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Otago Peninsula Tour: Explore Unique Ecosystems and the Blue Penguins Pukekura
4.9
76 Ratings
Dunedin
Embark on an Otago Peninsula tour and explore unique ecosystems, encounter diverse wildlife, and witness the enchanting Blue Penguins Pukekura. Join our renowned wildlife ranger for an unforgettable experience!
Embark on an Otago Peninsula tour and explore unique ecosystems, encounter diverse wildlife, and witness the enchanting Blue Penguins Pukekura. Join our renowned wildlife ranger for an unforgettable experience!
Duration:
5 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Dunedin - For those joining us from Dunedin we pass by some of the most famous buildings in the city before heading out onto the Otago Peninsula. This 30 minutes does include pick-up times. This part of the journey isn’t available for those joining our bus from the Larnach Castle pick-up because the Castle is situated out on the Otago Peninsula.
- Dunedin - For those joining us from Dunedin we pass by some of the most famous buildings in the city before heading out onto the Otago Peninsula. This 30 minutes does include pick-up times. This part of the journey isn’t available for those joining our bus from the Larnach Castle pick-up because the Castle is situated out on the Otago Peninsula.
What's Included
- In-vehicle air conditioning
- All fees and/or taxes
- In-vehicle air conditioning
- All fees and/or taxes
Additional Information
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 join this tour. A tour designed by the Otago Peninsula’s longest serving wildlife ranger. We see a variety of wildlife species along the way (Note: seasonal). At Pukekura we have a good chance to see seals…
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 join this tour. A tour designed by the Otago Peninsula’s longest serving wildlife ranger. We see a variety of wildlife species along the way (Note: seasonal). At Pukekura we have a good chance to see seals nearby & albatross flying overhead. Later we join our Blue Penguins Pukekura Experience tour, see the world’s smallest penguin emerging from the sea and walking past us just metres away. Note: Others join us for this experience (max 75)
PHOTOGRAPHY IS ALLOWED (no flash)
Most tours are led by conservation experts/biologists
As a Charitable Trust our aim is to look after our reserve and protect the Otago Peninsula’s largest penguin colony. Equally we are committed to making our tours one of the most memorable experiences visitors to New Zealand can have.
Voted in the top 10 TripAdvisor’s Best Experiences in New Zealand 2022.
- For pick up at Larnach Castle you MUST BE BOOKED TO STAY AT THEIR ACCOMMODATION.
- Please note , Children must be at least 6 years old to participate in this tour.
- To participate children must be at least 6 years old (Vehicles don’t carry small child restraints)
- Visitors need to be able to manage stairs (about 30 stairs inbuilt along our walkway leading to our viewing platform). Tour and vehicles are not suitable for very young children.
- Bring warm clothes we are outside for much of the tour, it can get very cold after dark.
- Note we can’t have umbrellas on the penguin viewing platform as eye risk to others
Location
Dunedin
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.9
(76 Ratings)
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Zydee_b
Oct 30, 2024
Blue Penguin - It was a cold night to be waiting for the blue penguins but we’re glad for the experience because they are so adorable to watch. We were also able to see 3 albatross but sad that there were no seals. Danny, our guide was so energetic and she gave us a lot of information about Dunedin’s history, plants and animals.
Review provided by Viator
Heather_m
Oct 30, 2024
A wildlife must see - My 16 year old daughter said this was the best experience of her life! Of course she wants to go into wildlife conservation, so she may not represent most 16 year olds. We saw about 100 penguins come up in small groups. It was dark and cold, but we didn’t care because we were so riveted by the penguins. The guides and experts were remarkable and everything was very well organized. It’s so nice to know that our ticket money is used to continue protecting the penguins, the reserve seems to have been incredibly thoughtful about how they have structured public viewings, as it seems like it’s safe and minimally intrusive for the penguins as well and fun and educational for us. We were also lucky enough to see an albatross fly above us and before they tour watched red billed gulls make nests. So glad we booked this experience.
Review provided by Viator
Josephinemq3581ev
Oct 27, 2024
Informative and interesting tour. - Our fabulous guide Jonathon showed and told us about the history of the Otago Peninsula. He was very knowledgeable and happy to answer questions on our tour. The highlight was seeing the Blue Penguins coming ashore. Would also recommend this tour company as they are a part of the conservation of the environment to ensure the survival of the Blue Penguins.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Shannonkx5833hq
Oct 22, 2024
Fantastic Tour and Amazing Experience - This trip was absolutely amazing!
