Still sporting some baby down, a 7-month-old juvenile royal albatross on Taiaora Head. Photo / Enterprise Dunedin
Still sporting some baby down, a 7-month-old juvenile royal albatross on Taiaora Head. Photo / Enterprise Dunedin
It's more than 10,000km northeast across the wild blue Pacific from the Otago Peninsula to the Galapagos Islands - a long-haul journey for New Zealand wildlife fans, and for ocean-going birds like the toroa (royal albatross). Reaching the remote Ecuadorean archipelago, which inspired Charles Darwin's theory of natural selection, requires at least four flights, but it's easy to get a taste of Galapagos-style wildlife magic on the rugged east coast of the South Island.
Our first stop on an afternoon exploring Otago Peninsula's wildlife attractions is at the Royal Albatross Centre on Taiaroa Head, high above the silvery expanse of Otago Harbour, with gusty ocean breezes sweeping in from even more southern latitudes.
Taiaroa Head is the world's only mainland breeding colony of royal albatross, and while temperatures in summer edge above what they're usually comfortable with, like Darwin's finches on different islands of the Galapagos, they've evolved and adapted to make themselves at home throughout the seasons.
A majestic Royal Albatross flies over the Otago Peninsula. Photo / Enterprise Dunedin
Joining one of the centre's 60-minute Albatross Classic tours, our up close and personal introduction to the toroa begins with a short film from Natural History New Zealand, before we move outside to make the short walk uphill to the centre's glassed observatory. It's dubbed the "Royal Box" apparently, but there's no need to use opera glasses or binoculars for excellent viewing of the impressive birds with wingspans of up to three metres. We'd previously checked out the centre's webcam, but it's no replacement for the visceral thrill of seeing the birds in action. Some take-offs and landings may seem a little scratchy, especially the awkward legs-splayed way toroa cruise to a halt on Taiaroa Head's grassy hills, but once they're in full flight, it's a majestic sight. Banking and cartwheeling effortlessly on southern breezes, it's easy to see how well-adapted they are to spending long periods at sea – even if a hemisphere-spanning northeast journey across the Pacific may be a tad too far.
Part two of a southern wildlife adventure is a short drive away at Nature's Wonders, a sprawling property on the eastern tip of the Otago Peninsula. Encompassing 360-degree views of the peninsula, the 172-hectare spread is owned by the Reid family, part of the local scene since arriving in the region in 1849. Earlier family history includes providing milk for the Cadbury chocolate factory in Dunedin, but now sheep and cattle farming combine with one of New Zealand's best independent wildlife conservation projects.
Exploring Nature's Wonders is best achieved by jumping aboard one of their Argo 8-Wheelers, versatile, go-anywhere, all-terrain vehicles perfect for negotiating the rugged landscape. Steering our Argo is Martin Reid, son of the founder, the irrepressibly enthusiastic Perry Reid, and we're soon making our way down a narrow muddy track to a remote, windswept bay on the edge of the peninsula. A rocky outcrop provides a nesting place for a kawau pāteketeke (spotted black and white shag), while a Pacific Ocean awash with bull kelp provides the backdrop for surprising wildlife action. As a juvenile kekeno (New Zealand fur seal) pops its head up from behind a scrubby bush, an intense standoff is simultaneously taking place on an exposed platform above the roiling surf. In an Otago Peninsula turf war, an immense bull fur seal is roaring and staring down a wannabe contender to his alpha male crown. All the scene needs is a whispered voiceover from Sir David Attenborough for perfect National Geographic vibes.
A juvenile kekeno (fur seal) pops its head up from behind the scrub. Photo / Carol Atkinson
From the bay, Martin Reid steers the Argo to a muddy makeshift car park high above Penguin Beach, an arcing cove that's been barely touched by human contact across recent decades. Binoculars are definitely needed for this part of the experience, and three dots making their way ashore through the surf are highlighted as hoiho, or yellow-eyed penguins. More than 20 pairs of the endangered species nest in the sandy dunes above the beach. Martin leads us to see the peninsula's other penguin stars, and opens a wooden hatch in a cliffside viewing hide to reveal a nesting kororā (little blue penguin). Like the baby fur seal, it looks a little startled by human company, but tucked into the side of the cliff, the world's smallest penguins are definitely well-protected by the coastal wilderness of Nature's Wonders' unique conservancy.
The 8-wheelter Argo 'go anywhere' is the perfect safari waggon. Photo / Enterprise Dunedin
CHECKLIST: OTAGO PENINSULA
Check out the Royal Albatross Centre's webcam on albatross.org.nz and see natureswonders.co.nz for more information on the Reid family's project.
Other wildlife experiences include cruises and peninsula excursions with Monarch Wildlife Cruises & Tours (wildlife.co.nz), and viewing of endangered hoiho at Penguin Place's private conservation reserve (penguinplace.co.nz).
