SAVE 10% off the standard Peninsula Encounters the most popular tour; Monarch Wildlife Cruises & Tours are the one-stop-shop for nature lovers visiting Dunedin. They offer a range of tour options from one-hour Wildlife Cruises to small group bus tours that explore every nook and cranny of the Otago Peninsula. They enjoy unrivalled access to remote locations and protected wildlife and can show you all the great highlights in one day!
10% off a standard Peninsula Encounters, sign in to your members page to find out how to get the deal.
Peninsula Encounters (Standard Tour)
The tour begins in Dunedin, travelling by mini-bus up over the beautiful Otago Peninsula high road. You’ll see great views of the harbour and the rugged coastline. Our guide will provide stories about the area, its history, the local wildlife and other interesting facts.
As you drive around the inlet eco-systems you’ll likely see a variety of different shore birds. We frequently spot pukeko, kingfishers, swans, godwits, ducks, royal spoonbills and many other wonderful species.
The tour stops for a short walk along a remote beach. Landscape photographers will love the spectacular views of cliffs and nearshore islands. Keep an eye out for the charismatic and huge sea lions, who inhabit the sandy beaches of this region.
The tour then continues out to Taiaroa Head, right on the tip of the Otago Peninsula. Walk inside the Royal Albatross Centre and check-out the displays, gift shop and cafe. Sometimes albatross are seen from the clifftop viewing boardwalks.
You will then visit a conservation reserve with unrivalled access to yellow-eyed penguin breeding area. We’ll walk you through regenerated native bushland and hidden trenches to special viewing hides that are scattered throughout the reserve. From here you’ll have a great opportunity to see the world’s rarest and most endangered penguin. Some tours will include a brief look at the onsite Penguin Hospital, where they look after sick and injured birds.
The big day out will end with a relaxed drive back to Dunedin, as the sun dips low over the Otago Harbour.
