yankiwi
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Hi k/a kid, thanks for asking -
I pick Dunedin - for a lot of reasons !
First, the environment - we have 22 beautiful beaches to choose from - some just minutes away, all within 45 minutes - from downtown Dunedin. Besides the beaches we have a nice harbour where (if you're lucky), you can catch a 12kg salmon. The coastline (and the sometimes the harbour) are frequented by dolphins and whales, besides the resident wildlife of seals, sea lions, albatross and other sea birds, and penguins.
Speaking of wildlife, next reason is the University. I love being a part of it - and now that the new students have hit town, the place is hopping!
Architecturally, Dunedin has some superb old buildings - ornate and embellished with gargoyles and other flamboyant details. Even the humble old villas are decorative with their gingerbread trim and stained glass windows.
The founding fathers of the city had a brainstorm when they designated the town belt. Thanks to them we have an excellent natural greenery surrounding the city. It's lovely to wake up to the sound of bell birds, to watch the fat pigeons swaying in the tree tops, and to hear the calls of the tui.
Besides the town belt, Dunedin has over 40 bush walks/walking tracks which range from a nice stroll to challenging. You can get out and about, and enjoy the lush forested areas like Bethunes Gulley, Ross Creek, or Flagstaff Creek. You reach the heights on the Pineapple Track, Mt. Cargill, or Flagstaff Hill.
There are all sorts of opportunities for recreation. Dunedin has several swimming pools, including Moana Pool which has a decent dive pool and two water slides, rapids, a wave pool, and an adults only hot pool. The Salt Water Pool at St Clair is neat because you don't sink and you're right beside the ocean.
You can walk, jog, run, go horse-riding or play ice hockey. There's rugby, bowls, cricket, soccer, golf, and plenty of spectator sports like motocross, and auto, horse, and bike racing.
If you aren't into sport, there's a large number of art and antique galleries, movie theatres, cafes, clubs, and museums. Oh, and lots of places to spend $ if you're into shopping. Plus, there are some cutting edge designers emerging from Dunedin.
Dunedin isn't that big but it isn't that small either. (Although I've heard it's either the 4th or 5th largest city in the world - by area, not by population). You can get get around on foot quite easily (although there are some steep hills - including Baldwin Street, the steepest street in the world), and there's a decent city bus line which recently started a weekend, late night service to get students safely back to their flats.
Dunedin is also just a few hours away from the Tor region of Middlemarch, the green rolling pastures of the Catlins, and the Wanaka and Queenstown skifields.
Another thing is that the weather is never boring, we can get 4 seasons in one day, no fooling!
I've lived here for several years and still haven't been on all the walks or visited all the beaches. I have been all around the South Island and I can say there are other spots I like to visit, and go for holidays, but overall, I like Dunedin best for the reasons above, and more....
Dunedin is my favourite city, but then again I might be prejudiced. I love this place, and to be honest, Dunedin has been very good for me.
=)
so how 'bout you, what's your fav NZ city ? |
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