New Zealand in Depth
13 nights
SH Minerva
8 Mar '27Cruise overview
Itinerary
Dunedin
Clinging to the walls of the natural amphitheater at the west end of Otago Harbour, the South Island’s second-largest city is enriched with inspiring nearby seascapes and wildlife. Because Dunedin is a university town, floods of students give the city a vitality far greater than its population of 122,000 might suggest. Its manageable size makes it easy to explore on foot—with the possible exception of Baldwin Street, the world’s steepest residential street and home to the annual “gutbuster” race, in which people run up it, and the “Jaffa” race, in which people roll the namesake spherical chocolate candy down it.Dunedin, the Gaelic name for Edinburgh, was founded in 1848 by settlers of the Free Church of Scotland, a breakaway group from the Presbyterian Church. The city’s Scottish roots are still visible; you’ll find New Zealand’s first and only (legal) whisky distillery, a statue of Scottish poet Robert Burns, and more kilts, sporrans, and gillies than you can shake a stick at! The Scottish settlers and local Māori came together in relative peace, but this wasn’t true of the European whalers who were here three decades before, as places with names such as Murdering Beach illustrate.Dunedin has always had a reputation for the eccentric. Wearing no shoes and a big beard here marks a man as bohemian rather than destitute, and the residents wouldn’t have it any other way. The University of Otago was the country’s first university and has been drawing writers ever since its founding in 1871, most notably Janet Frame and the poet James K. Baxter. Dunedin also has a musical heritage, which blossomed into the “Dunedin Sound” of the 1970s and ’80s.
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Dunedin
Dusky Sound
Milford Sound
Oban
Akaroa
Kaikoura
Picton
Abel Tasman National Park
Wellington
At sea
Tauranga
Bay of Islands
Auckland
Oceanview
Comfortable and light-filled, these rooms offer panoramic views and thoughtful design.
Amenities
- Double or twin configuration
- Lounge area
- Shower room
- Safe
- Climate control
- Minibar
Ship features
SH Minerva blends elegance and expeditionary strength, offering comfort, enrichment, and adventure across the world’s remote frontiers.
- All-balcony or ocean-view staterooms for 152 guests
- Hybrid propulsion and low-emission design
- Three restaurants serving international cuisine
- Expedition lab and citizen-science programme
- Outdoor heated pool and hot tub
- Observation Lounge with 270-degree views
- Spa, sauna, and fitness centre
- Fleet of Zodiacs and kayaks for exploration
- Onboard lectures by scientists and historians
- Itineraries spanning Antarctica, the Arctic & South America
