In 1848 Dunedin was settled, and by the mid-1860s the city was the economic hub of the Otago gold rush. Dunedin's historical wealth endures in such institutions as the University of Otago, the oldest in the country. But if any region can bring out the bird-watcher in you, this is it; the area is home to the Royal Albatross and yellow-eyed penguins.