Lunar New Year in Dunedin: Your Summer Road Trip Starts at the Airport
Mid-February in Otago is golden hour that refuses to quit. By 8pm the light is still gilding the Otago Peninsula, albatrosses are riding the thermals off Taiaroa Head, and the water at St Clair looks almost tropical in that deep southern blue. Travellers flying in for the 2027 Lunar New Year week (14 to 21 February) get the best of both worlds: festive dumplings in the city and empty coastal roads beyond it. Which is exactly why sorting your Dunedin Airport car rental early matters this particular week.
Across 30 listings, the median sits at $1,319.42, but the spread is where the story gets good. Ezi averages $1,173 with deals from $1,010.75, while Hertz tops out at a eye-watering $2,411.72 for its premium metal. Smart bookers head straight for the Compact SUV and Intermediate rows, where a Corolla Cross Hybrid at $1,038.75 quietly undercuts even the Suzuki Swift.
Five-seaters make up 25 of the 30 cars, and with 7 hybrids on the lot you can sip fuel all the way to the Catlins. February roads are dry and the Southern Scenic Route is in prime condition, so 2WD handles everything except genuine backcountry missions. Book a morning pickup if you can, because the shuttle queue at the terminal builds fast once the afternoon arrivals land.