penguin place

We had stumbled on this place 20 years ago when we were last in Dunedin. We definitely wanted to return. First I was impressed with the progress that has been made at restoring the habitat. Also we walked through far fewer trenches this time around. Our guide was very knowledgeable and helpful at locating the Penguins that were there and making sure every person had an opportunity to see and take pix. Unfortunately the birds are going through moult and there were none returning from fishing in the late afternoon. But we had been advised of that when we made a few inquiries about what time would be best chance to see them returning. They are wild animals and do what they do when they want so one never is sure what one will or will not see. I would definitely come back for a third time.

Our vacation that is. The one thing my wife wanted more than anything else was to see seals and penguins in the wild. Although this is a privately run reserve, the penguins come and go as they will, so when we got lucky enought to see one return up the beach and head to the sand dunes, I got huge points. The tour was informative and they really care for these special birds. Take time to go to the Albatros center just up the road to see seals on the rocks.

We were lucky to see the rare yellow eyed penguins, there were some in the "recovery" pens and others on the hillside. There are stunning views, but it is a very steep climb from where the minibus drops you to the hill top.

My friend and I booked this as part of our self driven tour of the Otago Peninsula. We purposely booked the last tour of the day to increase our chances of seeing the penguins return to the hides.We saw two on the beach. Sadly they didn't come up however we did see two mature chicks close up before they teased the ducks in the pond when they got in to swim.Our guide was very engaging and informative and did not stick to a strict schedule but rather took advantage of viewing opportunities as they arose.This is a real attempt to preserve and protect thse rare penguins including caring for the sick and injured ones and releasing them back into the natural habitat.A real gem

The concept of this place, to preserve and protect perguins in a natural environment was wonderful. Clearly their was love and real understanding of what was needed.We were so fortunate to see a couple a rare yellow-eyed penguins looking quite content!!

Thanks for the review - Aren't our Tour guides awesome? Good tip regarding the extra clothing! You never know when a southerly change will just roll in!

beautiful wild penguin! We went to penguin place twice——in the moring and evening. It was so cold and windy.

Glad you were so impressed in 2004 that you wanted to come back and bring your friends this time, we are sorry that this time around your experience wasn't as good as the first . In response to your comments, I am sorry the receptionist wasn't a box of fluffies - we are currently facing a very dire situation with the Yellow Eyed Penguin, seeing dozens of starved and mauled penguins arriving at our rehab facility daily is a stressful and consuming matter. We would have liked to have been more welcoming when you arrived. Apologies for this. As for the viewing - we can not apologise for wildlife nor for seeing 6 juvenile penguins. Ironically these days you need to consider yourself lucky for seeing this many. Last year the entire colony only fledged 1 chick, so in today's terms "6" is a very large number. Keep in mind, in 2004 there was a completely different situation and our colony (and others surrounding) had well over 30 pairs of YEP's. This year our Reserve has just 8 pairs. Tours are 90 minutes duration and timing is limited - this has been the same since we opened in the 1990'sThe Penguin Hospital is a privilege to view - by law it is illegal for the public to view Yellow Eyed Penguins in captivity, we do hold a special permit to share with our visitors this rehab site, the share volume of penguins we currently have does make it seem a bit tatty - but looks are irrelevant. This hospital is one of the key factors in the survival of the Yellow Eyed Penguin, this has nursed back to health hundreds of birds, many of which are now continuing to breed making a real difference in their population.100% of our work is financed through proceeds of the tours - we appreciate you choosing to visit and supporting our efforts to protect the most endangered penguins in the world.Going by the other recent reviews, most of which commend our passionate, knowledgeable guides - I think the comment of "time expired" is unjust, perhaps you are seeing things differently from when you traveled in 2004??

Please keep smiling and passing on your feelings! Thanks so much for your compassion and understanding!

Glad we could grant your wish! Our staff are pretty amazing and I am glad their passion and interest has rubbed off on you! Thanks for your support.

"There is no denying the excellent work done by the staff at this self-funding yellow-eyed penguin sanctuary" Thanks, that says it all! With regards to time - we are situated on the Otago Peninsula, a 30 min drive from Dunedin city. If time is short you can drive directly here in 30 mins, join a 90 minute tour and be back in town 30 minutes later. If you have plenty of time (and I would recommend allowing the time) you can take the chance to explore the incredible peninsula and visit some other attractions and wildlife - for example NZ's only castle - Larnach Castle, the Albatross Colony, Monarch Wildlife tours and the array of stunning beaches.

Thanks for the kind words and concise summary - Participants do need to be comfortable on their feet, the terrain in the penguin colony is undulating, they like to nest inland and up hills, so in order to see them we do need to be able to walk between sites. Binoculars or telephoto lenses can be very helpful on some tours, and on other tours you may see penguins at an arms length! Being a wildlife tour we will never know exactly what we will see until we are out there in the colony!

Thanks for taking the time to share with others your feelings! We are glad we could deliver such an experience!

Nicely written! "Not many penguins but still brilliant" If it is large numbers of penguins you are hoping to see then certainly don't choose the Yellow Eyed Penguin! The Hoiho or Yellow Eyed is the only anti-social and THE most endangered penguin in the world. Although you are guaranteed to see penguins you will not see large numbers. This is just not the nature of this penguin.

It is very disappointing to read your review, it seems you have not taken anything into consideration and perhaps neglected to listen to the briefing. Firstly, there are steps involved and it is clearly advertised as being suitable for people comfortable on their feet, Being a nature experience it is a requirement to get around in the wild - this shouldn't come as a surprise. The only way to make it accessible without walking would involve infrastructure which would impact on the natural habitat. Our hides have been designed to be "low impact" hence why the narrow openings which are set down to reduce the height which penguins perceive people at. I have never heard people complain that the penguins were too close! Perhaps a 300mm lens could have been backed up with a wider angle lens for the close viewing we often get. Again, the penguins aren't positioned in the reserve to create perfect photographs for each visit - they are wild animals who make their own decisions, sometimes they may be close other times they will be further away (as you discovered but it seems you weren't happy with close or distance viewing)As with any tour time is limited - each tour is 90 minutes which provides good opportunities to learn about and witness this endangered penguin. Talking is not permitted at the penguin hospital as they are "in hospital" much like human patients they require sensitivity and respect to aid their recovery. It is illegal to show the public Yellow Eyed Penguins in captivity, however we have a one-off permit issued by the Department of Conservation to share the hospital at our discretion, this permit comes with a set of criteria i.e. no talking and arms and lenses inside of the hide. To most people this is common sense, as we are trying to help not hinder the penguins.We run tours right through the day, if it was penguins returning from sea you were hoping to see perhaps you could have made contact with us before joining a tour to find out the most likely time of this happening.I am sorry you felt this tour did not represent good value for money, rest assured that the future of this penguin in this area is reliant on the support of visitors as it is a 100% self-funded conservation effort. Tour fees are not only to "see" penguins but also to enable their future.