Jonathan was an amazing tour guide - providing facts, stories and information about the local culture, wildlife and area along the drive and there were plenty of stops to take photographs of the amazing views and wildlife! Jonathan also gave the talk at the reserve - which was fantastic.
Thank you Jonathan and Alistair for an amazing experience - the penguins are so cute and were a highlight of my trip! They also served hot drinks at the viewing platform while we watched the penguins.
Added bonus that I was picked up from Dunedin and dropped back off to where I was staying too!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Trip61312682685
Oct 20, 2024
Absolutely worth the money and super cute - The penguin parade was absolutely worth the money. The staff was amazing, they explained everything in detail and in a humorous way. It was very foggy when we were there but we were still lucky to see many of the penguins - absolutely cute and amazing! We even got a snack because we had to wait for them.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ailsaw791
Sep 29, 2024
The cutest little penguins!! - Had a beautiful tour of the Otago peninsula followed by the incredible experience seeing Kororā/Little blue penguins coming in from the sea for the night. They are so cute and you get to see them really close from the platform. It was our first time seeing penguins in the wild and it was a real bucket list experience. Our guide Dani was fantastic, we learnt loads about the penguins and other local wildlife
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Yellomonkey
Sep 2, 2024
Fantastic experience! Beautiful area, informative tour guide, fascinating wildlife, and wonderful Kiwi hospitality! - My mom and I loved this tour! This was our first visit to NZ, and we knew almost nothing about the Otago peninsula going in, so it was fascinating to learn about its history and its wildlife from our excellent guide and driver, Jonathan. The first part of the tour was just a small group of about 12 in a comfortable-sized van, driving through the peninsula and stopping for beautiful views and bird spotting. Then we met up at the Royal Albatross Centre with everyone else who was booked for the Blue Penguins experience, had a few minutes to shop in the gift shop, and then gathered for an educational talk about the penguins we were about to see. At dusk, we all watched from the purpose-built platform as the penguins began to emerge from the sea and waddle up the beach towards us to their burrows. There were three guides teaching us about the penguins, pointing out constellations in the night sky, and serving hot chocolate ($4). They made sure everyone swapped positions on the platform throughout the evening so we all had turns to get different views. The penguins were delightful, and completely unbothered by all the people, as long as we stayed quiet and respectful and stayed on the platform. The entire tour, from start to finish, was so well thought-out, and we were very well taken care of. The best part is that all proceeds go towards conservation and restoration of the area and the wildlife. I would recommend this tour to anyone interested in natural history, New Zealand history, wildlife, especially birds, and just generally having a great afternoon and evening in Otago/Dunedin.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Compass38909848890
Aug 31, 2024
Penguins/other wildlife + views - Got to see the penguins from very close quarters! Views and nature apart, the guides were excellent. Very well spoken commentary and helpful tips by Dani and others
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Gyeongnaml2024
Aug 10, 2024
You can see the pig from close distance. - A close-up tour to see the seals rising from the sea to the coast
Even if it's a bit expensive, it's a tour run directly at the center to learn more about local and natural history Recommendation
It's local or not, and it's all done in English, so if you don't speak English, you can lose money.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Cpb11
Jun 17, 2024
I highly recommend this Blue Penguins experience! - I found this tour to be less than I expected, but also more than I expected. You are picked up and taken with a van from your hotel or city centre to the Otago Peninsula. We were told upon pickup that the regular driver was not available, and that the driver who subbed in had only done this evening tour once before. So I am not sure if this is how it usually goes or if it was the driver. The atmosphere felt lacking and anytime we saw a bird, he would point it out, but not stop, or stop long enough for those of us who wanted a photo, to take one. I found that annoying. The lack of seabirds/albatross was disappointing, but may have been the time of year, so not the fault of the tour, but I had expected more, based on the tour description. However, once we got to the centre, it was great. The 1/2 hour session about the history of NZ, and information about the penguins was very interesting! Then we were out on the deck waiting for the penguins, and it was an amazing experience. We were all able to see them, and this was the only tour that I found that you were allowed to take photos, which I really appreciated, for the memories. I also really appreciated that although the deck could hold more people, they capped the number of people, so that everyone was able to see. It was clear that they really care about the penguins, thier health and safety, and I appreciated that as well. We loved the whole second half of the tour, and it was nice to be picked up and driven back to our hotel. Well worth the time and money to do this one.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
