famous road
Baldwin Street
Dunedin's famously vertiginous suburban street, long certified by Guinness as the world's steepest at a 35% gradient: a quirky bucket-list detour for any South Island road trip.
4 km · about 5 min drive
OceaniaNew ZealandOtago
Maori Hill
Otago, New Zealand · Oceania
About Maori Hill
Maori Hill works well as a base: 4km from Baldwin Street.
Maori Hill is in Otago, New Zealand, with about 2,600 people. You drive on the left here.
Maori Hill is a residential suburb of the New Zealand city of Dunedin. It is located at the northern end of the ridge which runs in a crescent around the central city's western edge, 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) to the northwest of the city centre, immediately above and within the Town Belt. It is connected to Dunedin North,Read more
which lies to the east, via Drivers Road, the suburbs of Roslyn and Kaikorai to the southwest via Highgate, and the suburb of Wakari to the northwest via Balmacewen Road.
In the northeast of the suburb lies the recreational ground of Prospect Park, and this part of Maori Hill is also often known by this name. From Prospect Park, views across the lower Leith Valley can be obtained, as the park sits close to the edge of cliffs which rise above the broad canyon at Woodhaugh. A steep walking track, the Bullock Track, links the two suburbs.
Maori Hill is regarded as one of the city's wealthier and more exclusive suburbs, and contains many fine houses, especially in the maze of winding streets which run through the bush-clad slopes of the Town Belt. These houses include the historic manor Olveston, which has been owned by the city and open to the public since the 1960s. Unlike neighbouring hill suburbs like Roslyn, Maori Hill was not served by a cable car, possibly underlying its greater degree of exclusivity.
Notable features of Maori Hill include the Balmacewen Golf Course, home of the Otago Golf Club, in the suburb's northwest. This is one of New Zealand's oldest and finest courses. A state integrated Presbyterian boys' secondary school, John McGlashan College, is located close to the golf course. To the southeast of the course lies a recreation ground, Bishopscourt, and nearby is Balmacewen Intermediate School. As with Prospect Park, this area is often referred to as a separate suburb, Balmacewen, named after the residence of early settler John McGlashan, whose wife's maiden name was McEwen. To the northwest of the golf course is an area of scenic reserve which surrounds the Ross Creek Reservoir in Glenleith. Several popular walking tracks lead down to the reservoir from Cannington Road, which marks the northern edge of Maori Hill.
Other schools in Maori Hill include Maori Hill School, a state primary school. On the Roslyn/Kaikorai/Maori Hill border is Columba College, a state integrated Presbyterian girls secondary school, with a coeducational Junior (primary) school.
Maori Hill contains the city's largest private hospitals. Formerly known as the Mater Misericordiae, it is now the Mercy Hospital, and contains as part of its complex the Marinoto Clinic. This is located on Newington Avenue, one of several streets which wind down into the Town Belt from Highgate. The hospital is built around Marinoto, the former home of the Sargood family and now one of the hospital's major buildings.
Where to Stay in Maori Hill
Compare prices across Booking.com, Airbnb, Expedia, and more. Select your dates to see availability.
Filter presets
Pick your must-haves once: provider links open pre-filtered. Each filter lists which sites it applies to.
Compare before you book!
Prices can vary significantly between platforms. We recommend checking at least 2-3 sites to find the best deal for your stay in Maori Hill.
Explore the Area
Discover famous landmarks, scenic roads, and more near Maori Hill.
Loading map...
Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Maori Hill?
Within an hour or so of Maori Hill: Baldwin Street (4 km), Tunnel Beach (7 km), Larnach Castle (11 km), Sandfly Bay (13 km).
Are there any good drives near Maori Hill?
The nearest famous roads are Baldwin Street.
Where is Maori Hill?
Maori Hill is in Otago, New Zealand.
Road trip
Drive to Maori Hill
Add it as a stop and the planner works out the driving, the nights and what's worth seeing on the way.
Start planningWhat's nearby?
Swipe through places to go
Places within a drive of Maori Hill. Keep the ones you like and add them to your trip.
Explore now
Quick Information
- Population
- 2,620
- Continent
- Oceania
- Country
- New Zealand
- Region
- Otago
- Timezone
- Pacific/Auckland
- Coordinates
- -45.8584, 170.4901
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in New Zealand
Many rural bridges are single-lane. Give way as signed.
Full driving guide for New ZealandTags
Worth the detour from Maori Hill
4 notable places within an hour's drive.
photogenic
Tunnel Beach
A hand-cut sandstone tunnel commissioned in the 1870s descends through the cliff to a hidden cove with a sea arch and stacks, south of Dunedin. A steep 20-minute walk down.
7 km · about 15 min drive
castle
Larnach Castle
1871 Gothic Revival mansion on the Otago Peninsula, New Zealand's only castle, with gardens and views over Otago Harbour.
11 km · about 20 min drive
beach
Sandfly Bay
A steep dune descent on the Otago Peninsula leads to a beach where New Zealand sea lions haul out and yellow-eyed penguins come ashore at dusk, watched from a DOC hide.
13 km · about 25 min drive
Driving roads near Maori Hill
- Right hereBaldwin StreetDunedin's famously vertiginous suburban street, long certified by Guinness as the world's steepest at a 35% gradient: a quirky bucket-list detour for any South Island road trip.
Nearby Destinations
Other places to explore near Maori Hill.
Your trip starts here
Plan a road trip from Maori Hill.
Pick the days, drop in the stops, and share it with whoever's coming.