Dunedin

Dunedin is the second largest city in the South Island, located at the head of a large harbour on the Otago Peninsula. Although its population has been overtaken by some North Island cities, it is considered one of the country's four main centres for its nationally important history, as well as its prominence within Otago and the South Island.

Founded by the Scottish Free Church in 1848, the city was originally to have been called New Edinburgh. "Dunedin", more interestingly, is derived from the old Gaelic name for the same city.

The city's surveyor, Charles Kettle planned the city in romantic light of Edinburgh, to create beautiful views over the town centre and its dramatic harbour setting. Its success lies in a flat central city, The Octagon and the 'town belt', a strip of natural bush and parks that separates the city centre from its hilly suburbs. The plan often disregarded the very hilly terrain, and its most famous result is Baldwin Street, recognised by the Guinness Book of Records as the steepest street in the world.

In 1861 gold was discovered nearby, and the consequential gold rush led to a great influx of population and wealth. With a fluctuating economy, Dunedin soon became New Zealand’s biggest city. The University of Otago, the country's oldest, was set up in 1869, whilst New Zealand's first frozen meat export left Port Chalmers in 1882, now one of New Zealand’s biggest industries.

During the 20th century the city's growth slowed significantly, leaving a rich and unreplaced Edwardian and Victorian architectural heritage. Large churches and public buildings were built with elaborate ornamentation, and houses were built with a similar partiality towards detail. The elaborate Dunedin Railway Station, built at the height of Dunedin's economic prowess, is New Zealand's most photographed building.

Dunedin's wildlife was what initially drew European settlers to the area; Captain Cook's report of seals led to sealers from the beginning of the 19th century, and Otago Harbour was an international whaling station port by the late 1830s. Today visitors are drawn by colonies of New Zealand Fur Seals, Yellow Eyed Penguins and Royal Albatross, which have an average wingspan of nearly 3m (9.8 ft).