An eco-tourist's paradise

Dunedin is haven for those wanting to catch a glimpse of some of the world's rarest sea birds, mammals and fish, as RYAN CRAIG reports.

Nestled in tree-clad hills at the head of the spectacular Otago Harbour, Dunedin was the first city settled in New Zealand. Well-known for its Scottish heritage, unspoilt Edwardian and Victorian architecture and its proximity to the Otago Peninsula, the city is the country's eco-tourism capital.

The Otago Peninsula is renowned for its abundance of sub-Antarctic wildlife. British botanist and TV presenter David Bellamy last year described the peninsula as "the finest example of eco-tourism in the world".

A perfect example of this eco-tourism is Penguin Place, run by conservationist Scott Clarke and Howard McGrouther, who help to finance the Yellow-eyed Penguin Conservation Reserve.

The reserve has been running since 1984 helping to protect and re-establish the birds' natural habitat. It has also quietly changed people's attitudes towards conservation and put Dunedin firmly on the global eco-tourism map.

The Penguin Place was started 17 years ago, with eight breeding pairs of the yellow-eyed penguin. Today there are 36. Visitors can get as close as 3m from these spectacular creatures and watch them preen and clean each other, build nests or bring food to their young. It is an intimate experience, up close and personal.

Driving along the high road (Highcliff Rd), or the low road called Portobello, visitors can be at the start of nature's playground, as the locals call it, in 10 minutes by car from Dunedin's famous hub, the Octagon.

Take the high road and you'll be tempted to hum the familiar Scottish ditty as you pass stone cairns and walls, thistle and lupins on lush green farmland.

On one side, the highlands drop away steeply to the Pacific Ocean, and on the other is the majestic Otago Harbour.

The road tracks the backbone of the peninsula, giving travellers on a clear day breathtaking views of the southern ocean, the city and surrounding ranges.

Sometimes shrouded in low cloud, or enveloped in a rolling sea mist, it can also provide an eerie journey to another Dunedin icon, Larnach Castle, with its grandeur, gardens and history.

The road then snakes down to Portobello at the heart of the Peninsula, a quaint harbour village and the last in a long line of beautiful bays along Portobello Rd.

Further on and a picturesque 50-minute drive from the centre of Dunedin is the Royal Albatross Centre. Named after the largest sea bird in the world, the centre at Taiaroa Head is the only mainland breeding colony on Earth.

Take a guided tour with knowledgeable staff who are clearly dedicated to the work of the centre, then visit the observatory to see the spectacular birds.

The summer months are the best time to spot the adult and teenage birds chatting and performing to the public.

Seeing these birds is also possible on board the ship MV Monarch, which leaves from Custom House Quay in the city. A different route can be taken from Wellers Rock Jetty, an old whaling station on the peninsula.

Spread along and around the seaward side of the Taiaroa Head cliffs, visitors can develop a better appreciation of the variety of marine life that share nature's royal court with this majestic ocean wanderer.

There is nothing quite like watching a bird with a 3.2m wingspan coast above you, gracefully riding the updrafts of the headland.

Take the sightseeing voyage and visitors will probably see fur seals sleeping on the rocks or performing graceful underwater ballets, or rare Stewart Island shags nesting in the cliffs, colourful gulls, oystercatchers and sooty shearwaters perched on ledges.

Occasionally blue penguins and dolphins can also be spotted.

Nature's Wonders Naturally offer the thrill of riding an Argo eight-wheel drive amphibious vehicle for children and the young at heart. This adventurous tour takes visitors across a working farm to see seals and seal pups playing in rock pools. The yellow-eyed penguin hoiho can be spotted from cliffs above Penguin Beach. These rare penguins waddle and wade from the deep green southern ocean breakers, returning from a hard day's fishing at sea.

The magnificent and endangered Hooker's sea lions can be found on Alans or Victory Beaches.

These mammals often lounge around all day in the dunes, but are protective of their patch, so should be given space.

A novel way of seeing the sea lions is to cycle over sand dunes to Victory Beach, the longest beach on the peninsula, but beware of the large black blobs on the sand as they are not speed humps.

Those wanting to see the wildlife from sea level and take some exercise at the same time could try kayaking around Taiaroa Head, but be prepared for playful seals to swim around the kayak and play under the paddles.

The NZ Marine Studies Centre and Aquarium, just outside Portobello village, is a fun place to play. It has touch tanks featuring many types of fish and seahorses that swim in our waters, and guides are on hand to answer any curly questions.

Early risers who enjoy exercise before breakfast will find Nature Guides Otago's Sunrise Penguin Walk a breathtaking way to start the day.

The trip which is conducted by an experienced ecologist, leaves before dawn and takes in a torchlight walk to Sandfly Bay to catch penguins leaving their nests.



Late-risers could try the Twilight Wildlife Conservation Experience, which leaves the city towards the end of the day. A six-hour trip to spot the royal albatross, seals and the yellow-eyed penguins is for those who enjoy seeing the wildlife and landscape without strenuous walking.

Those built for speed could try a 4WD experience which takes in wildlife, scenery and adventure. Sport 4WD collects visitors from the city and takes them across the peninsula off-road and over private farmland tracks.

Highlights include the Chasm and Lovers Leap, an amazing blowhole carved out of the cliffs by the ocean over thousands of years.

City of Dunedin

Alatrosses