Great Organization and purpose but not great for most visitors!…read more This was one of our first tourist stops on our two week visit. As a family we appreciated the efforts of the family to guide and protect the animals and all of the hard work they have put into their animal hospital, the blinds and tunnels they built to get to the animal habitats without disturbing the animals, and their passion and dedication. However, from the visitor perspective, it was a hard and long hike to get to the blinds where you may see a penguin and we spent two hours there. The hike back up to the bus was very hard on the older people in the group - several elderly people struggled to get back up the hill. We did see one penguin that rested near the top blind (before the hike) and that was it. There were also three penguins in the parking lot area hospital (was kinda sad). If I were looking for an adventure, I would go to Natures Wonders, down the road (more expensive but better sights), and maybe stop by here for the conservation presentation and the hospital visit - skip the walk unless you are in shape, join a late day tour, and have a lot of patience.

I love that this area is so dedicated to wildlife conservation. While we didn't see as many…read morepenguins as I had hoped, the tour was still informational & for a good cause If you're a student there is a small discount on admission

We have had some wild weather during our stay in New Zealand, and this time it worked in our favor…read more Albatross like windy days to fly on the currents. They don't flap their wings much. We had a perfect day for flying and we saw many albatross at the observation deck. The tour starts with a short video and guide led discussion. You then walk to the observation deck to see albatross in the wild. They provide binoculars to enhance your viewing. We saw birds sitting on their nexts, preening each other, and flying. It was a great show. Our guide was very knowledgeable about the albatross and many other birds within our view. I'm so glad we were able to go to this tour. I learned so much and the birds were amazing to see in the wild showing us their natural behaviors.

Fort Taiaroa here has hidden tunnels & a 1886 Armstrong Hidden Gun. Besides a military history…read morehere it's the only mainland breeding colony of Royal Albatross. There is a gallery, gift shop & cafe here. Many different tours are offered and a virtual :45 tour from their website. The albatross' are nesting on the grass now. They arrive in September, mate, lay eggs, incubate, have hatchlings & then guard them for a year. The albatross have a 9 Ft wing span & they gently lift off cliffs & glide not flap. They can live to 60 yrs & mate for life. The females go out further for food & are getting caught in fishing nets. There is a female shortage & there are same sex pairs now. The center was fascinating, unfortunately we didn't see any albatross, a lot of seagulls. Thought we saw some gem a distance near the lighthouse.

Booking the tour online was simple and easy. Per our request, Jane (tourguide for the day) picked…read moreus up from our B&B. In our group of 10, we came from different countries and Jane was able to give us information fact sheets in different languages. On our way to see albatrosses, she stopped for us to take photos at various scenic points of Dunedin. She explained a lot about the New Zealand wildlife, and pulled over the van whenever she came across interesting birds. At the albatrosses center, the weather turned nasty but according to Jane, it was easier to spot these giant birds as they love wind. And she was right, we saw a handful of albatrosses circling the information center. Unfortunately it was difficult to snap photos of them due to the rain. Afterwards, Jane drove us to this private farmland where we saw sea lions/ yellow eyed penguins up close. (There was a sleeping young sea lion literally two feet from a viewing hut!). On the other side of the hill, we saw heaps of fur seals. A feast for my camera! The hill climb can be long/steep for some people. Definitely wear your comfortable walking shoes! Note that the weather can change drastically, so be sure to wear comfortable warm waterproof jacket/windbreaker :)

I recently had the pleasure of visiting Larnach Castle, and it was an unforgettable experience!…read moreFrom the moment I arrived, the stunning views of the Otago Peninsula took my breath away. The castle itself is full of rich history and charm, with beautifully restored rooms and fascinating stories that bring the place to life. Larnach Castle is a true gem, and I highly recommend it to anyone visiting Dunedin. Whether you're a history buff, a nature lover, or just looking for a beautiful spot to explore, this place has something special to offer. I'll definitely be returning! *It is quite pricey to get in though...

