Before coming to NZ, we had no idea what Otago was, other than the name of the university where Tammy would be teaching. Otago is the region of NZ (other regions include Canterbury, Marlborough, the West Coast, among others) that includes Dunedin and continues into the the south central part of the island into Queenstown, Wanaka, Alexandra, Cromwell, and Hawea. While it is a huge fruit growing area, and is a haven for Dunedinites who love its clear dry weather, it is best known for being the adventure capital of NZ. Of course, recently its wines have become top notch as well, so there you have it: an unpopulated area abounding in fresh fruit and wineries, with spectacular views, skiiing and snowboarding in the winter, swimming and hiking and bungee jumping and paragliding . . . can you get an idea why it might be our favorite part of NZ?