From edgy art, wild nature, mouth-watering eats, and a vibrant queer spirit — Dunedin is a creative escape like no other.
Arriving in Dunedin, there’s an instant vibe that few New Zealand cities can match. A lively student atmosphere hums through historic streets lined with period architecture, a bustling harbour leads to a coastline of jaw-dropping beauty, and everywhere you turn, there’s a laid-back authenticity.
Food here is plentiful and notably cheaper than in many other cities. Nature is always within reach. Locals are friendly, grounded, and endearingly self-deprecating, with little patience for show-offs. It’s clear that people live here because they truly love it. And from what we experience, there’s a lot to love.
Staying in Style: Ebb Dunedin
When we mention we’re staying at Ebb Dunedin, reactions are filled with intrigue. From the outside, it’s a minimalist, black-glass monolith — its 2021 debut met with some scepticism — but inside, it’s a triumph of modern design.
Centred around an open-air atrium, the Ebb features a lush, climbing garden beneath a louvred ceiling that floods the space with gentle southern light. Each corner houses glass-encased rooms: the restaurant, reception, lift, and stairwell. You walk through the open air right until you reach your room. Inside, boutique luxury awaits: curated photography, dried flower art, and thoughtful fittings, creating a space that feels more like a stylish urban loft than a hotel room.
The Ebb feels like a true architectural love letter to Dunedin’s creative soul — and each night that we return there, we find ourselves marvelling at its beauty. @ebbdunedin
Fringe Magic
Timing your Dunedin trip with an event is highly recommended — whether it’s a sports game at Forsyth Barr Stadium, iD Fashion Week (which just last month transformed the historic railway station with a 120-metre catwalk), or the Dunedin Fringe Festival, which drew us south in March for its 25th birthday celebrations.
Fringe in Dunedin feels different: it’s intimate, community-driven, and genuinely safe for queer creatives to shine.
Our Fringe experience began with the Opening Night Birthday Party, not just a party, but a full-blown show honouring the festival’s most iconic moments.
Over the week, we saw a vibrant mix of shows, from TVNZ’s hilarious James Mustapic and the daring SoliloQueens drag performance, to standouts like local queer comedian Nicola Brown’s thoughtful Space Invaders and the innately funny Harriet Moir, whose Just Eat The Damn Sausage rightly earned a festival award.
Not every show hit the mark — ex-Auckland Drag King Monty Montgomery’s born-again Christian rebirth Live, Laugh, Lawrence and Snap’s Spinster missed opportunities — but that’s the essence of Fringe. It’s about celebrating brave creativity, community spirit, and discovering unexpected gems.
Venues like Knockabout Studio at the New Athenaeum Theatre add an edgy, underground vibe, steeped in the city’s rich Grecian-Doric history. A slight risk of injury? Maybe — but it wouldn’t be Fringe without it!
As the festival drew to a close, it was clear its goal went beyond entertainment — to uplift marginalised voices and indie artists, highlighting how far New Zealand’s arts scene has come in those 25 years.
Eco Adventures with O.P.E.R.A. & Monarch
We drive out to the Otago Peninsula for a private tour with the delightful Ike and Jerad, a gay couple whose passionate project, the O.P.E.R.A. (Otago Peninsula Eco Restoration Alliance), combines environmental advocacy with personal warmth. theopera.co.nz
Their canopy-to-coast tour takes us through native forest down to a beach where seals and sea lions bask, and an ingenious network of tunnels lets you view endangered yellow-eyed penguins without disrupting them. We learn about the fragility of the food chain, the warming seas, and the role this land plays in regenerating not just native flora but native identity.
The emotional resonance here is huge. From the rare Hoiho (yellow-eyed) — the world’s smallest penguin (it’s moulting season, so many are having a bad hair day) — to crafty stick insects, all are fighting to survive in our rapidly changing world.
It’s immersive, inspiring, and one of the most quietly radical queer-owned initiatives we’ve ever encountered.
And it’s impossible not to leave feeling a renewed sense of environmental urgency.
