Dunedin City Highlights, Peninsula Scenery & Penguin Tour
Yellow Eyed Penguin viewing without disturbing penguins
Yellow Eyed Penguin viewing without disturbing penguins
Embark on a picturesque drive from Port Chalmers to explore the charming Dunedin city and the Otago Peninsula, which is renowned as the wildlife capital of New Zealand. During your journey, make a stop at the iconic Dunedin Railway station, which is one of most photographed buildings in the Southern Hemisphere. While driving along the Otago Peninsula, be sure to capture the stunning views of the breathtakingays, beaches, and harbor, which are home to a diverse range of wading birds.
To further enhance your experience, we recommend joining a guided tour at the Yellow Eyed Penguin reserve, which is dedicated to the conservation of the endangered Yellow Eyed Penguin. The reserve's conservation project is entirely funded by guided tours, and the funding received is utilized for habitat restoration, predator control, a research program, and on-site rehabilitation care for penguins that are sick, starving, or wounded. By participating in the tour, you will be directly supporting this incredible project to protect penguins from the threat of extinction.
TOUR DETAILS
Departure: 10am* & 12pm*
Price: from NZD285* per person
Duration: 6 hours
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Depart at the Octagon, outside Dunedin Visitor Centre (non cruise ship passengers)
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Join our scenic drive from Port Chalmers to Dunedin city and listen to a story of Dunedin (cruise ship passengers)
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Visit the steepest street in the world
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Enjoy views of the city from a local lookout point
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Free time to explore Dunedin Botanic Garden
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Stop at Otago University
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Drive through George street - our main shopping area and the Octagon - the heart of the city
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Stop at First Church of Otago
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Stop at the Dunedin Railway Station-one of the most photographed buildings in New Zealand
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Scenic drive onto Otago Peninsula via Highcliff Road
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A guided tour at Yellow Eyed Penguin Reserve
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Back to town or port via Portobello Road to enjoy different scenery
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*On some occasions when the cruise ship arrives later we delay our departure to accommodate cruise ship passengers. Please click "book now" and check our departure for a chosen day
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*An additional booking fee applies
Lifecycle of Yellow Eyed Penguins
Mid-August: The 28-week breeding season begins when partnerships are formed or renewed, and nest sites are selected. Mating takes place.
Mid-September/October: Two greenish-white eggs, about 75×55 mm in size, are laid. Both parents take turns to incubate, which takes about 43 days.
November/December: The eggs hatch and the guard stage begins. This is a 40-50 day period when one parent stays at the nest to brood while the other fishes. Upon their return they perform an elaborate greeting ceremony of trills and calls before feeding their hungry chicks. Although guarded constantly during this stage, the chicks are still vulnerable to predators.
January: By the time chicks are 6-7 weeks old, both parents must fish each day to satisfy the voracious appetites of their demanding young. This is the post-guard stage and towards the end the chicks will start to lose their soft brown down.
February: The chicks fledge into their waterproof plumage and go to sea, an extremely hazardous time, with fewer than 20% surviving to maturity. Juveniles and non-breeders start their annual moult.
March/April: The parents have just a few weeks to recover and put on weight before beginning the annual moult. They are confined to land whilst they wait for their old feather coat to be replaced.
Early-May: Sleek and shiny in their new plumage, the penguins head out to sea, but return most nights to sleep, preen and socialise.
Soon it will be August and the busy breeding season will begin again. About 80% of surviving juveniles will return to breed at the place where they were hatched. Hoiho are devoted parents. Incubation of eggs and raising of young are shared responsibilities. During a good breeding season yellow-eyed penguin pairs can successfully raise two chicks.