Jon Algie 
If you’re planning on hiking in Mount Cook National Park and want to sleep for free nearby, consider Lake Poaka. You don’ t have to have a self-contained vehicle (unlike a lot of other freedom camping spots), which makes Lake Poaka a great place to freedom camp near Mount Cook for people with all types … Read more
Dunedin’s beaches always look better from above, and some of the best elevated coastal views in (or just outside of) town are on the hike to Heyward Point. It’s an easy (ish) two hour hike through farmland and is fairly off the beaten path — it’s one of the best things to do in Dunedin … Read more
Why Hike the Kea Point Track? The hike along the Kea Point Track (roughly 1 hour return) ends at a viewpoint where you’ll see some of Mt Cook National Park’s most marvellous mountains, including Mount Cook and Mount Sefton. It’s a lot shorter than the more well-known Hooker Valley Track, making it a good option … Read more
Short walks in the Sandymount Recreation Reserve put you face to face with some of Dunedin’s best coastal views. One takes you up to the top of Sandymount for an awesome view over Allans Beach and Hoopers Inlet and the other to a slightly less elevated lookout. The longer track to Lovers Leap and the … Read more
Smails Beach, located a short distance from Dunedin’s city centre, is one of over 25 beaches in Dunedin that are worth visiting. You’ll get some great views of the beach from the road leading to it (and from the Karetai Road Track) and there lots of other beaches, walks and viewpoints nearby. Wondering why you … Read more
Nugget Point Lighthouse, a minimalist little building looming over a surreal clump of rocks scattered in the Pacific Ocean, is one of the top places to see in the Catlins. Scenery on the South Island’s east coast doesn’t get much more dramatic than this — don’t miss it if you’re road-tripping around New Zealand. Nugget … Read more
Tomahawk Beach is at the city-end of the Otago Peninsula and is part of a glistening coastline which features some of New Zealand’s best beaches. St Clair is far more famous, but there is heaps to see at Tomahawk Beach and I reckon it’s a good option for people who love exploring. Tomahawk Beach Dunedin’s … Read more
Looking for something to do on a rainy day in Dunedin? Look no further than the Toitū Otago Settlers Museum. An impressive range of exhibits take you from pre-European times through to the gold boom and even offers a glimpse into life in New Zealand in the 70s, 80s and 90s. The museum covers Otago (a … Read more
Why Walk From Alexandra to Clyde? Maybe you don’t have a car, or you ate too much Christmas dinner and need to burn some calories. Or maybe you heard that the river walk from Alexandra to Clyde is one of the top things to do in Central Otago. Whatever the reason, the Millennium Track between … Read more
Why go to Mitchell’s Cottage? The barren earth and extreme shifts in temperature made Central Otago a tough place to survive. They didn’t have heat pumps and under floor heating back in the late 1800s / early 1900s, a fact I learned on my recent visit to Mitchell’s Cottage. This century old house on a … Read more