Beautiful historic building (name as castle only)! Will post longer review another time.read more

We arrived for our cruise on a blustery day. I was so happy to see the warm jackets they provide…read morefor your ride. They also equipped you with your own set of binoculars. The best seats are in the front of the boat and they are also the coldest and sometimes the wettest. But you should still sit out there. The crew joins you in the front and are well skilled in spotting wildlife which they point out to you often. The captain provides a nice narrative as to the history of the area and fun facts about the wildlife you are viewing. We saw so many different kinds of birds. We had an albatross fly right over our boat. In fact, we saw more albatross on this tour than we did in the albatross tour (but still go to the Royal Albatross Center as it's a much closer experience). My fav was when the dolphins decided to play in our wake and at the front of the boat. Can't remember their name but they were patchy in color, the smallest dolphin, and clearly ready to play and have fun. Great experience, even on a windy, blustery day.

Sailing out of Port Ortago in Port Chalmers, New Zealand, Monarch Wildlife Cruises provided a 2 and…read morea half hour wildlife tour, expertly stopping at places where sightings could occur. It was a pleasant boat ride with some beautiful ocean scenery. The tour was purchased directly with the vendor which saved quite a bit of money. The meeting point for the beginning of the tour was in the same warehouse terminal for all the other non-cruise line sponsored tours, and started promptly at 10:00. A small shuttle was used to transport the 12 passengers to the boat, Vivian J. with Captain Dan. Our shuttle driver, Tim, became our guide and narrator. We did end up going out quite far, outside the harbor into open water, past Harrington Point going past the Royal Albatross Centre, going as far as 45°46'46.7"S 170°46'22.1"E. It was a gorgeous day, which Tim remarked is nice for everyone, but isn't the best for spotting of the albatrosses. He handed out some nice binoculars for bird watching. We did go past colonies of seagulls, and there were a few seals just floating the water. There were speakers on the boat, so Tim's narration could be heard pretty well. As part of the tour, tea and biscuits (chocolate chip cookie) was provided towards the end. Like any tours that involve wildlife sightings, it all depends on the day, weather, and luck. That being said, Royal albatross is the animal being watched here, and you will never get too close to truly understand how large they are.

After sailing the Tasman Sea for two days and cruising Milford Sound, our first land excursion in…read moreNew Zealand started with a round-trip scenic train ride from Port Chalmers to Pukerangi (Middlemarch) through the Taieri Gorge. We boarded the train at the port, just a few steps from our docked cruise ship at Port Chalmers, and rode past the town of Dunedin and several other smaller towns. We were prepared to see flocks of sheep, as we've always been told that there are more sheep than humans living in New Zealand, but as we rode past the town and neighborhoods, we barely saw any sheep; instead, we saw cattle! The train tour took us through the rugged South Island terrain where we saw deep canyons carved by the Taieri River, negotiated very narrow tunnels (original tunneling done by explosives and shovels) where it seemed as though there was only a 6" clearance on both sides for the train cars to pass through, and dramatic viaducts. The tour guide commented about the "blasting holes" along a stretch of the mountain sides as the laborers made way for the railway and below, along the river, were gold prospectors had staked their claims and mines. He also mentioned the wild-growing New Zealand tea trees known as "Mānuka and Kānuka" shrub-trees, native kauri (one of the world's largest and most ancient) trees, New Zealand Christmas trees or "Pōhutukawa", and many more native evergreens in the forests. The tour guide also commented about the Monterey pine trees forming the planted and harvestable forest. When we reached Pukerangi (Middlemarch) station, we deboarded the train. We stretched our legs walking around a small open market with local vendors selling edibles, handmade wool accessories, and quilted items. At the same time, the locomotive did a reverse slide to pull the train back into Dunedin. The clean, brisk, and fresh air at Pukerangi was exhilarating, and we almost didn't want to leave this remote station and "off-the-grid" location. We only saw ONE house near the station, surrounded by open plains, rolling hills, and views of New Zealand's Southern Alps. It may have taken us 2 - 2.25 hours to reach Pukerangi, but we barely noticed the time as the landscapes and forests enthralled us. During the train ride, we were served a box lunch and a bottle of water. The train stewardess commented that they also have a pantry car, or snack car, where one could purchase more snacks or beverages if needed. We returned to the beautiful and historic Dunedin Train Station around 2:30 pm, which, according to the train timetable, was accurate. The round trip took us around 5 to 5.5 hours. After which, we spent some time browsing around the town of Dunedin and having a wonderful lunch of Bluff oysters and fish and chips.

