We walked over from our hotel near the Octogon area of Dunedin. Started from Dundas Street which out us on a steep hill to,start, but worked out way around and down thru the rose gardens , etc. Just spectacular!

Nice gardens well laid out. Some of it labelled well but lots of it not which was very frustrating as an avid plantsman. Paths are good but you need to be fit in order to see it all as it is basically sited on the side of a hill. Lovely aviary as well The most amazing thing is that it is absolutely free to enter. An equivalent botanic garden in the uk would be around d £20 a head to enter! Beautifully maintained

We spend much of the morning at the beautiful Dunedin Botanical Gardens which were within walking distance of the city centre. While not the largest gardens we have visited, they are by no means small or insignificant. Well laid out (with a free map available at the entrance) and very well maintained, with expansive native & imported species growing. Of particular note were the large number of very large, aged trees set all around the gardens, including an Arboretum. The gardens are dissected by a small creek with the eastern side is very steep. We opted to take a 40minute guided tour in a small electric ‘bus’ with the knowledgeable and friendly Roger as our guide. It was $10 per adult and given the steepness of parts of the gardens, a great option.

The gardens are beautiful, and display flora from all over the world, as well as New Zealand. But for us, the highlight was the many aviaries and the astonishing array of birds they displayed, including many brightly-coloured parrots. We spent 2 hours here, and could easily have stayed longer.

We walked to the Botanical Garden from the town centre. This took about 30 minutes each way and is on the flat. The garden itself is on a hillside. There are different areas for different plant areas eg New Zealand, Mediterranean and so forth. There is a cafe and a greenhouse. There are some outside aviaries. Dundedin itself was founded by the Scots. I'm Scottish and we had a good laugh at the tartan shops and statue of Rabbie Burns in the town centre. Also went into a beautifully restored old department store. Passed by Otago University and the Hospital and various Victorian churches of various denominations.