Dunedin or Wellington?

Neither city is a beach destination, and there is little between them. Dunedin has one long open surf beach, St Clair and St Kilda. The swell and rips mean you swim between the flags, and the water never gets much warmer than 14°C.

Wellington's sand is more sheltered. Oriental Bay, right by the centre, has pontoons and a diving platform, and the Miramar Peninsula has calm coves such as Scorching Bay. The water is a few degrees warmer, but the wind can spoil a good morning.

Wellington is the better place to eat. It has a deeper coffee and roasting culture, and taprooms are spread around Cuba Street and Te Aro. Cuba Street's lanes, Courtenay Place and the waterfront offer casual, international and smarter dinners, with strong Asian and Pacific influences.

Dunedin's food is more limited. Its strengths are the Saturday farmers' market by the railway station, southern dishes such as blue cod and the cheese roll, and a long brewing tradition. Dinner around the Octagon is fine but there is not much choice.

Dunedin has more history to see. Gold-rush money left a Victorian and Edwardian city that is still largely standing, from the Flemish-style railway station and the bluestone university clocktower to Olveston and Larnach Castle. Otago Museum and Toitū cover Māori, Pacific and settler history.

Wellington is a young capital, and its sights centre on Te Papa, the national museum. Close by are Parliament and the Beehive, Old St Paul's and the huge timber Government Buildings. Te Papa is an outstanding museum, but the streets around it are mostly modern.

Wellington is the better city for a night out. Courtenay Place has late bars and a few clubs, Cuba Street's lanes have cocktail and wine bars, and everything is close enough to move between on foot. Friday and Saturday nights are properly busy.

In Dunedin, going out depends on the university calendar. In term, the Octagon and George Street are busy from Thursday to Saturday, but outside term the city goes quiet early. Neither city suits serious clubbing.

Both cities have wild country right on their doorstep and are equally strong for the outdoors. What differs is what you do there. Dunedin is about wildlife: albatross at Taiaroa Head, yellow-eyed penguins at dusk, sea lions on the peninsula beaches, and the sea-carved sandstone of Tunnel Beach.

Wellington suits more active days. There is mountain biking at Makara Peak and in the town belt, the climb up Mount Victoria, the coast walk to the Red Rocks seals, and Zealandia's forest birds a bus ride away. Both are windy and changeable, so bring layers.

Day trips from Dunedin are mostly about heritage, and from Wellington mostly about wine. From Dunedin, the best outing is Oamaru's white limestone Victorian harbourside, where little blue penguins come ashore at dusk, with the fishing village of Moeraki on the way. Inland are the gold-rush towns and, if you have a long day, the Central Otago vineyards.

From Wellington, the best choice is the Wairarapa over the Remutaka hills. You can cycle between Martinborough's pinot noir vineyards and walk the colonial main streets of Greytown and Featherston. Beyond these, neither city offers much. A car is easiest from either, though the train reaches Wellington's Kāpiti Coast.

Both are safe, relaxed cities with children, but Wellington has more to fill the days. Te Papa has hands-on galleries and an earthquake house. Add the waterfront playgrounds, the cable car up to the Space Place observatory and the zoo, and there are good plans for both wet and dry days.

Dunedin's best moments with children involve animals, such as watching albatross over Taiaroa Head or a penguin tour at dusk. The Otago Museum science centre and butterfly house help on a wet day. Summers are cooler, and the peninsula needs a car, so a family trip here takes more planning.

Wellington is much easier without a car. Most sights lie on its flat central strip, which you can walk from the railway station to Courtenay Place in under half an hour. The cable car, suburban trains, the Days Bay ferry and buses cover the rest.

Dunedin's centre is also compact, but its main attractions are not in it. The albatross, the penguins and Larnach Castle are reached by narrow, winding peninsula roads with little public transport, so most visitors hire a car or book a tour that includes transport.

Dunedin's shopping is mostly on George Street, which has national chains and a small local fashion scene known for dark, practical clothes. There are also second-hand bookshops and merino knitwear. That fills an hour or two, but you run out of shops quickly.

Wellington is better for an afternoon of browsing. Cuba Street and its lanes have vintage clothing, record shops and small design stores, and Lambton Quay covers the chains and New Zealand labels. Pounamu greenstone and Māori and Pacific crafts are good things to take home.

Neither city is cheap, but Dunedin costs a little less. Rooms are reasonably priced outside graduation and big sports weekends, and the students keep cafés and casual food affordable. The wildlife tours and a hire car soon add up, though.

Wellington's central hotels are expensive, especially when conferences fill the city, and beer and wine cost a lot. The savings come from free sights such as Te Papa and a centre small enough that you rarely need transport.

Wellington has far more to see on stage. The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and the Royal New Zealand Ballet are based there, theatre companies perform all year, and the Festival of the Arts brings international theatre, dance and music in late summer.

Dunedin is known for the Dunedin Sound, the jangly indie rock of the 1980s, which lives on in small venues. The Regent hosts touring shows and the Town Hall holds orchestral concerts. You can usually find a gig, but there is not enough on stage to plan a trip around.

Neither city has a spa culture, and both offer the same simple kind of rest. Each has a heated pool by the water: Dunedin's is a saltwater pool on the St Clair esplanade facing the surf, and Wellington's is at Oriental Bay on the harbour.

Dunedin is the quieter of the two, with light traffic and few crowds. In Wellington, unwinding means a harbour walk or a bush track in the town belt, and for thermal pools you have to travel several hours north.