Audley in Coastal Otago & Southland
As you venture south, you will find that the population dwindles and the scenery grows more rugged and less tamed. With a reputation as the foremost point for wildlife observation, the Otago Peninsula is overwhelmed with penguin, albatross, seal and sea-lion.
At the base of the peninsula is Dunedin, a vibrant university city named after the Celtic word for ‘Edinburgh’. Where Christchurch is little England, Dunedin is little Scotland: to this day, the ever-watchful gaze of Robert Burns is spread upon the city as he stands staid, cast in iron.
Away from the city, Southland is a paradise of dense native forests, stunning fiords, sleepy southern towns and the oft-forgotten Stewart Island. Here the flightless kiwis outnumber people thirty to one and day trips to the predator-free Ulva Island are a fabulous opportunity. Home to native birds and dense bush and forest of the national park, each day on Stewart Island draws to a close with dusky skies lit by the Aurora Australis (Southern Lights) between the months of May and September.