Explore the underground tunnels and see the Armstrong Disappearing Gun, the only working model of its kind in the world.ģ. The fort was built and armed in the 1880s in response to the perceived threat from Tsarist Russia. The centre also runs tours of Fort Taiaroa, hidden underground beneath the colony. This season, the star of the show is a male chick called Manaaki, who hatched on 20 January 2023. We have adults coming back to breed in September at the same time chicks are trying to take off, stretching their wings so that the wind pretty much lifts them up."īook a tour to visit the glassed-in observatory with a view of five to six nests, including the nest that's home to RoyalCam, a 24-hour livestream operated by Cornell University. In August, their parents put them on a diet, dropping the portion size and landing about 50m away to make them walk. They're large and ungainly at 10-12kg because their parents have been feeding them well. In July the chicks start to lose their white fluff and gain flight feathers. "Eggs are laid in November and hatch in January. "There's always something fascinating to see," said Langsbury. Taiaroa Head at the tip of Otago Peninsula is the only mainland breeding ground in the world for this endangered species (the few others being on remote uninhabited islands), and The Royal Albatross Centre helps protect the colony while enabling a close-up look at the birds and their life cycle, from courtship and nesting to growing chicks eagerly welcoming a parent gliding in with a feed after a lengthy fishing trip. The northern royal albatross is one of the largest sea birds on the planet its 3m wingspan helps it travel thousands of kilometres across the Southern Ocean to feed, returning to land to breed. Get up close to majestic albatross at The Royal Albatross Centre Langsbury says, "Keep an eye out for orca, including calves, which are often seen along the coast."Ģ. Monarch Wildlife Cruises offers a wide range of tours with options covering both land and sea, and all promising plenty of wildlife viewing.įrom the sea, you get a prime view of the lighthouse at Taiaroa Head with fur seals lolling on the rocks below, and if you're lucky, Northern Royal Albatross riding the currents above their breeding colony. If you're keen to spot as many species as possible on the harbour and peninsula, Langsbury recommends booking a tour. The gull colony is around 3,500 and growing, which lets us know the marine environment is healthy – although it can be a little fragrant!" While the coastal road is scenic, the Highcliffe Road that winds along the ridge offers the most sublime views. "There are a couple of dozen species to see," said Langsbury, such as "fur seals, royal spoonbills, spotted shags and red-billed gulls. It's also home to many animal species, and, according to David Attenborough, a place every visitor to Dunedin should see.Įxploring the peninsula's rugged coastlines and windswept white-sand beaches, juxtaposed with tranquil bays and rolling hills, yields the chance to spot a large variety of wildlife. The Otago Peninsula is a long, rugged finger of land embraced by the sheltered harbour on one side and lashed by the wild waves of the Pacific on the other. These two passionate conservationists share their top tips on where to immerse yourself in nature in and around Dunedin.ġ. Mackenzie, who was awarded Educator of the Year in 2020 for her role providing learning outside the classroom to children and young people, describes her city as "the most stunning place in the universe". Mackenzie spent her formative years running wild on the peninsula and is now an education officer at Orokonui Ecosanctuary, a 307-hectare, predator-proofed and biodiverse area 20km north-east of the city. "When the environment is cared for, there will always be interesting things to visit," he said. Langsbury's ancestors (his tribal affilitions are Ngāi Tahu, Kati Mamoe, Waitaha, Kati Hawea) had been living on the peninsula for around 500 years by the time the first European whalers arrived in the late 18th Century, and looking after the ecosystem here is his primary goal. Two locals who have built careers out of a passion for protecting this natural landscape are Hoani Langsbury and Tahu Mackenzie.Įcotourism manager for the Otago Peninsula Trust, Langsbury has spent more than two decades working on conservation efforts on the peninsula, a biodiversity hotspot that starts at the southern end of the city's harbour and stretches 20km into the Pacific Ocean. In a country renowned for its natural beauty, Dunedin stands out: a city surrounded by breathtakingly beautiful landscapes teeming with endemic and endangered marine, bird, reptile and plant species. Known as the wildlife capital of New Zealand, Dunedin sits on the rim of an ancient volcano that is now Otago Harbour in the southern reaches of the country's South Island.
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