My family and I did this tour in mid-December when the sun sets later. The tours start earlier depending on the time of year. Our tour started at 9 PM with a presentation in the Royal Albatross Center. The presentation was good. It went a little off topic from the penguins themselves, but it was informative about New Zealand's history in general. The talk and the safety presentation were a tad long, but worth it 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.
Contacts & Location
π Address: 1245 Harington Point Road, Harington Point 9077, New Zealand
π Phone: +64 27 840 0413
π Website: bluepenguins.co.nz
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Reviews
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Olivia Pohl β β β β β
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XIV Moses (Venus & Francis) β β β β β
We did the in-depth tour and it was so worth it. Our guide Sian was very kind, passionate and reliable. She shared her knowledge in not only the penguins, but also all sorts of birds and landscape on the Otago Peninsula. Her voice is also very soothing yet very clear. The juicy part at the tour at the penguin viewing platform is definitely the most satisfying part, where we joined other penguin viewing tour participants and assisted by two other staff, Leon and Alister, who were all very professional and helpful. It was quite a chilly night and the hot drink van definitely was a joy. We also bought little Peter back to provide a little bit of extra support to the reserve. No flash and you can take all the photos and videos you want quietly!
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Mimi Cross β β β β β
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 MΔori 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!
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Dylan Tan β β β β β
Went for the 5 hours in-depth tour with my partner and the experience went over our expectations! We booked it pretty last minute, just a day before, as it only occurred to us that we could see blue penguins when we were in Dunedin itself. We wanted to see the blue penguins but the 1.5 hours tour was already fully booked and were pretty disappointed since the cost and duration for the in-depth tour was much higher. We ended up just going for it and did not regret our decision at all! The whole tour was so wholesome, where we learnt more about Dunedin, the Otago peninsula and the conservation efforts done for many of the species including the blue penguins. It helped us appreciate the town and everything much more. Lastly, the highlight was looking at the huge albatross flying in the skies and the many little blue penguins. The penguins were sooooo cute and you get to see so many of them! There were more than 150 penguins that night and it melted our hearts as we saw them swim to shore and waddled to their nests. We were less than a meter apart from them and our gallery was flooded with photos and videos. In case anyone is still hesitant, just go for it! The funds are used for a good cause, contributing to the conservation efforts, so youβre actually helping the penguins by participating :) The guides were really friendly and nice too.
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Keith Godfrey β β β β β
A great evening seeing the penguins come ashore, socialise and settle into their nests in their natural environment. Complimented by the detailed knowledge and enthusiasm of the guides. We also very much enjoyed the nature drive from Dunedin stopping at a number of locations to see the spectacular views and many birds along the shoreline.
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Nick Wiggins β β β β β
BEST EXPERIENCE EVER! Book it now. And I mean now. If you like cute penguins, book this. Guaranteed sighting - we saw over 60, within 2m of the viewing platform. Friendly, knowledgeable guides - adding great history and context of the the locations. A+ experience.
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Calani Payton β β β β β
The best wildlife experience in New Zealand. The guides are friendly, informative and determined to deliver an extraordinary tour. Youβll learn so much while being surrounded by the penguins. Inexpensive for what it is and could not recommend more!
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Joe Mullender β β β β β
Absolutely amazing place to visit and see the penguins. Not only was the view of the penguins amazing but so was the tour and the talk given by the staff. All the proceeds go towards the center and looking after the penguins, would definitely recommend, was a once in a life time experience.
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Katy HaladovΓ‘ β β β β β
We were so happy to spot the small blue penguins on the tour. They are really tiny and cute. The guides were very passionate and friendly. They gave us really lot of interesting information and knew lot about all the animals and flora on the peninsula.
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Toby Jackson β β β β β
Went here with my family and it was amazing, we were incredibly lucky and would have been worth it for the sunset views alone. We did however go for the blue penguins, and even though they were a bit late in due to the bright sky, we managed to see large groups coming onto the beach. You are so close to the penguins, only about a meter away at times, so got some, lovely photos and videos of the baby penguins asking the adults for food. The tour guide was great and had great knowledge and ability to help the whole group out to spot the penguins swimming to shore. Additionally to the above we managed to see a few fur seals and have a little overview of the rest of the reserve. Highly recommend.
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FAQs
What is the address of Blue Penguins Pukekura?
Blue Penguins Pukekura is located at 1245 Harington Point Road, Harington Point 9077, New Zealand
What is the phone number of Blue Penguins Pukekura?
You can contact Blue Penguins Pukekura at +64 27 840 0413
How can I get to Blue Penguins Pukekura?
You can find directions to Blue Penguins Pukekura by following this map link