Blue Penguins Pukekura

“Late start, but worth it to see the penguins! My family and I did this tour in mid-December when the sun sets later (the penguins can be seen when the sun goes down). Our tour started at 9 PM with a presentation in the Royal Albatross Center. The presentation was good, although a little long. It went off topic from the penguins themselves, but it was informative about New Zealand's history in general. The talk and the safety presentation were worth it, though, to see the penguins. The first penguins appeared around 10 PM, and there were tons of them! You get a great view from the viewing platform. Everyone gets a chance to see them up close, especially if you stay later. There is a nice little coffee cart down there too for you to order coffee or hot chocolate as you wait for them to appear. The guides were very kind and informative. And the money you spend goes toward research, preserving the penguin habitat, etc. 10/10 would recommend.”

“We did the in depth tour and it was phenomenal. Our guide Sian was so knowledgeable it was a privilege to listen to her! Loved the scenery, birdwatching, and Māori stories. Was lucky enough to see lots of chicks on the birdwatching and even an albatross at the centre! The penguin experience was wonderful. Loved the talk beforehand and the clarity about not using flash. The way the penguin watching is run is so well done, much more intimate than Phillip Island in Aus (which we visited recently) as you can move around and watch the penguins hanging around on land as well as running in from the sea. And to top it off, Sian was kind enough to drop us back to our hotel at the end. Such a wonderful way to spend a night in Dunedin, thank you!”

“Fabulous experience - cutest ever wildlife viewing ! The 30 minute ranger talk was interesting then we made our way down 200 steps to the Little Blue penguin viewing platform at the beach. The rangers were great; explaining the rafts forming offshore & moving people around so everyone saw lots of penguins as they emerged from the sea and waddled up the beach/grass bank. The penguins were less than 50cm away at times. We saw 156 in total 😀 Fantastic and congratulations to the charity for the excellent work they do to support Little Blue Penguin numbers. A TRUE HIGHLIGHT OF THE SOUTH ISLAND … BOOK EARLY !”

“Absolutely brilliant experience. Well organised, informative, thank you to the fab staff pointing out when to see the little penguins, keeping us warm with hot chocolates and of course, cookies. Fab night, highly recommend for all ages. There are quiet a few steps to get down to the viewing platform but rest stops if you need to take a breather or slower pace”