Beginning in the fall of 2027, our long-running New Zealand Adventure small group tour will feature an updated itinerary. After leaving Christchurch on New Zealand’s South Island, our group will travel down the east coast, following a route taken by long-ago gold prospectors. We’re heading for one of the world’s southernmost major cities, and one that takes its name from the Scottish-Gaelic settlers that came ashore here in the 1840s: Dunedin, and the Otago Peninsula.
Discover the Tour: New Zealand Adventure (Fall 2027)
During this two-night sojourn, we stay in Dunedin, a university town known for its excellent seafood, rich history, and singular topography (as seen above). A full-day tour of the Otago Peninsula brings us face to face with two of the region’s most fascinating birds: the yellow-eyed penguin and the northern royal albatross. And speaking of royalty, we discover New Zealand’s only castle during this outing as well. The following day, we trade city for country as we ride the Taieri Gorge Scenic Train northwest to Queenstown.
Read on for a full breakdown of this exciting new adventure.
Charming coastal Dunedin
If you started in Edinburgh and bored a hole directly through the center of the Earth, you’d wind up in the Pacific Ocean, about 750 miles southeast of New Zealand’s South Island. The closest major city to this antipode point? Dunedin, New Zealand – meaning that the Scottish sailors of yore had to travel just about as far as humanly possible, nearly 200 years ago, to build their new home.
With its plentiful natural resources and strategic location, the area at the base of the Otago Peninsula was one of the first to be settled by the Māori people nearly 800 years ago. Captain James Cook sailed by in 1770 and his reports of seals and whales led to waves of ships from the British Isles in the next few decades. In 1848, the Free Church of Scotland sent a delegation to incorporate Dunedin – named based on the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, Dùn Èideann.
Seven years later, gold was found nearby, launching one of the nation’s largest gold rushes and helping Dunedin grow into New Zealand’s most populous city just two decades after its founding. As the gold rush petered out, agricultural, manufacturing, and shipping booms kept Dunedin relevant, and a riot of architectural styles soon crowded its steeply pitched streets. As we learn during our stay here, Dunedin today ranks as one of New Zealand’s lesser-visited gems, with superb cuisine (particularly its local seafood), fascinating ecology, and the well-regarded University of Otago (founded in 1871 as New Zealand’s oldest university) serving as a source of pride and vibrant culture for the city.
Two of the rare hoihos (yellow-eyed penguins) of the Otago Peninsula
After spending the night in Dunedin, we awake on Day 13 of our New Zealand Adventure and set out for a full day of touring along the Otago Peninsula. Our first stop takes us to the OPERA – albeit one whose stars sing just a bit differently than we’re used to.
Since 1985, the Otago Peninsula Eco Restoration Alliance (OPERA) has worked to preserve and protect this wild landscape, focusing on research, habitat restoration, and education. In particular, they focus on the hoiho, the native yellow-eyed penguin. It’s one of the world’s rarest penguin species, and during our touring of the OPERA, we learn about the many efforts being made to save these adorable flightless birds from extinction. We also get the chance to see (and hear) the penguins themselves, whose Māori name literally translates to “noise shouter” thanks to their array of trills and vocalizations.
After our touring here, we move to the very tip of the peninsula to see another rare, native creature: the northern royal albatross. We visit the Royal Albatross Center to witness these majestic creatures, whose wingspans can measure some 10 feet across. The colony here is the world’s only northern royal albatross population that breeds on the mainland, making this a vital site for research and conservation.
A northern royal albatross in flight | Photo: JJ Harrison
On the way back to Dunedin, we stop to tour another singular New Zealand site: Larnach Castle. Built in the late 1800s by local businessman and politician William Larnach, this elegant edifice ranks as New Zealand’s only true castle, and boasts building materials and furnishings from Versailles, Marseilles, and Venice, among other global sources.
Along with its ornate interiors and striking facade, the castle’s grounds rate as a draw all on their own – the New Zealand Gardens Trust has recognized them as one of only five “Gardens of International Significance” in the nation.
Opulent Larnach Castle | Photo: Joshua Bayliss
The breathtaking Taieri Gorge | Photo: Taieri Gorge Railway
After a full day of touring and another night in town, we wave goodbye to Dunedin from the window of our train car and head towards Queenstown via the Taieri Gorge. Along this famed train route, we are treated to magnificent scenic views as we follow the course of the Taieri River, passing over viaducts and rolling through tunnels carved out of the mountainous terrain. It’s a fitting end to one of the most memorable stops on this exciting small group tour.
We’re thrilled to introduce this new region of New Zealand to our guests, and can’t wait to have you join us in the Fall of 2027. For more information and to reserve your spot, make an online reservation or call our Travel Counselors at 888-370-6765.
Share your great adventures with us on social media. Tag your pictures with #myodyssey and they may be featured on our website!
By using this website you are agreeing to our Cookie Policy.
