Toitū is something of a museum exhibit itself: it’s New Zealand’s oldest history museum, and was founded at the height of Dunedin’s heyday way back in 1898. The old girl has recently had quite the facelift (a $37.5m one, to be exact), reopening at the end of last year with a fancy new wing and completely overhauled exhibitions.
It’s not quite Te Papa, but there are some pretty exciting fandangled features. Experience what it was like for hardy Scottish settlers who spent months on small and smelly ships only to end up in Dunedin (probs not the tropical paradise they had imagined, but then, the Scots never minded a bit of mist) much in the same way that fresh Aucklanders arrive annually and equally naively on their own 737 maiden voyages. Learn about life early on in our fair city, from the first Maori settlers to the goldrush glory days as New Zealand’s economic powerhouse, and back again to the Dunedin we know and love. The gift shop ain’t half bad, and entry to the museum is completely gratis. Enjoy.
Get there: on foot – don’t be afraid to stray the 500 extra metres past the Octagon.
Do: appreciate what a bustling metropolis Dunedin used to be.
Don’t: forget to check out the giftshop – Radio One cards get 10% off non-sale items.
Eat: at the café in the foyer, or guzzle some Farmers’ Market treats before/after.