shuyak Posted January 15, 2023 #1 Share Posted January 15, 2023 Looking for suggestions for Denedin excursion that will include guided tour to both Penguin Place and Royal Abatross Center. Most tours will include one or the other but not both. Both Elm Wildlife and Monach Wildlife Cruise have the program @$185 NZD but depart at 2 PM only and they will not offer AM tour for cruise passengers. The shore excursion group has the program but @$219 USD! Thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buchhalm Posted January 15, 2023 #2 Share Posted January 15, 2023 We just returned from our NZL cruise that had a Dunedin stop. We did an independent tour (which was fabulous) that included pretty much all the major sites of Dunedin and an hour or so at the albatross center. At that place there is also a sizeable penguin colony, but they only come out in the evening. The albatrosses were very active, flying around alongside seagulls, which is great for comparison. I dont think there is much point to pay for a guided tour of the center. Just going there and enjoying the facilies is good enough. We also saw several seals lolling around as a bonus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare mr walker Posted January 15, 2023 #3 Share Posted January 15, 2023 On our last cruise we did a wonderful tour which included both with Tourworks tourworks.co.nz Russ is a great guy & a true local. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare MMDown Under Posted January 15, 2023 #4 Share Posted January 15, 2023 29 minutes ago, buchhalm said: We just returned from our NZL cruise that had a Dunedin stop. We did an independent tour (which was fabulous) that included pretty much all the major sites of Dunedin and an hour or so at the albatross center. At that place there is also a sizeable penguin colony, but they only come out in the evening. The albatrosses were very active, flying around alongside seagulls, which is great for comparison. I dont think there is much point to pay for a guided tour of the center. Just going there and enjoying the facilies is good enough. We also saw several seals lolling around as a bonus. Sounds like a great tour. Thanks for photos.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shuyak Posted January 15, 2023 Author #5 Share Posted January 15, 2023 @buchhalm, thank you for sharing your recent experience - that looks wonderful! This will likely be our only visit to NZ/AU. Through guided tour, we hope to see/learn about the endangered Yellow-Eyed Penguin (hoiho) that is endemic to New Zealand. Likewise, we hope to visit the world's only mainland Royal Abatross colony to learn/appreciate this special bird. @mr walker, thank you for the lead! I just sent an email to tourworks asking them how to add Royal Abatross Centre entry to its Mainland Peninsula Tour and the cost. I also asked what will happen if there are less than the required 4 person sign up for the tour. If you have experienced similar situation, would you mind to share your experience? Thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shuyak Posted January 15, 2023 Author #6 Share Posted January 15, 2023 Tourworks has already replied to my inquiries. No, we can only tour one place or the other, but not both for the day we will visit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare taxatty Posted January 16, 2023 #7 Share Posted January 16, 2023 Keep in mind that it's much less likely that you will see the yellow eyed penguins than the little blue penguins on the separate evening tour operated out of the Albatross center. When we did the YEP tour, it was very interesting and the guides were great, but the only YEP we saw was one they were rehabilitating in an enclosure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobinBancs Posted January 17, 2023 #8 Share Posted January 17, 2023 We hired a car and found Dunedin to be a very drivable city and the freedom to tour the Otago Peninsula at our pace was great! Went to the Albatross centre ourselves and drove past the penguin place during our travels. Pegasus Car hire can have cars available for pick up just in from the Lyttelton wharf. It’d be less than 200m from the passenger terminal. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
By The Bay Posted January 20, 2023 #9 Share Posted January 20, 2023 On 1/16/2023 at 10:35 AM, shuyak said: Tourworks has already replied to my inquiries. No, we can only tour one place or the other, but not both for the day we will visit. We used Back to Nature Tours and they cover what you are looking for. Pickup and drop-off from cruise terminal . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buchhalm Posted January 20, 2023 #10 Share Posted January 20, 2023 For something a bit different, penguin related... 🙊🙉🙈 https://eshackleton.com/2015/05/20/recipe-2/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare OzKiwiJJ Posted January 20, 2023 #11 Share Posted January 20, 2023 On 1/18/2023 at 4:16 AM, RobinBancs said: We hired a car and found Dunedin to be a very drivable city and the freedom to tour the Otago Peninsula at our pace was great! Went to the Albatross centre ourselves and drove past the penguin place during our travels. Pegasus Car hire can have cars available for pick up just in from the Lyttelton wharf. It’d be less than 200m from the passenger terminal. Ships dock at Port Chalmers for Dunedin, not Lyttelton. 🙄😀 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobinBancs Posted January 20, 2023 #12 Share Posted January 20, 2023 27 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said: Ships dock at Port Chalmers for Dunedin, not Lyttelton. 🙄😀 Whoops. Correct. Port Chalmers. By far and away the most helpful I-site people we came across too there! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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