'Pretty tough': Dunedin street stacks up with restored world's steepest status

Dunedin's Baldwin Street is busy with sightseers during the summer break with its status as the world's steepest street restored.

At 4pm yesterday more people were on the North East Valley street than on the footpath and dozens of cars were parked below.

German tourists Jordan Christiansen and Kim Weyenberg hid their exhaustion as they walked right to the top.

The street reclaimed its title as world's steepest in April 2019. Photo / Otago Daily Times

"We had heard of Baldwin St before we had come to Dunedin. It's pretty amazing, but exhausting to walk up," Christiansen said.

Last year, Guinness World Records reversed its decision to strip Baldwin St of its claim to fame.

The street was dethroned as the world's steepest by Ffordd Pen Llech in Harlech, Wales, in July 2019.

But in April last year, Guinness backtracked, accepting its measuring method was wrong.

From the Czech Republic via Tauranga, Vit Novak and Lucie Novakova admired the view from halfway up Baldwin St.

"I can't help but think about the people who live here, in a normal street with so many tourists," Novak said.

We travel to Wales with Kiwi surveyor Toby Stoff as he tries to reinstate Dunedin's record for world's steepest street. After the Guinness World Records stripped Baldwin Street of the title earlier this year, he has travelled 19000km to overturn the result.

Closer to home, Cantabrian Sayali Godsay was giving her Auckland friends a South Island tour.

She said Baldwin St was a challenge that had to be tackled by visitors to Dunedin.

"It was fun driving up the hill."

Godsay said she had been to Baldwin St once before four years ago at night-time to avoid the swarm of tourists.

Grace Hsu climbed down from the top of the hill for the first time since she was a student in the city.

"It's pretty tough. If you've seen it, you would know it's the steepest."