Wild Dunedin: NZ Festival of Nature 22 - 28 April 2019

We’re hoping for fabulous autumn weather from 22 to 28 April, but especially on Saturday 27th and Sunday 28th, when five great walks are happening in the city for the Wild Dunedin Festival. Many other outdoor activities will be held on Otago Peninsula, in the Town Belt, at Sinclair Wetlands, Orokonui, Tomahawk Lagoon, Karitane and in Otago Harbour and on the ocean over the Otago Canyons.

 

Indoors, there’s plenty happening at Otago Museum, the City and Port Chalmers Libraries, Glenfalloch Garden Restaurant, the Valley Project Community Rooms, The Kensington, Ombrellos Kitchen and Bar, Coronation Hall at

Portobello, Dunedin Public Art Gallery, Dunedin Railway Station, and the Festival’s Nature HQ at the Community Gallery in Princes Street.

 

You can:

WALK the Leith from the Clyde Street Bridge to Woodhaugh, Walk for Wildlife at Orokonui, Traverse the Town Belt, Walk Huriawa Peninsula, Ramble at Penguin Place or take a Wild Street Art Walking Tour.

 

GET OUT ON THE WATER on an Open Ocean Tour on the Vivienne J, take the Port to Port boat the Sootychaser from Port Chalmers to Harwood or the Marine Studies Centre, paddle and plant at the Sinclair Wetlands, or take a Storytime Cruise on the Monarch in the harbour.

 

EAT a five-course wild food dinner at Glenfalloch Garden Restaurant.

 

APPRECIATE ART at the Art and Nature Floor Talk at Dunedin Public Art Gallery or the Wild Nature Exhibition at the Otago Art Society.

 

TAKE A PHOTOGRAPH on Earth Day (Monday 22 April) and win family passes to the Royal Albatross Centre and Pukekura Penguins.

 

LISTEN TO EXPERTS when graduate students explain their wild research at ‘A Wild Thirst for Knowledge’ at Ombrellos, and Sir Alan Mark and Dr Mike Joy discuss the state of our freshwater systems — taking you on a journey

from the mountains to the sea at the Otago Museum.

 

VOTE for the best ‘wild thing’ when seven speakers have seven minutes each to convince you at ‘7x7 Wild Talks — Small Things, Big Stories”, with Stacey Morrison at the Otago Museum. You’ll see the Wild Hero Award presentation and the results of the Wild Writing Competition on the night too.

 

LOVE wild things you might never have heard of or seen before, like moths, insects, Peripatus, Leopard Seals, Sea

Lions, Yellow-eyed Penguins, Kākā, Jewelled Gecko, Fernbirds, Kōura, Eelgrass and the creatures that live in

the Leith.

 

CREATE a Peripatus out of cabbage tree leaves and wool, or a shadow puppet for a creeky puppet show, penguin

kites to fly at Larnach Castle, or spend some time creating wild crafts at the Makerspace at the Otago Museum.

 

TAKE A FREE WILD BUS TRIP looking for Sea Lions on Otago Peninsula, to Orokonui Ecosanctuary’s first free open day, or to Sinclair Wetlands – a fantastic opportunity for people without transport.

 

SHOW OFF YOUR WILDLIFE KNOWLEDGE at the NZ Sea Lion Trust Pub Quiz at the Kensington and boost their funds for the valuable work the Trust does at the same time.

 

READ NEW BOOKS at the Library when the authors of three wonderful wild books give talks. Rob Tipa on Treasures of Tane – highlighting the many uses Ngāi Tahu have for plants; Neville Peat on The Invading Sea — about the impact of climate change on our coast, and native fish and pond bug enthusiast Stella McQueen on her NZ Guide to Freshwater Fish.

 

WATCH the Otago Wildlife Photography exhibition’s fabulous images and video at the Otago Museum, plus you can watch wild children’s movies there as well. At Nature HQ you can see an eelsome puppet show.

 

SAVE money on five wild Dunedin attractions. Larnach Castle, Royal Albatross Centre, Penguin Place, Blue Penguins Pukekura and Monarch Cruises will be offering discounts.