Otago Peninsula Yellow Eyed Penguin Reserve

Description

Be sure to read the Special Notes further down this page for important requirements and restriction.

What you will visit:
Yellow-Eyed Penguin Reserve
At Penguin Place, an award-winning penguin-conservation project, you'll have the privilege of entering a protected yellow-eyed penguin nesting area. A carefully controlled and informative tour begins with a discussion about the penguins and their conservation before a guide escorts you to the beachside colony where you are concealed in well camouflaged trenches and can hide among the dunes for excellent proximity to the penguins and great photographic opportunities. Proceeds from the excursion funds the conservation work and a unit that looks after injured penguins.

What you will see along the way:
After driving past the port district of Dunedin, head out along the Otago Coast, a dramatic stretch of coastline through some of the country's most diverse landscapes to the Otago Peninsula, a narrow and hilly stretch of land that shelters Otago Harbour from the Pacific Ocean. The coastal drive will take you past many small seaside communities, including Macandrew Bay and Portobello. On your return to Port Chalmers, you'll pass through downtown Dunedin.

Special Notes:

Penguin Place is a Wildlife conservation reserve. Wildlife sightings are likely but are not guaranteed.
Minimum age is 4 years.
Not advisable for guests with mobility limitations. There are 90 steps down to the trenches and 90 steps back up to the coach. Some areas of the trenches require participants to bend over to view the penguins.