Otago Harbour by Bike - Self-guided Audio Cycle Tour

Otago Harbour by Bike: A Storyteller's Tour

Discover Otago Harbour’s history, Māori heritage, and engineering feats on this 2–3 hour self-guided cycling tour.

Overall rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5 (1 rating)

Format: Self-guided audio cycling tour

Duration: 2–3 hours (depending on pace and ferry)

Distance: ~20 km / 12 miles (round trip via Port to Port ferry)

Start point: Ravensbourne, Dunedin

Best for: Cyclists, history enthusiasts, heritage lovers, independent travellers

Themes: Local legends, scenic routes, transportation heritage, sport, maritime heritage

Listen on VoiceMap
Download Otago Harbour by Bike: A Storyteller's Tour and start your ride whenever you’re ready.

Glenfalloch Gardens, Restaurant and Cafe – a scenic stop with gardens, food, and harbour views

Introduction

Experience the best of Dunedin by bike on this self-guided audio tour of Otago Harbour. Following the scenic Te Aka Ōtākou and Te Ara Moana cycle paths, this route takes you around the entire harbour, uncovering stories of Māori history, gold rush ambition, and remarkable feats of engineering—all while riding at your own pace.

To extend your Dunedin exploration, pair this ride with:

• Port Chalmers Walking Tour – explore the historic seaport, boutique streets, and heritage buildings, which you’ll pass through along your cycling route.

• Dunedin City Walking Tour – take a shorter urban walk through Dunedin’s heritage streets, architecture, and hidden gems either before or after your harbour ride.

These tours complement the harbour cycle, giving you the chance to experience both scenic landscapes and Dunedin’s historic city heart in one day.

About the Otago Harbour by Bike Tour

Explore the scenic shoreline of Otago Harbour on two wheels with this GPS-guided audio tour. Following purpose-built cycle paths, you’ll discover how this dramatic volcanic landscape was shaped by Māori settlement, Scottish pioneers, gold rush ambition, and incredible engineering feats.

The harbour has two distinct personalities: the industrial western shore and the residential leisure peninsula. Hear tales of the industries that built Dunedin, the pioneers and scoundrels who settled here, and hidden histories buried just beneath the surface. From bustling port activity to tranquil bays, this tour shows the full sweep of the harbour’s past and present.

The journey begins at Ravensbourne, follows the path to Port Chalmers, includes the Port to Port ferry across to Portobello, and returns along the peninsula. The VoiceMap app plays stories automatically as you ride, letting you focus on the scenery. The tour concludes near the city centre at the distinctive public sculpture known as “The Teeth.”

Highlights/What you’ll experience 

• Hear about the infamous “Ravensbourne Perfume” and salty sandwiches from the once-dominant fertiliser works

• Discover the legend of “Grannie” Gunn, the formidable “Witch of Ravensbourne”

• Learn why Port Chalmers was the historic departure point for Captain Robert Falcon Scott’s Antarctic expedition

• Hear the tragic story of William Larnach and his family home, later Larnach Castle

• Find out how a Māori chief’s name was mispronounced to become “Pineapple Rock”

• Uncover the hidden history of the Parihaka prisoners and hand-built stone seawalls that underpin modern roads

• Picture the lively Vauxhall Gardens, a 19th-century amusement park with zoo and dance hall

• Learn about tohu whenua (cultural markers) highlighting Kāi Tahu history along the route
  
  

This self-guided audio cycling tour reveals Otago Harbour’s industrial and residential history, Māori heritage, engineering feats, and local legends over a 2–3 hour route.

To extend your Dunedin exploration, consider combining this ride with other nearby tours:

• Port Chalmers Walking Tour – explore the historic seaport, boutique streets, and heritage buildings, which you’ll pass through along your cycling route.

• Dunedin City Walking Tour – take a shorter urban walk through Dunedin’s heritage streets, architecture, and hidden gems either before or after your harbour ride.

These tours complement the harbour cycle, giving you the chance to experience both scenic landscapes and Dunedin’s historic city heart in one day.

Reviews  Overall Score = 4/5 (1 ratings)