8 of the Best Parks in Dunedin 

This list of the best parks in Dunedin includes parks with stunning views of the city, picnic spots, places for playing and watching sport and parks with playgrounds for the kids. Most of these should be interesting for locals and tourists alike!

 

 

Unity Park Lookout is one of the best spots overlooking the city — and it’s only a short drive (or steep walk) from the city centre. The park behind the lookout isn’t anything special but it’s a decent place to kick a ball around.

 

 

You can keep going down the hill to the cemetery and sports grounds (good views of the city in parts) or up to the Mornington township where you’ll find a few places to eat including a famous ice-cream shop. There are more parks close to the shops and some paths leading down the hill. This whole area is great for a stroll, and you’re close to the Town Belt if you feel like a bush walk.

 

 

A kilometre south of George Street and the Octagon, Market Reserve comes alive with blossoms in September. The old Crown Roller Mills building provides an interesting backdrop to Maket Reserve and there’s also an historic public toilet (Manor Place Conveniences).

 

 

A little further along is The Oval, a massive sports ground. I remember plenty of cold early mornings playing cricket at The Oval and if you’re in Dunedin and have kids you’ll probably end up there often too! You can get a great view of the Oval from Mornington (down Eglinton Road from Unity Park).

 

 

 

There are two main reasons to visit Chingford Park — one is to play some frisbee golf and the other is to see Chingford Stables, an interesting old building dating back to the 1870s. It’s located a short distance from Baldwin Street (World’s Steepest Street) and the Dunedin Botanical Gardens. Good for a quick visit when exploring North Dunedin. Forrester Park is just down the road (dog park / BMX tracks etc.).

 

 

 

Rotary Park sits high above the city, close to the southern end of the Otago Peninsula. There are some awesome views up there as well lawns for picnics and sports. Located on Highcliff Road (one of two routes along the Otago Peninsula), it makes for a good first stop-off on the journey to Taiaroa Head and the many other natural wonders that draw people to the Otago Peninsula. 

 

 

 

Culling Park makes it onto this list for being my first home cricket ground in Dunedin. That probably seems irrelevant to you, and it would normally be, but it’s also the home ground of Brendon McCullum, one of the most famous cricketers of the last couple of decades, as well as many other international cricketers. This article also claims it’s potentially the oldest cricket club in Australasia!

 

 

Bayfield Park is right next to a high school so you’ll want to visit outside of school hours. There are free tennis courts, a playground, cricket nets (not in great shape)and some wide open views of Dunedin. 

 

 

The Logan Park complex is the home of sport in Dunedin, with hockey fields, cricket pitches, rugby grounds and more. Dunedin’s two big international sporting venues are there too — Forsyth Barr Stadium for rugby and the University of Otago Oval for cricket.

 

 

 

This park in Caversham / South Dunedin holds lots of weekend sport and is home to a recently built playground. There’s also an old ropeway (long building used for making ropes) along one side of the park — it could be an interesting tourist site if it’s ever opened up.

 

 

 

There are a few dog parks scattered around the city (check them out here) — you can also walk your dog at various other spots around the city.

 

 

Dunedin is well served with outdoor spaces for kids including some newly improved playgrounds. The one at the Botanic Gardens is a good one to seek out and the Dinosaur Park near John Wilson Drive is good too (could use a face-lift though). Our kid also loves the playgrounds in Green Island, Hillside Road and St Clair Beach.

 

 

 

There are lots of other parks in Dunedin, most of which are suburban sports grounds. Probably not of much interest to the general public but you’ll probably end up getting to know them pretty well if your kid ends up obsessed with sports! I’m sure some others will have good views too — let me know any good ones that haven’t been mentioned in this post.

 

 

If you prefer gardens over parks there are heaps of options including the Botanical Gardens, Chinese Gardens, Woodhaugh Gardens and Glenfalloch. Check out our post about the best gardens in Dunedin!

 

READ MORE: 10 of the Best Gardens in Dunedin