Location of the Royal Albatross Centre

Location

The Royal Albatross Colony is located at Taiaroa Head at the tip of the Otago Peninsula and is a scenic 50 minute drive from the centre of Dunedin.

Directions

From the centre of town follow the signs to Portobello and Taiaroa Head on the one-way going south. You can either take Portobello Road along the edge of the harbour or you can drive on Highcliff Road along the top of the Peninsula with spectacular views to Portobello, and then you'll continue along the low road until you reach Taiaroa Head. As there is no fuel available on the Otago Peninsula please ensure you fill up before coming out.

There is no direct public transport to the Albatross Centre - you could hire a car or you could join an Elm Wildlife Tour 'Peninsula Encounters Tour including Royal Albatross Centre Tour' which will visit Otago Peninsula wildlife 'hotspots'. Only $129 per person. Pick up and return from Central Dunedin. To book call 03 478 0499 or call free within New Zealand 0800 528 767 and quote "RAC-Elm" or email. more>>

Other Attractions in the Dunedin area include:

www.elmwildlifetours.co.nz
www.glenfalloch.org.nz
www.larnachcastle.co.nz
www.taieri.co.nz
www.marine.ac.nz
www.otagomuseum.govt.nz

Some accommodation options include:

www.aaronlodgetop10.co.nz
www.allancourt.co.nz
www.mcauleyglen.co.nz
www.peninsula.co.nz
www.otagopeninsulamotel.co.nz

Taiaroa Head is unique for the diversity of wildlife which abounds on this small headland. The albatross is one of eleven bird species which breed in the area; the rare Stewart Island Shag nests below the nature reserve viewing area, giving visitors on a guided tour an excellent opportunity to view year-round activity. Southern fur seals can be seen at Pilots Beach, or often young pups can be seen from the cliff tops on the eastern side of the Headland, playing in rockpools or sleeping in the sun. The rare yellow-eyed penguin can be observed close by. The area is alive with seabirds, as the protection given to the albatross colony has allowed many other species to flourish. This remarkable abundance of wildlife is drawn to the area by the Southern Ocean's cold currents which rise above the continental shelf, providing a rich and constant food source.

The headland was in use by Maori as a defensive retreat long before being fortified by European settlers in 1885. Between the establishment of a whaling station near Taiaroa Head in the 1830's and the end of the second world war in the 1940's, Taiaroa Head was continuously inhabited and was the scene of much activity.