Otago Peninsula In-Depth Tour and Blue Penguins Pukekura Experience

The Otago Peninsula is a wild bustling haven for wildlife, we regularly see albatross, penguins, seals and a variety of wading and land birds as we explore the peninsula.

If you are a visitor that truly wants to see and understand the unique ecosystems, wildlife, culture, geology and botany of the Otago Peninsula then this tour is the one for you!

Join us on this tour designed by our Operations Manager, Lyndon Perriman, former wildlife ranger for the Otago Peninsula for over 30 years! Designed for those that are nature enthusiasts, for those that want to see and learn as much as possible about the environment, the species we see and the places we visit. Gain unique insights into the cultural connection of the people of this land as we travel to remote areas of the Otago Peninsula weaving many stories and visiting significant sites to Māori along our near 100km return journey.

Tour Itinerary

After departing from our last pick-up point in Dunedin, we pass by some of the city's most famous landmarks before being whisked out to explore the vast Otago Peninsula. We take the scenic high road on the Otago Peninsula to give guests an overview of the city, the peninsula and the geological past that has shaped this peninsula. 

In spring/summer Pukekura (the headland on the very end of the Otago Peninsula) is home to over 10000 seabirds including a nesting location for royal albatross.

While we arrive too late in the day for us to visit the nesting site of the albatross, our arrival in the late evening is still often an excellent time to see albatross flying overhead.

Apart from our winter months (June-September), we almost always see albatross flying overhead at this site.

Our guides will led you to cliff face viewing locations to increase your chances of seeing albatross flying overhead.

A visit to the cliff viewing area is often rewarding for sightings of a huge variety of other seabirds seen nearby such as different species of shags, gulls and other coastal nesting species.

Below, a breeding location exists for New Zealand fur seals, these animals can be seen most of the year on the exposed bedrock or are often seen frolicking in the waters nearby. 

From here it's into the nearby Royal Albatross Centre to begin our Blue Penguins Pukekura Experience. 

BLUE PENGUINS PUKEKURA EXPERIENCE TOUR INFORMATION

In the albatross centre, hear local stories and understand how the plentiful resources, the shape and position of this headland led to the area's use by different iwi (tribes) over many centuries.

The beach we visit to view the penguins has a population of over 300 breeding pairs of kororā/little penguins. It is now the largest penguin colony on the Otago Peninsula.

At sunset, we wait for the first birds to return from sea. Penguin arrival time does vary from night to night, and we highly recommend our guests come prepared by wearing extra layers of clothing. It often gets cold when the sun goes down.

We can't stress this enough, for your enjoyment, wearing extra layers of clothes will go a long way to making this one of your most memorable experiences. 

Viewing of the Little Blue Penguins is guaranteed, and this is an attraction and an experience not to be missed when visiting Dunedin, NZ's wildlife capital.

Important Notes:  

A low level of fitness is required for this tour, but we do walk on some uneven ground (gravel path with no handrails) and then onto a boardwalk down to the penguin viewing platform. There are around 60 in-built steps to climb up and down. People must be able to walk unaided to participate.

• No meals are provided on this tour. We suggest visitors eat before the start of the tour or bring a few snacks. The tour length is approximately 5 hours.

• Because of the tour length, content and winding road, this tour is not particularly suitable for children. We will cancel bookings with persons younger than 18.

• While our vans are limited to 12 persons we do join others on the Blue Penguins Pukekura Experience part of our tour. 

• The tour includes viewing of a range of wildlife species, some species are more regularly seen that others and abundance does vary with seasons:

99% of tours see Blue Penguins (and extremely close to us, regularly less than 1-2 metres away) as well as a huge range of different wading and coastal seabird species (5-50m distance from us).

Our pick-up locations are restricted. If you are not staying at one of the following hotels then use our main central pick-up point (outside the Dunedin I-SITE in the Octagon) from the drop down list as your pick-up location.

We pick-up from the following hotels in Dunedin: Fable Hotel, Distinction Hotel and Scenic Hotel Southern Cross.

While Fable Hotel, Distinction Hotel, Scenic Hotel Southern Cross, outside the I-Site in the Octagon are our only pick-up locations please note we do drop off at ALL central Dunedin Hotels/Motels at the completion of this tour.