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Dunedin
a city proud
of its living heritage ONE
of Dunedin's great strengths is the way it lives with and
values its heritage.
Rather than turning its many fine Victorian and Edwardian
buildings into museum pieces, the city cherishes them and
uses them.
For example the Railway Station, New Zealand's most
photographed building, still performs that function
although some spaces in the building have been given over
to other purposes, such as the New Zealand Sports Hall of
Fame.
Dunedin's Scottish heritage is still very much alive and
well. A statue of the Scottish bard, Robbie Burns
presides over a city that boasts fine pipe bands and
highland dancers, and still delights in traditions such
as the haggis ceremony. It is all part of the unique
Dunedin mix that makes it a city of living heritage.
Dunedin's Otago Peninsula, is renowned for its albatross
colony and various species of penguins, seals and pelagic
birds. Dunedin is known for such tourist attractions as
the Heritage Tour at Speight's brewery or the Cadbury
Chocolate World or stately homes such as Olveston or the
grandeur of Larnach Castle, standing as a sentinel atop
the peninsula.
The long main shopping street of Dunedin, George Street,
has a range of world class local designers and chain
stores that entice travellers and locals alike, and the
city-centre Octagon with its bars and cafes - and the
statue of the Scottish bard, Robbie Burns - is the ideal
place to relax after shopping.
The new blends comfortably with the old in Dunedin - the
modern office blocks slipping in the cheek by jowl with
the Oamaru Stone and granite grandeur of the commercial
past, stately buildings that hear testimony to the
solidity and wealth of their times. The old is something
to be treasured rather than discarded in Dunedin.
The discerning visitor discovers all this and more... the
Clock Tower at New Zealand's first university, the
University of Otago, stands as a reminder of the
educational past, present and future; tolling the hours
for generations of students who have graduated and made
their mark around the world.
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