Conference Location and Travel
Conference Venue: The entire conference will take place in the Burns Lecture Theatre and Seminar Rooms at the University of Otago, Dunedin. The venue is wheelchair accessible and contains unisex bathrooms. Click the highlighted text for further information about the lecture theatres.
Campus Map: Burns Lecture Theatre is No. 52 on this PDF of the Campus Map.
Accommodation: Conference participants can stay at the historic St Margaret's College, located within the heart of the University of Otago campus. You can find more information and make a booking here.
If you choose not to stay at St Margaret's College, you will find that Dunedin offers accommodation options to suit a variety of budgets, all available within short walking distance of the conference venue. Numerous places to stay can be found here. It will be expected that most conference delegates will be able to stay within walking distance to the venue.
Transport: Dunedin has an international airport with direct flights from major eastern Australian cities, and from Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. Note that there are no direct flights to Dunedin, domestic and international flights are routed via the latter cities
Getting from Dunedin Airport (DUD) into Dunedin City:Dunedin Airport is about a 25-30 minute drive from the City. There is no bus service or other public transport between the airport and Dunedin. Shuttles (shared taxi vans) and taxis are available from outside the airport for all flights. You can find out information on typical prices and some of the operators at the airport from the Dunedin Airport Transport webpage. If you would like to pre-book (and pre-pay) for a shuttle or taxi, check the link from the airport page here. Please note that we will not be organising transfers to and from the airport.
Local taxi companies include City Taxi/United Combined Taxis, Dunedin Taxis (also has a shuttle operation), and Southern Taxis.
Airport shuttle: SuperShuttle; Dunedin Taxis
We recommend booking your airport shuttle a DAY BEFORE your transfer is required. The cost of a one way trip from the centre of town to the airport is approximately:
SuperShuttle: $30.00, transfers can take up to 60-90 minutes
Taxi: in excess of $80.00, transfers will take 30 minutes
Things to do in Dunedin
Dunedin has a relatively cheap bus system that runs throughout the city and the outer suburbs. Bus times are limited though and many routes cease after 6pm. Luckily, most places are within walking distance in the city and Dunedin has reliable and affordable taxi service.
Food and Drinks
Octagon
Intersection of George and Stuart Street
The Octagon is a 20min walk from the University and is the Centre of the city. Surrounding the Octagon are many fine food and drinking establishments, Dunedin Public Art Gallery, Reading Cinema and the Public Library. Nearly all of the main galleries, clothing stores and eateries are located on George Street. Most buses departing on Albany Street (outside the OUSA Clubs and Societies building) stop at the Octagon.
Food Department
20 Malcolm St
Great little café, a short walk from the University, has a nice selection of vegetarian cuisine.
Ombrellos
10 Clarendon St
Bar and restaurant located close to the University. Also has a nice range of vegetarian and local cuisine plus ciders and wine!
Bacchus
1st Floor, 12 The Octagon
Located near the Octagon, an expensive restaurant but totally worth it, food and service divine.
Scotia Bar & Bistro
199 Upper Stuart Street
Moderately expensive but delicious Scottish cuisine. Upstairs is the Doon Bar which has snacks and nice whiskeys.
Described as a 'lounge bar', this little place is down an alleyway off Moray Place (opposite the Rialto Cinema) and has a good selection of cocktails and drinks. Very chill vibe and friendly staff.
Carousel
141 Lower Stuart St
Located near the Octagon, this is another great little bar in Dunedin. More crowded than Pequeno but the outside area is great and they do a superb Tom Collins.
Arts and Culture
Toitu Otago Settlers Museum
31 Queens Gardens
Located on the Harbour near Queens Gardens, this is a lovely Museum with a nice café and gift shop. It is approximately 20mins walk from the University and is close to the Octagon.
Dunedin Public Art Gallery
30 The Octagon
Located next to the Octagon, the Gallery has a range of contemporary exhibits, a fab gift shop and one of the few all-day and weekend cafes, Nova.
Otago Museum
419 Great King Street
Located just opposite the University on Great King Street, the Museum features contemporary and historical exhibits and has a nice café.
Adventure!
Albatros Colony
1260 Harington Point Road
Located on Otago Peninsula at Taiaroa Head, the The Royal Albatross Centre runs tours of the Albatros colony. The site is also home to penguins and seals so if you can mission out there it's well worth your while. If you hire a care, it's a 45min drive from the centre of Dunedin. Alternatively, you can book a half-day tour through Monarch Wildlife Cruises and Tours for $89.
Also on the Peninsula, it's New Zealand's only castle and is apparently haunted (I've been there twice and can't vouch for the latter). It has a great view of the city and the surrounding gardens are lovely. There's also a good restaurant/ café located on site too. The Castle is around 30mins drive from the centre of Dunedin and a cab fare costs approximately $40.
There are many fine beaches around Dunedin but the easiest one to get to is St Claire Beach, located about 30mins from the centre of Dunedin. There is a salt water pool on site and great restaurants lining the beach. It's also accessible by public bus (28 or 9 from the Octagon).
For more information on the above venues and sites and for other adventures, please visit the Dunedin Visitor's Centre.
Toitu Museum | Dunedin Public Art Gallery | Albatros Colony | Dunedin Railway Statio |