According to 800zipcodes.com, many of those who watched the famous film adaptation of Tolkien’s epic “The Lord of the Rings”, looking at the fabulous landscapes that passed before their eyes, sighed: “Where is this beauty, is there such a place on earth?” The answer is yes – there is such a place, and it is called New Zealand, it was there that the great film was shot. Two large islands – North and South – form the basis of the country, Dunedin is located on the South Island, in its eastern part, on the Otago Peninsula. The population of 116.5 thousand inhabitants makes Dunedin the fifth largest city in the country and the second largest in the South Island. Amazing nature – the sea, green hills, turning into an endless series of bluish mountains, clean sea air, this is the main thing that attracts tourists here. But you don’t have to think that in a relatively young city (the first settlement of Tucker arose here in the 30s of the 19th century, and the official history begins in 1848) there is nothing to see. Wonderful monuments of Victorian architecture, modern buildings, two universities, the steepest street in the world – this is not a complete list of what the city can offer its discerning guests. But, of course, the main “tourist attraction” here is the fabulously beautiful bay of Milford Sound, 260 km from the city.

How to get there

I must immediately warn you that Dunedin is the farthest point on the globe from Moscow. True, there is some consolation in the fact that Berlin and London also share this difficult fate with us, but this does not make the flight any shorter. There are no direct flights to Dunedin, you need to fly either to Wellington or to Christchurch, the minimum number of transfers is 3 or 4, while Christchurch is located on the South Island, and from it you can get to Dunedin by train, bus or taxi, and Wellington – on North, so he will need to go by ferry, and then again by the already listed land transport. This lengthens the road, but there is a chance to admire the South Pacific Ocean on one side of the Cook Strait, and the Tasman Sea on the other. Where else will you see this?

Weather in Dunedin

The “Roaring Forties”, passing near Dunedin, affect its climate: winds are frequent here. However, the volcanic origin of the island, which turned most of it into a mountain range protecting the coast, also significantly affects the natural features of this area. Although it is colder here than on the North Island and even in Christchurch, the climate remains moderate: +20…+22 °C in summer and +11 °C in winter. We advise you to come here in the summer, which in this hemisphere falls on December-February. The winds at this time are warm, and precipitation is not protracted.

Kitchen

The traditional cuisine of the ancient Maori is now almost lost, and immigrants from Europe brought here the culinary traditions of their peoples. But, since Dunedin is originally a Scottish settlement, Anglo-Saxon cuisine dominates the island. New Zealand is the world’s most famous producer of meat and dairy products, some products come from the Roaring Forties to our latitudes, for example, Anchor butter. The main meats are beef, lamb and pork. Natural steaks and juicy roast beef are prepared from them. Fish is also popular, in various forms, but with an indispensable fried potato, or its local counterpart – sweetish kumara. In any restaurant you can taste oysters, crustaceans, lobsters and other seafood.

New Zealand cheese of the French type is also good – brie, camembert, bleu de bleu, montagne bleu.

Desserts in New Zealand are a cake with whipped cream, a large round fruit pie with, again, the same cream, a variety of jams and dry traditional English biscuits.

I must immediately warn you that Dunedin is the farthest point on the globe from Moscow. True, there is some consolation in the fact that Berlin and London also share this difficult fate with us, but this does not make the flight any shorter.

The main alcoholic drink of New Zealanders is beer, which is considered one of the best in the world, which is not surprising, since the main condition for the production of good beer is water. And in New Zealand, there is no need to complain about the quality of water – it is the purest, of excellent quality due to the abundance of springs and springs. It’s funny that some beers are produced right in the pub brewery, where they are sold right there. New Zealand wines are also good, but their brands are unfamiliar to us, so when ordering it is better to ask the waiter before making a choice. There are also many products of winemakers from South Africa and Chile.

Entertainment and attractions in Dunedin

The architecture of Dunedin is well represented by the Victorian era and early modern. The First Church, Otayo Boys School, Larnaca Castle were built by the famous New Zealand architect Robert Lawson. The building of the Railway Station and the Olveston house in the style of “good old England” are interesting. Since the city is home to the University of Otago and 20 percent of its population are students, there are many art galleries here, the main one being the Dunedin Public Gallery.

The beauty of Milford Sound is breathtaking, it seems that you are in another world where the line between reality and fantasy is blurred.

The main feature of the city is Baldwin Street, which got into the Guinness Book of Records due to its steepness, it goes up at an angle of 35 degrees.

And Dunedin is a recognized center of ecotourism, because almost within the city, without moving away from civilization, you can watch colonies of penguins, seals and magnificent Royal albatrosses.

There is an abundance of entertainment in the city, especially tourists of different ages love the entertainment center of the Cadbury company, located right on their chocolate factory.

Milford sound

260 km from the city is the pearl of the South Island – the extraordinary beauty of Milford Sound, a fjord that the great singer of the Empire Rudyard Kipling called “the eighth wonder of the world.” Coastal cliffs reach 1700 m in height, and go under water for 400 meters, the width of the bay is 3 km. There are a huge number of water cascades falling from the slopes along the entire perimeter of the fjord. This beauty is breathtaking, it seems that you are in another world where the line between reality and fantasy is blurred.