Half Day Wildlife Tours

Settle back and enjoy the spectacular drive up and over the Peninsula 'high road', offering spectacular views out over the Pacific Ocean on one side and the beautiful Otago harbour on the other. Your driver will provide an informative commentary along the way as you pass alongside quaint stone-walled farmlets.

Halfway down the peninsula we arrive at Larnach Castle where you'll be taken into the castle grounds for a photo opportunity of this imposing 19th century grand home before we continue over the beautiful back road of the peninsula. Your driver will keep you entertained with local folklore and interesting geographic and historic information in this area which only decades ago was scattered with Maori villages and inhabited by the largest bird in the world, the Moa, unfortunately now extinct.

At the peninsula headland you have a choice of one of three optional wildlife tours:

Albatross Colony and Fort

Albatross centre, Nest site & Fort Taiaroa.

On arrival at the Taiaroa headland, an historic Maori site, you will be taken into the Royal Albatross Centre. Here you will experience a talk & video on the life of the royal albatross, go on a guided visit to the observatory overlooking the albatross nesting colony and then be taken on a guided tour into the tunnels of historic Fort Taiaroa to see the Armstrong 'disappearing gun'.

Note the nest site is closed from Sept 17 to Nov 23rd incl. During this period the video, talk & visit to the Fort are still operating at

Natures Wonders Wildlife Safari

Natures Wonders wildlife safari

On arrival at the albatross centre you will have time for a brief wander around the exhibits on display and, on a favourable windy day, you may see an albatross flying overhead. Then you will continue around the headland to the Reid family farm. Here you'll board an eight- wheeler all terrain vehicle for an exhilarating ride taking in the spectacular scenery and authentic farm life as you descend down to Penguin beach front, a truly a natural wonder. Colonies of the very rare yellow-eyed penguins, little blue penguins, NZ fur seals and cliff dwelling cormorants all live in harmony and in their natural environment. Lookout hides are strategically located around the beach-front to balance your viewing experience with privacy for the wildlife to ensure that you are seeing them going about their normal daily lives.

Penguin Place

A few kilometres before the albatross centre is 'Penguin Place' , a dedicated, yellow-eyed penguin reserve where wooden hutches have been built on the beach -front to house the penguins and a network of tunnels constructed to enable visitors to walk through the colony for ground-level photo opportunities. You will also be given a talk on the life of this rare species. This option does not include a visit to the albatross colony.

The Otago Peninsula tour options all depart from the Visitor Centre, Octagon at 2:30pm, returns at 6:45pm. Return journey is on the scenic harbour-side low road. Hotel/ motel pick-ups (from 45 mins prior) & set-downs are available on request.