Visit Dunedin with Mighway

Toitū Otago Settlers Museum

Toitū Otago Settlers Museum is a museum of social history dedicated to telling the story of the people of Dunedin and the surrounding area, whose character, culture, technology, art, fashion and transport shaped New Zealand’s first great city.

Its fourteen themed galleries feature interactive displays and powerful narratives tracing the human history of the area, from the earliest settlers to the most recent arrivals.

Captivating exhibitions are complemented by onsite shops, a café and a research centre and archive for those interested in genealogy and other aspects of local history.

Cathedral Caves

Cathedral Caves are a highlight for visitors to The Catlins. Located in cliffs at the northern end of pristine Waipati Beach, they have attracted international interest for their length - the two sea-formed passages together measure just on 200 metres - and their impressive height, up to 30 metres.

Popular for decades, this outstanding natural feature is 15km south of the village of Papatowai and 2km off the highway. From the car park a one-kilometre walking track descends through lush coastal forest to the beach. Visitors cross Maori freehold land, which is managed by a trust.

There is a small charge for the use of the car park and access to the bush track, beach and caves.

Olveston Historic Home

Olveston is an authentic and original historic home depicting the life of a wealthy merchant family in the early part of the twentieth century - Dunedin businessman, collector and philanthropist David Theomin, his wife Marie and their two children Edward and Dorothy.

Designed by acclaimed English architect Sir Ernest George, Olveston was built as a family home furnished with fine art, furniture and artefacts purchased from all around the world.

Intended for future generations of Theomin’s to enjoy, this was not to be the case as both the Theomin children died without heirs. Surviving the death of her father, mother and elder brother, Miss Dorothy Theomin lived at Olveston until her death in 1966, when it was discovered the house and the original contents were gifted to the City of Dunedin.

Opened as a historic house museum in 1967, Olveston is a time capsule as little has changed inside the house since it was occupied as a family home between 1906 to 1966.

Routeburn Track

While the Routeburn Track may be a shorter multi-day hike, it has some of the biggest scenery. With soaring mountain peaks, huge valleys, waterfalls and jewel-like lakes the track links the Mount Aspiring National Park with Fiordland National Park.The highest point of the track is 1,255 metres above sea level - so the views are simply spectacular.

The part of New Zealand that the Routeburn Track winds through has been shaped by successive glaciations into fiords, rocky coasts, towering cliffs, lakes and waterfalls. Birdlife is prolific through forested sections of the track; native tomtits, robins, fantails, wood pigeons and bellbirds are commonly seen, as well as the cheeky Kea, the world's only alpine parrot.

This is not a loop track and can be walked in either direction; one track end is at the Routeburn Shelter (near Glenorchy) and the other is at The Divide (closer to Te Anau). It is recommended that this track is avoided between May - September, when there is high risk of avalanches.