I lived on the Otago Peninsula for three months during my working holiday in New Zealand, and loved it so much. The rugged, bucolic beauty is even more lovely than I dreamed of when I imagined the rolling sheep scapes of New Zealand, and the wildlife and dramatic nature took me by surprise.
The Otago Peninsula is comprised of steep, green rolling hills spotted white by flocks of sheep and dramatic wild beaches full of wildlife. There’s so much to do, including wildlife spotting, incredible day hikes, a cute little village to grab a coffee or beer in, a historic castle, and surprisingly delicious food!
The Otago peninsula is a great day trip from Dunedin, but even better for exploring over a couple of days. It’s one of the best places to spot wildlife in New Zealand, while being wonderfully less touristy than other areas of the South Island.
Read on for the best things to do on the Otago Peninsula, my favorite place in New Zealand!
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Otago Peninsula at a Glance
The Otago Peninsula is is a wiggly finger of land that extends out into the Pacific Ocean from Dunedin, on the South Island of New Zealand. It forms one side of the Otago Harbour, while the other side of the peninsula has two main inlets. The land is mostly steep pasture for sheep, flanked by gorgeous wild beaches with abundant wildlife.
1. Highcliff Road
If you can only do one thing on the Otago Peninsula, I recommend taking a drive on Highcliff Road.
There are two roads that lead to Portobello village. Portobello Road is a beautiful drive following the Otago Harbour, while Highcliff Road follows the ridgeline down the middle of the peninsula, meeting up with Portobello Road in the village of Portobello.
Highcliff Road is a steep, sinuous, sometimes precarious mountain road through some of the steepest pasture land I’ve ever seen. You get exquisite views of the whole peninsula: craggy, precipitous green sheep country abruptly giving way to startling, desolate beaches and bays.
Highcliff Road can be a bit precarious and alarming to the hesitant driver, but it’s my favorite drive in all of New Zealand. I don’t want to oversell it, but it’s free and takes 30-40 minutes, so give it a shot!
2. Larnach Castle
Larnach Castle and gardens is a great place to visit if you like to explore interesting historic buildings as well as romantic, fairy tale gardens.
Built in the late 1800s by New Zealand politician William Larnach, the castle fell into disrepair and then was bought and restored by the Barker family in the 1967. Some of the original furniture was retrieved, and the castle is now a gorgeous representation of life in the late 19th and early 20th century.
The gardens are delightful, and perpetuate an aura of mystery through scatterings of characters from Alice in Wonderland in various locations throughout the grounds.
Larnach castle is situated on top of a hill, so there are views of the entire peninsula from the grounds as well as from the castle tower. It’s an interesting building, with curious gardens and magnificent views, and well worth a visit.
3. Portobello
Portobello is the main village on the Otago Peninsula, with a pub, cafe, great fish and chips, and a delicious restaurant with New Zealand classics. It’s a great place to get some sustenance after a day of exploring the peninsula.
Portobello Hotel and Bistro
The pub at the Portobello hotel is the local watering hole. There’s good beer and bar food, and the local rugby fans gather here to watch when there’s a game on. Great place to grab a beer.
Ric’s Galley Fish & Chips Takeaways
Open for two and a half hours in the evenings (5 – 7:30 pm), this unassuming hole in the wall place has awesome fish (the chips are average). Get whatever the fresh fish is that day to enjoy a New Zealand classic.
Penguin Cafe
Here you can get a coffee or a light meal. Cute place for a pick-me-up.
1908 Cafe Restaurant
Cozy place with hearty New Zealand classic dishes, this place is a gem. It’s a bit pricier so it took me forever to try it, but the food here is superb. I enthusiastically recommend the lamb shank, but everything we tried was delicious!
4. Blue Penguins!
These teetering little guys are the cutest! Watching them come in from a day out at sea and scamper across the beach, rocks, and into their nests in the bushes is an enchanting experience. This is a must see!
Little Blue Penguins are the smallest penguins in the world, and live on the coastlines of New Zealand and Australia. At dusk, they come ashore after a whole day of fishing out at sea. They dash across the sand, then rest, socialize, and mate in the bushes and rocks along the coast.
The Blue Penguin Viewing Tours at the Albatross colony are excellent. Each night after sunset, a knowledgeable guide takes a group down to the beach, where there’s a viewing platform. (The best spots are towards the left, overlooking the ‘penguin highway.’) Most nights there are anywhere from 0-80 penguins that come ashore, with a really high chance of seeing at least a couple.
Wear warm clothes, be patient, and enjoy one of the coolest wildlife encounters in New Zealand!
5. Royal Albatross Centre
Get a good look at the only non-island albatross colony, and learn about these huge majestic birds.
The Albatross Viewing Tour includes an informational film and a trip to the glass observatory overlooking the albatross colony. Depending on the time of year, you can see albatross courtships, parents protecting their baby chicks, or fuzzy adolescents.
We saw juvenile albatross hanging out in their nests and stretching their wings, gathering the strength to fly. It was fascinating to observe them, and we learned a lot from the fantastically knowledgeable guide.