"Feel the rattle and rumble of your vintage railcar as you wind through the mountains of Taieri…read moreRiver Gorge." That's the soundbite that pulls you in, to take this 4.5 hour total journey to go inland by rail to see the impressive Taieri Gorge on the South Island of New Zealand. It's designed to fit into the schedule of day visitors coming in from a cruise ship docked in nearby Port Chalmers. In fact, the cruise boats offer it as a ship-sponsored excursion for an exclusive train dedicated to only cruisers. It also has the convenience of being picked up/dropped off right very close to the cruise boat (whereas you have to find your own way if buying directly from provider). And of course, there is a guarantee that the ship will not leave without any passengers that are delayed on a ship-sponsored trip. But one will pay a steep upcharge for this: my brother calculated it to be possibly a 300% markup and it seemed that it cost more as you go up the cruise line chain (i.e. a similar trip cost $100 more on Celebrity than on Royal Caribbean). We did go direct with the vendor and arrived to the train station about 15 minutes before scheduled departure. Tickets are mobile and have assigned seats. The train cars have seating meant to be used for long distances (though there were no overhead compartments for baggage, so any bags brought need to be stowed between your legs). The seats are configured with four facing each other across a table (so eating and/or playing cards would be easy). The tracks are dedicated for this trip for tourists so the return trip is exactly the same, except in reverse (i.e. if you were facing forward going there, you will be facing backwards going back). Also because the best views of the gorge are on the right side of the train going there, the conductor recommended that we switch seats on the return trip to let everyone get their chance for the views. Speaking of the conductor, he was on the intercom giving facts and observations throughout our journey but it was hard to hear (most people were having animated conversations with each other). The cars themselves have large windows for easy observation and in some places we were quite high up with some fantastic views. The train and the rail are maintained exclusively for this trip, and thus depend on visitors to keep going. It was a full train, so it seems like it continues to do well. Because we were on the non-cruise trip, most of the people on the train seemed to be non-cruise visitors. We got to learn a lot about New Zealand from our neighbors, who were visiting from other parts of the country. Like a lot of excursions, the enjoyment of the trip is enhanced by interaction with your fellow travelers, so a bit of luck involved. They do serve food and (alcoholic) beverages on the train, but requires you to go to another car to purchase and bring back. They had cans of local beer (we tried both Emerson's Super Quench and Emerson's Hazed and Confused). We split a hot ham and cheese sandwich along with various chips and even a charcutier tray. There is a long period of time inside the gorge where there is no cell service, thus if you need to pay using a credit card during that time, you would leave your name and seat number so you can pay later once re-entering cell service. At the half-way point, we were given a 20 minute break where we could get off and stretch our legs a bit. There were vendors situated in the area, and many of the passengers took the opportunity to interact and purchase, if they so chose. This was the one train for the day, so the vendors were waiting around just for that moment. The return trip definitely seemed longer than the trip there (even though it was the same time-wise), and have to admit I missed some scenic views because I wasn't paying particular attention. This is a definite must if you are a train-lover. The entertainment is about the train as much about the scenery. But if you consider trains just as another mode of transportation and nothing more, 4.5 hours is a really long time to be sitting in a cramped space for some really nice but relatively short views. I happen to be the former, so I really enjoyed the trip.