This thread just came up on the Dunedin reddit with some good ideas - https://www.reddit.com/r/dunedin/comments/1cgnk0t/must_dos_in_dunedin/

Drink heavily.

Otago museum is good, especially for the young. See the castle, but it's mostly a trip for the elderly and maybe the young. Walk around the octogen, doesn't take long. 

Railway station

Chinese Garden.

Butterfly house at museum.

Rob Roys if you like ice cream

Ross creek reservoir / woodhaugh gardens and also dunedin botanic gardens are well worth a walk as handy enough from the CBD.

Of course, the best beach near Dunedin would have to be Waikouaiti if you have a car. Not biased at all on that ;-)

nztim:

 

I am heading to a conference in Dunedin but have a bit of downtime, it is one city I have never been to in all my years on this earth. 

 

Anyone have any recomendations?

 

Leave as soon as you can

Handsomedan:

 

nztim:

 

Anyone have any recomendations?

 

 

Leave as soon as you can

 

We are planning a trip to the SI for later in the year and I was wondering about Dunedin, having never been there. I'm genuinely surprised at how little there appears to be to do there.

A drive around the South Side of the peninsula is well worth it.  The Albatross colony and disappearing gun are cool on the right day (sorry about your wallet though).  Portobello Bar and Bistro was nice a couple of years ago.  Allan's beach is worth a stop and walk.  On the North side, the drive from Port Chalmers up and over to Purakaunui Inlet can be nice.  There is a nice Lagoon walk by Waititi If you want to go further afield, the Catlins Coast is really beautiful.

The walk to the organ pipes or up to the top of flagstaff hill offer great views.

The main museum used to be very good for natural history in the 1990s.  I believe it has a butterfly house now.  The settlers museum is interesting too.

A walk around campus, especially some of the old buildings is worthwhile.

For indoors fun Dunedin has some decent pubs (although a wretched Vice Chancellor got a few of the greats shut down).  

Khymer Satay does fabulous satay, or chicken rice if that's your thing.

eracode:

 

We are planning a trip to the SI for later in the year and I was wondering about Dunedin, having never been there. I'm genuinely surprised at how little there appears to be to do there.

 

Where do you get that idea from? It's hard to give ideas if you don't know what people are into. Plenty of cruise ships keep coming here over the summer, so there must be something to keep the punters busy. 

Dunedin has some glow worms which are a short walk and 5 min drive from town.

If the weather is nice hire a bike an ride out to Port Chambers for a coffee - Careys Bay Hotel nearby is nice to. You can even book a ferry and ride back to the other side if the harbor.
(Cycle way all the way both sides).

Tunnel Beach is worth a look.

Go see the Pyramids on the Pensula.
Hoopers inlet probably has sea lions still - free walk on the beach (drive to get to)

NetGen Boardgame group meets Wednesday nights (Google and contact Mark and you can probably even arrange a lift to & from)

Balwin street (steepest it the world)

There's the Albatross Centre,  but again you need transport 

nzkc:

 

Oh come on... at least justify that pointless comment!

My parents have lived there for a number of years (in fact I am heading there next week). They moved there from Central Otago, where it's far nicer, but there's no real infrastucture for the elderly (i.e. hospitals and clinics that cater to the elderly). 

I find Dunedin small, colloquial, cold, windy, depressing and uninteresting. I have been for personal visits and have also been there for work purposes a few times, but can categorically state that I have not been there as a student. I would imagine anyone that's been there as a student and has fond memories of that time would view the city differently. 

I did enjoy a visit to the Cadbury Factory (now gone) and the Speights Factory Tour, the albatross colony is worth a look and the train station has some nice architecture. I found Larnach Castle very underwhelming and overpriced. 

Visits to the beaches leave me cold (literally and figuratively, as the water is too cold to swim in) and scenically speaking, the beaches are no better than those I can see every day here in Auckland or in Northland and Coromandel/Bay of Plenty, where the climate is better. 

I'd give Dunners a 3/10 based on my multiple visits at every time of year (all 4 seasons). 
I probably only dislike Invercargill more, as a NZ destination. 

Is that more roundly justified?