seen at the northern end of this sheltered sandy cove where harbour pilots once joined the ships entering the channel. This is also the location of the largest colony of little blue penguins on the Otago Peninsula along with the threatened yellow-eyed penguin. There are a number of viewing locations along this part of the coastline.
The lighthouse at Taiaroa Head
3taiaroa head
Continue north-east on Harington Point Road 0.1 km to Taiaroa Head.
The Royal Albatross colony at Taiaroa Head is the only albatross colony insouthern hemisphere established on a mainland site and provides a unique opportunity to view these giant birds, with a wingspan of more than 3 m, soaring over the spectacular headland near the entrance to the Otago Harbour. The birds normally breed in Antarctica, but arrive here in September, mating in October and laying their eggs in November. The eggs are incubated until the chicks start to hatch in January. Between March and September the parents are often away, collecting food for the chicks until they are ready to fly. Guided tours can be arranged to concealed viewing areas looking out across the albatross colony. Near the albatross colony is the Taiaroa Head lighthouse, built in 1864 and a restored Armstrong 'disappearing' gun that was installed in 1888 when there were fears of a Russian invasion. The only weapon of its type still in working order, the weapon was served by a crew of 10. The 6-inch gun was capable of firing a l00-pound shell every 60 seconds out to a range of up to 8 km. The tour also leads through some of the restored underground tunnels, magazines and emplacement facilities that were part of the Taiaroa Head defences.