Parks and nature in Dunedin City

Dunedin’s natural landscape ranges from New Zealand’s oldest botanic garden to the country’s only inland salt lake at Sutton. This collection features diverse ecosystems, including the coastal dunes of Sandfly Bay, the Aramoana Saltmarsh, and the high-altitude peat bogs of the Great Moss Swamp. Specialized floral sites like the Lady Thorn Rhododendron Dell, set in a former quarry, sit alongside historical sites and wilderness huts in the Rock and Pillar Range, showcasing the region's botanical and geological variety.

Parks and Nature — Map

Krzysztof Golik / CC BY-SA 4.0

A

Dunedin Botanic Garden

Established in 1863, this is New Zealand's oldest botanic garden. It features a winter garden glasshouse, a geographic plant collection, and an aviary housing native and exotic birds.

Stug.stug / CC-BY-SA-3.0

B

Sandfly Bay

Sandfly Bay is a sandy bay with large dunes 15 kilometres east of central Dunedin, New Zealand.

C

Sutton Salt Lake

New Zealand's only inland salt lake, located near Middlemarch. This ephemeral lake has no outlet, concentrating minerals as water evaporates, and is surrounded by schist rock tors.

D

Aramoana Saltmarsh

A 60-hectare wetland at the mouth of the Otago Harbour. It serves as a significant habitat for wading birds and features a boardwalk through saltmarsh vegetation.

E

Lady Thorn Rhododendron Dell

A garden established in a former bluestone quarry in Port Chalmers. It contains a collection of rhododendrons and azaleas with views overlooking the Otago Harbour.

F

Tannock Glen

A four-acre garden managed by the Dunedin Rhododendron Group, featuring a significant collection of species rhododendrons and views of the harbor.

G

Great Moss Swamp

A high-altitude wetland located on the Rock and Pillar Range plateau, characterized by peat bogs and unique alpine cushion plants.

H

Leaning Lodge Hut

A wilderness hut situated at 1,220 meters on the Rock and Pillar Range, providing access to the Great Moss Swamp and alpine hiking routes.

I

Bethunes Gully

Located at the foot of Mt Cargill, this park features picnic areas and walking tracks that ascend through native forest to the mountain summit.

J

Taieri Historical Park

A heritage site in Outram featuring relocated historical buildings, including a schoolhouse, jail, and church, representing the early settlement of the Taieri Plain.

Other Lists

Dunedin City Essentials Dunedin Peaks & Viewpoints Coastal Wonders of Otago Historic Churches & Cemeteries