From land to sea, we board the Monarch Wildlife Cruise for a salty adventure along Dunedin’s dramatic cliffs. Expect dramatic cliffs that albatrosses launch off with their jaw-dropping 2.5m wingspans on full display. Our skipper, who provides an amplified commentary for the trip, is full of sly wit and sharp facts — think Attenborough with a hint of Flight of the Conchords — as sea lions race, torpedo-like, past the boat.
The commentary is peppered with strange truths about albatross courtship and seal social politics! The boat feels both intimate and expansive — a floating classroom, comedy stage, and nature documentary all in one. wildlife.co.nz
Fuel for the Soul
Fringe-going demands quick, satisfying eats. Pizza Bar (@pizzabardunedin) serves delicious gas-fired pizzas with a fun soundtrack, ideal for fuelling pre-show chats.
For a more leisurely dining experience, Commons Eatery (@commonseatery) wins for its chic Jewish deli dining room vibe. The sophisticated menu offers thoughtful dishes that tell a story, none more pronounced than the smoked kedgeree, which is topped with a warm Scotch egg — a nostalgic ode to British cooking! It’s right next to the Dunedin Public Art Gallery, which is absolutely worth a visit for its rotating exhibitions that offer a grounding calm to the centre of the Octagon.
Locals rave about No.7 Balmac (no7balmac.co.nz), perched in the hills overlooking the city. It offers smart, scenic dining with a ‘special occasion’ atmosphere, minus the price tag you’d expect. Its wood-fired menu celebrates local produce with relaxed sophistication. Vegan dishes shine, while dairy-lovers will swoon over the ethereal cheese soufflé.
For a rock’n’roll vibe, Moons (@moons.nz) delivers a winning combination of live music, craft beers, and standout dishes like wild venison leg and the hefty ‘Big Fresh’ loaded salad. From Wednesday to Saturday, Moons is open late, often with gigs on weekends and a great selection of craft beers every night. In fact, we opt for a flight so we can try a selection of local favourites.
Sightseeing & Shopping
Tūhura Otago Museum (otagomuseum.nz) dazzles with its incredible butterfly house, Australasia’s only 3D planetarium, and exhibitions shaped through queer, indigenous, and creative lenses — making it a must-visit. During Pride Month, they host dedicated programming, offering a meaningful and inclusive space beyond the glitter.
On our private tour, Head of Exhibitions Craig Scott explains how storytelling and representation are central to their mission. From interactive science to the storytelling of identity, the museum proves you don’t need to be loud to be powerful.
Craig also recommends we check out Guild (145 Stuart Street), a cool boutique gift shop supporting only local designers, perfect for authentic, meaningful pieces that your most difficult-to-buy-for friend will love!
Sun, Sand & Ice Cream
Venturing down to Dunedin’s beaches (perhaps with a coffee from Black and Brew on the way) is a real scene that has to be seen! Beach suburb St Clair features vibey, pumping cafes, Starfish and Esplanade, just a stone’s throw from the crashing waves.
Stroll St Clair Beach for long enough and it becomes St Kilda and eventually Lawyers Head — but if you’re not a fan of sand, you can walk along John Wilson Ocean Drive (which is closed to cars on the weekends). Regardless of which route you take, you’ll want to get up to the Sir Leonard Wright Lookout for views over further reaches of the coastline, including Tomahawk and (locals’ favourite) Smails Beach.
We finish the day at Patti’s and Cream (pattisandcream.co) — a Dunedin institution serving the city’s best thickshakes, fantastic burgers, and epic ice cream desserts to have your sweet tooth eroding into bliss!
What a weekend!
Dunedin is a city full of surprises: a blend of historic charm, artistic vibrancy, and eco-conscious heart. The Fringe Festival is wild and welcoming, the food scene is divine, and the eco-activists are gloriously gay. What more could you want from a weekend escape?
Before you plan your Dunedin getaway, visit dunedinnz.com and follow @DunedinNZ for tips, including their epic Street Art and Brewery & Distillery Trails.
