Special Publications: March 12, 2024

SOUTHERN HOLIDAY DESTINATIONS AUTUMN-WINTER 2024 dUnedin 27
Monarch brings you closer to nature
When you come south for the holiday
and the Wild Dunedin Festival of Nature
– a cruise on Monarch is a great way to
get closer to the unique wildlife of our
Southern Ocean.
You’ll benefit from the expertise
gained over MV Monarch’s 37 years
of taking guests along Otago Harbour
and around Taiaroa Head to share our
special nature.
There are special trips offered during
the Wild Dunedin Festival, or you can
join one of Monarch Wildlife Cruises’
many options.
You can drive yourself to Wellers Rock
Wharf for the invigorating one hour
Wildlife Cruise. You can see huge
northern royal albatrosses on their
nests and maybe soaring past the
boat on their three metre wings. At sea
there are different albatross and other
seabirds. On the rocks you’ll see fur
seals and, if you’re lucky, you might
spot dolphins, blue penguins or a
large sealion.
You can also choose from several
different tour options, with transport
from Dunedin, and most feature a
wildlife cruise. They include a visit to
a private penguin reserve, the Royal
Albatross Centre, or Larnach Castle.
For further information go to
www.wildlife.co.nz or call
0800 666 272.
Where nature & history meet
The Royal Albatross Centre, nestled
at the tip of the Otago Peninsula at
Taiaroa Head, Ōtepoti Dunedin is
home to the only mainland colony of
Northern Royal Albatross. It provides
guided tours to the observatory in the
nature reserve, overlooking part of the
nesting area. During the tour, there
is the chance to see adult albatross
incubating eggs or sitting with young
chicks at the nest. The three metre
wingspan is magnificently viewed while
the albatross fly and socialise. Later
in the season, chicks actively practice
using those giant wings.
Hidden beneath the albatross is Fort
Taiaroa, established in the 1880s to
counter the perceived Russian threat.
As part of the Unique Tour, your guide
will walk you through the original
underground tunnels to see the
Armstrong Disappearing Gun and
learn about the human history of
the headland.
The centre includes galleries, giftshop,
café and viewing platforms for all
to enjoy.
Come to Dunedin for a
Wild Celebration 19 – 28 April
Bring the family to Dunedin in the
April school holidays and explore
the wonders of nature while also
supporting the work of conservation
groups looking after penguins, sea
lions, albatross, takahe, tuatara, skinks,
geckos, kiwi and other endangered
native species.
NZ Festival of Nature/Wild Dunedin is
holding its 9th festival this year with
over 130 events attracting 25,000
participants in 2023. With discounted
deals on boat trips, penguin and
albatross viewing, ecosanctuary
visits and indoor bouldering, plus a
guided tramp around a salt lake, tree
climbing, snorkeling in a kelp forest,
wildlife photography sessions, night sky
viewing, wild yoga and lots more, it’s a
very busy nine days.
Suzy Cato, longtime friend of Wild
Dunedin, will be performing, and there
are many creative sessions for children
and adults - weaving mermaids, making
origami bees, making string, a Lego
rainbow, and Art Play in Nature, where
we create a giant tapestry collage with
autumn leaves and other materials with
three local artists.
Gardeners can learn about making
compost, gardening sustainably in a
changing climate, perennial vegetables
and permaculture, and visit some
stunning home vegetable gardens and
community gardens.
Foodies are well catered for with local
restaurants cooking up wild food
dinners, and Larnach Castle is putting
on a Wild Night Masquerade, a charity
event to support yellow-eyed penguins,
with live music, canapes and transport
from town to the castle.
Bookings are essential for most events
so go to wilddunedin.nz and follow us
on social media.
IN ASSOCIATION WITH
WILDLIFE CRUISES & OTAGO PENINSULA TOURS
Royal Albatross - Yellow-eyed Penguins - Sea Lions
Unrivalled access to rare animals and remote locations in Dunedin.
ph: (03) 477 4276