Dunedin - Scarfies, Snow and Speights

For our non NZ blog readers - bit of a primer on Dunedin.

It's NZ's 5th largest city, with a population of about 150,000. At one time, back in the late 1800s it was also our richest city - due to the Otago gold rush. Many magnificent Victorian era buildings still reflect that wealth, and have fortuitously survived the wreckers ball.

Nowadays, Dunedin's biggest industry is education, with many NZ and international students studying at Otago university (which incorporates our second medical school).
The 'scarfies' - scarf-wearing students, occupy flats in old Victorian villas, in the more run-down northern end of town. The local beer - Speights lager is the favoured beverage of both scarfies and locals.

Tourism is another employer, though not hugely significant, with visitors attracted by the coastal wildlife on the Otago peninsula, which offers encounters with albatross, seals, sea lions and the rare yellow-eyed penguin. Around 60 cruise ship visits this season have helped boost tourism numbers.

At 45 degrees latitude, Dunedin like most of the deep South experiences a more European climate with short very hot summers (up to 40 deg C) and longer winters where temperatures can drop below 15 degrees C and snow and ice are expected.

At Brighton beach nearby our accommodation, snow on the beach is a regular winter event. Incidentally, property prices here are extremely favourable compared with Auckland. A basic beach cottage with sea views and a 5 minute walk to pristine white sand beaches will cost about $NZ120,000.

Which is all very tempting - but ... talking to a local, he says "Sure it's cheap to buy land here, but then what are you going to do for a living?"
Essentially the main employers in Dunedin are farming, the university, the city council and the hospital. Other than some tourism opportunities there isn't much else to tempt anyone this far south. Not surprising that there total population of the South Island is around half a million, where our total is around 4.2 million for the whole country.

The deep South certainly is gorgeous and it's very tempting to move. But realistically, only as a retirement option for me personally.

Phil Parker operates Auckland Fine Wine Tours and is a wine writer.