Otago is one of New Zealand's original provinces, stretching from the southeastern coast deep into the Southern Alps. Its largest city is Dunedin, founded by Scottish settlers in 1848 and named after Edinburgh — Scottish place names are everywhere in the region.
Gold was discovered in Central Otago in the 1860s, triggering a rush that shaped the landscape. When the gold ran out, the miners left behind a dry, dramatic countryside of schist rock, tawny tussock, and deep gorges. For nearly a century it was quietly forgotten. Today, centred on Queenstown, tourism is the new gold — though the old mining heritage, the vineyards of the Bannockburn and Cromwell Basin, and the Otago Central Rail Trail offer a quieter, more rewarding way to experience the region.
