If you're into to wildlife spotting or driving on hair-raising roads - or preferably combining the two - then the Otago Peninsular is a place to go. Just a few (curly and gritty) miles from Deb and Alistair's house we saw spoonbills, kingfishers, white-faced herons and, on lovely Allan's Beach, came face to face with a bunch of snoozing sea lions.
Deb and Alistair are great hosts - thoughtful and fun to be with. (To be honest, we were all a little threadbare in the morning after after our first evening together.) The house is right on the edge of Portobello Bay, at the western end of the peninsular but only 10 minutes drive from the middle of Dunedin. (There are buses, too.)
It's spacious and very comfortable and has a big and beautiful garden, which our room overlooked. We had a hugely enjoyable couple of days there. Highly recommended!