Penguin Place, Dunedin

Great place to visit and support penguins. Very friendly and competent staff, interesting talk and walk around the colony and we were lucky enough to see not only penguins in their nesting boxes, but seals, a sealion in the surf and a most rare yellow-eyed penguin crossing the beach in the distance. Plenty of birdlife and flora and fauna abounds. They do a great job regenerating the area and preserving the wildlife. Was a pleasure coming amhere and supporting their cause. We also saw a recovering penguin almost ready for release from their rescue centre.

In October 2019 we made a late afternoon stop on the Otago Peninsula at a sanctuary. Penguin Place is a private wildlife sanctuary dedicated to the survival of the endangered yellow-eyed penguin. The nature conservation project is financed with guided tours through the reserve. Responsibilities include penguin habitat restoration, predator control, research programs, and rehabilitation for sick, starving, or wounded penguins. On the vegetated slopes of a secluded bay there are numerous sheltered hiding places offered to the rare yellow-eyed penguins. This means that the shy animals can come here undisturbed every year, lay their eggs, breed and raise their offspring. Here you can learn a lot about penguins and their protection in guided groups under expert guidance. A system of ditches and observation hiding places has been created for visitors to observe and photograph the penguins from there. This way you can get very close to the wild animals without disturbing them. Our approximately three-hour tour of the reserve began with a detailed lecture and subsequent tour of the reserve. It was an experience for animal lovers.