At $52 NZD per adult, however, this tour is expensive, and I’d recommend you skip it if you’re on a budget. Do the blue penguin tour instead: it’s cheaper and a bit more engaging.
6. Sandfly Bay
Sandfly Bay is one of the most beautiful beaches on the peninsula. It’s a gorgeous wild beach surrounded by grassy dunes and cliffs, and I’ve been able to spot New Zealand Sea Lions every time.
It’s a short but very steep walk to the beach from Sandfly Bay carpark, and then another kilometer of beach to stroll on. Here’s more information about the track from the DOC.
There is a lot of fascinating wildlife on this beach. Hefty New Zealand Sea Lions like to nap on the rocks and dunes. There’s also a colony of yellow eyed penguins, although I’ve never spotted them myself. You can also observe cool seabirds like shags and oyster catchers.
Please be respectful of the wildlife. Stay at least 20m away from the seals and sea lions, and 50m away from the penguins.
7. Okia Reserve and Victory Beach
A beautiful hike through a wetlands reserve full of native plants, to the longest beach on the peninsula. This was my favorite place to go running on the beach, or just chill or collect shells. I often saw New Zealand fur seals and oyster catchers here.
From the carpark at the end of Dick Road, it’s an easy 2 km walk to the beach. The trail takes you past some pastureland and into the Okia Reserve. Walk past The Pyramids, (you can climb the smaller one if you wish), and then hike through the reserve, following the signs to the beach. The beach stretches for 3 km, and you can explore as much as you want. Trace back your steps to your car. Here’s some more information about the hike.
Okia Reserve is full of beautiful native plants like flax and native grasses. In the spring, the whole beach explodes with yellow lupines. New Zealand fauna frequent the beach, including New Zealand sea lions, New Zealand fur seals, yellow eyed penguins, shags, and oyster catchers.
Exploring Okia Reserve and Victory Beach is one of my most cherished memories of the Otago Peninsula.
8. Allans Beach
Allans Beach is a gorgeous beach that’s just a 5 minute walk from the car park, yet is less touristy and a bit more off the beaten track.
There’s lots to explore here, and Allans Beach is perfect if you just want to get to the beach quickly, but still want a wild and remote experience. There’s seals and sea lions here, as well as sea birds like shags and oyster catchers. Please stay at least 20 m from the mammals. More information on the DOC site here.
Allans Beach is also less popular than some of the other beaches, so if isolation is what you’re after, it’s not a bad bet.
9. Harbour Cone Track
This is a breathtaking but difficult hike through some of the most exquisite open sheep pasture that I’ve ever seen, to the summit of one of the volcanic peaks on the Otago Peninsula. Spectacular views of the whole peninsula but especially Hoopers Inlet and Portobello
Although not the tallest point on the Otago Peninsula, you can see Harbour Cone from almost every point on the peninsula. The 4.2 km round trip hike to the summit and back is hard but well worth it. More information on the route here. (Note that the track is closed Sept 1st to Nov 1st for lambing season.)
If hiking through steep, rolling green hills speckled with sheep fits into your New Zealand fantasy, put this hike on your list. The stunning, dramatic farmscapes open up to glorious, sweeping views, which are well worth the sacrifice of sore legs and wind beaten faces.
10. Sandymount Track
An easy 2.5 km loop through some coastal sheep pasture with brilliant views of Allans beach and Hoopers Inlet.
This is a really great short hike around Sandymount Recreation Reserve. Wander through exposed coastal sheep country and soak up the views of the peninsula. There’s great vistas of Allans Beach. The DOC has more info on the hike here.
If you’re in the mood for a longer, tougher hike, you can also access Sandfly Bay from here. The trail is steep and sandy, and eventually you’re just hiking on sand dunes. It’s absolutely stunning, but beware that you’ll need to come back up steep sand dunes as well.
11. Buskin, Highcliff, and Paradise Road Tracks
These three tracks can be combined to make a nice 5 km loop over some coastal farmland, with a beautiful detour to Boulder Beach.
This hike is steep, but it’s a great workout with some great views. I love me some rugged farmscapes (as you can probably tell), and the cliffs and sea views just intensify the desolate views. Boulder beach is a lovely, wild, truly remote stretch of beach, with all the usual suspects: New Zealand sea lions and New Zealand fur seals, as well as plenty of oyster catchers. DOC website has more information here.
12. Glenfalloch Gardens
These gardens contain winding paths flanked by rhododendrons, magnolias, azaleas, roses and other garden flowers, among native ferns and trees. The best part is that they’re free to visit!
There’s also a restaurant on the premises that has a great reputation. Unfortunately I personally didn’t have a chance to check it out.
In Conclusion
Whether for a day trip, for a couple of days, or even for a few months like me, the Otago Peninsula is abundant in activities. There’s copious wildlife sightings, stunning beaches, rugged sheep-scapes, great hiking, historic sights, and delicious food.
The best part is that many tourists don’t make their way over here. I loved delving deep into this rich finger of land, and really getting to know it’s nooks and crannies. I enthusiastically recommend a visit to my favorite corner of New Zealand, and hope you love it as much as I did.
