We really enjoyed the ride with the old and gorgious carriages through the marvelous countryside of Otago. Thanks to the staff for an unforgettable afternoon.

Would have been helpful if conductor had put the step out for us!

I really like taking a train so Taieri Gorge Railway was so amazing activity for me. You can feel nice breeze during train trip. I bought fish and chips before jumping on train and enjoyed lunch in the train. You can also get something to eat and drink in the train but you can use EFTPOS only one time. I recommend you to prepare any cash.

What a great afternoon exploring the gorge by train. Comfortable seating with just the right amount of commentary. The scenery is beautiful and changing all the time. We travelled with a three yr old who slept on the way up.

We thoroughly enjoyed our trip up and down the Taieri Gorge from Dunedin. What a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon. Everything ran to time and all the staff were so polite and informative. There is an excellent commentary and as the carriage was not full we were able to swap sides to get the best views when we needed to. We enjoyed standing at the viewing areas at the end of each carriage for soe of the journey. There was a buffet car on board and prices were reasonable. There is time to stretch your legs at scheduled stops along the way. Everything was very clean, including the loos!

Wonderful half day seeing some amazing sights. The train itself was beautiful and let you feel like you were back in time. Fantastic renovation of the carriages.

We had a lovely calm sailing @14.30 ,the wind was low so we weren't expecting to see albatross but we did. The staff on the Monarch are so helpful and knowledgeable. They have binoculars for you to use. We saw a giant petrel, the albatross chicks, albatross adults- 2 types, fur seals, a sealion, a pod of dusky dolphins and a surprise visit by a humpback whale! I had a great time. Such a wonderful experience and the views from the boat were stunning. Thank you.

An excellent guided tour led by a knowledgeable and enthusiastic guide. The house and gardens are magnificent and would only be improved by the addition of a small cafe in the basement or gardens.

So we’ll kept and stunning home! A must see.

As Dunedin locals we were shocked that we hadn’t visited Olveston earlier! The tour was very informative even though the house speaks for itself. It was a joy to behold this landmark Dunedin beauty!! Will be coming back again for sure.

I was lucky enough to get a one-on-one tour of this grand, historic house as it was low tourist season. The tour guide was wonderful with a vast knowledge of the history and the details and was able to answer all my questions. I have been to old historic houses in the UK, Europe and Australia but for some reason this resonated with me the most. Maybe it was the sheer beauty of the decor and furnishings and the fact that there were artifacts from all over the world. Thank you for keeping this place open to the public. This is definitely a must-visit site if visiting Dunedin!

This was my third visit. I learn something new each time,

On the third day in Dunedin, I visited Olveston Historic Home which is close to the city centre. I arrived 30 minutes early before the tour began. The gardens are beautiful with plenty of flowers, and is open to the public. It is not allowed to film inside house but is ok to take photos. Olveston Historic Home is a massive house which is beautifully and respectfully maintained and managed. I was impressed to see many antiques collections and amazing paintings. The tour guide was friendly and knowledgeable, and made this tour enjoyable. It was also fascinating to know the history of the home, and stories of the Theomin Family, Recommend you include it on your visit to Dunedin.

Beautiful historic home. The guided tour guide was informative and happy to answer questions. The home is a time capsule of the era. Plenty of time to inspect and admire all the pieces in the home. You walk up a staircase to view the next level. The gardens and the old car was a highlight as well. Plenty of parking when we were there.

Very informative tour. Well maintained mansion. Over a hundred years ago this house had conveniences well ahead of its time. Owners made excellent use of their resouces to experience a quality lifestyle then donated everything to the city of Dunedin. Regretted that we left our rental car at hotel as it was an uphill walk.

Our tour guide and reception ladies were so nice they helped us leant a lot with the history of Olveston Historic Home. Thanks team :)

Incredible I loved all of it

Fantastic historical ornament. Great the lady of the house gifted it to Dunedin.

Our tour was amazing. House is truly a gem. In the middle of Dunedin and our tour was informative and gave us a real look at the family and life back then. My 11 year old found this really interesting. Great job those of you who keep this history for us to enjoy.

It's stunning place and well guided. Im not from English speaking country but the tour guide speak very clearly to be easy to understand.

The tour is informative and our guide is very friendly. Highly recommended.

Very good, Rob arrived bang on time and got my bike and me across water. It’s in the name of. “Water Taxi”

We used the Dunedin cycle ferry across Otago Harbour and couldn’t have asked for a better experience. Rachel was incredibly friendly, calm, and professional from start to finish, making the whole crossing easy and enjoyable. It was clear straight away that she really knows these waters — and it felt like every local we passed knew her too, which says a lot. The trip was smooth, well organised, and full of interesting local insight. Rachel’s experience and relaxed approach made us feel completely looked after. If you’re cycling around Otago Harbour, this ferry is an absolute must. Thank you for a great crossing!

We had an amazing experience with Port to Port Cruises & Wildlife Tours using their cycle ferry across the harbour. Rachel was absolutely fantastic — friendly, knowledgeable, and effortlessly loading and managing a huge number of bikes onto her very cool boat, which can carry lots of bikes at once. Super impressive! The boat itself is perfect for cyclists, making it the best bike ferry options for anyone doing a harbour ride or cycling loop. Rachel’s commentary during the trip was excellent, sharing local knowledge and pointing out wildlife and scenery along the way, which really added to the experience. It’s easy to see why Port to Port Cruises get such great reviews — professional service, smooth operation, and a genuinely enjoyable trip from start to finish. If you’re looking for a reliable cycle ferry, bike-friendly water taxi, or wildlife cruise, this is hands down the best choice. Highly recommend!

Thoroughly enjoyed every moment of the cruise. Polite and informative staff. Saw penguins seals and a variety of sea birds. Seeing albatross feeding and flying brilliant. Recommend this cruise to all.

We all loved the experience of seeing the Albatross up close, while we were in the observatory 5 young Albatross got together and had a party. Not only did we see the Albatross soaring past our window but there were the NZ fur seals swimming around below and many other birds. Our guide was great telling us all about the location and the birds, a wealth of knowledge.

One of the best experience in South Island! The staff are professional and friendly! The penguins are so adorable and lovely! Will highly recommend to people who wanna experience something unique in New Zealand:)

As two people who don’t drink much beer we absolutely loved this tour and recommend it to anyone and everyone. The tour itself was very informative and interesting and the tour guide was amazing! The tasters at the end were great and we got a great explanation about what we were actually tasting.

Very relaxed and informative tour followed by great tasting beers. Lovely setting for drinks and food

So accommodating and very nice and helpful staff!! The kids had a great time and so worth the money 🙂

Girls had an amazing time, thoroughly enjoyed themselves. I'm actually considering joining them as members to take advantage of the Sunday members night deal. Definitely recommended

Lot of information from the skipper/guide, a really interesting tour. We've seen penguins, albatross, seals and a lot of other sea birds.

Within the first five minutes of leaving the dock we found seals hunting and eating octopus, seal pups on the rocks, bird colony on the cliff face. A few Albatross about and just as we were coming back in an hour later there were some blue penguins. A short trip but we’ll worth the money and the perfect amount of time if you were to take out younger members of the family.

We had a great time. Thanks a lot.

We have great memories of the days. See all types of bird sea lion blue penguin.. and most of experience a crow of bird following fisherman coming back from sea. During our last turn before finishing the trip we see a few of dolphin. The staff are so nice and make a turn just to give us a few moment enjoy watching the dolphin.