NZ$56 Dunedin accommodation

How about a holiday in New Zealand's arts, learning and culture hub? Our Dunedin hotels will put you right in the centre of New Zealand's oldest city, which is charming, scenic and rich in Scottish heritage. In fact, Dunedin is named after the Gaelic word for Edinburgh, Scotland’s capital city: Dùn Èideann. As you walk around town, you'll find plenty of tributes to Dunedin's Scottish roots.

Dunedin's unique city centre is shaped like an octagon and appropriately named "The Octagon". Not far from the centre of town is the Taieri River, which offers lots of photo opportunities, especially at Taieri Gorge. Otago Peninsula is another great photo spot. The Peninsula's also known as "New Zealand's Wildlife Capital" because it's home to seals, sea lions, albatrosses, Little Blue Penguins and rare Yellow Eyed Penguins. When it comes to architecture, Dunedin hosts some treasures. There's the Dunedin Railway Station, which was built in 1906, and is New Zealand's most photographed building; Larnach Castle, Australasia's only castle; and the Gothic-style First Church of Otago, built in 1875.

Dunedin is also home to the Cadbury World Chocolate Factory, and hosts the annual Cadbury Chocolate Carnival in July. The highlight of the carnival is the Giant Jaffa Roll, where participants roll jaffas (orange-coated chocolate balls) down Baldwin Street (the steepest residential street in the world) in a race to the finish line. Dunedin locals are also big on rugby, so there are always matches to attend and big rugby events on in town. If rugby isn't really your thing, you could always go fishing, cycling, walking, surfing or golfing in Dunedin. After you've spent all your energy in the great outdoors, you'll need a top up. Head to the Otago Farmers' Market on Saturday mornings, where you can pick up fresh produce, local cheese, regional wine and other goodies. Alternatively, you could stop in for a beer at Speights Brewery, which has been brewing since 1876. If you'd prefer some retail therapy, George Street and Prince Street have lots of boutique fashion stores, with collections from internationally-acclaimed local designers.

The Otago airport is about 30km from the city centre. You can catch a shuttle bus from the airport to your hotel and there are plenty of buses in town, but Dunedin has lots of hills and you might find yourself hiking uphill from the bus stop to your destination, which is why it's probably best to hire a car at the airport. If you do hire a car, it's worth taking the three and a half hour drive from Dunedin to Queenstown, the scenic "bungy capital of the world". For a holiday in kiwi-land with a touch of Scotland, book your flights to Dunedin, as well as your Dunedin accommodation.

Image credit Ulrich lange