Quick Details
The story of the Northern Royal Albatross
A 60 minute fully guided tour; start with a presentation by your guide on the albatross breeding cycle and a short film by Natural History NZ, followed by a short walk up the hill for 30 minutes of viewing from our exclusive glassed observatory to view the nesting albatross and any other wildlife that may be in the area.
Learn about the story of the Northern Royal Albatross breeding here at Pukekura / Taiaroa Head from our expert guides – hear what makes this colony so unique and how the albatross are protected and monitored by conservation staff.
Winter viewing: See a few of the giant Albatross chicks sitting in their nests waiting patiently for their parents to bring food. Chicks grow rapidly and are fully grown at eight months old in September. See them learning how to be an albatross – preening, snoozing, practicing nest building, stretching their large wings, and if you are very lucky you may see them being fed by one of their parents!
Please note: October is difficult to guarantee albatross sightings as chicks depart the headland in September and new season nests are built in late October. During October, we hope to see some new season adults either on the ground, in the air or both, but there is a small chance we may not see any.
Things to Know
- Please check in 15 minutes prior to the tour departure time to confirm your arrival.
- The Royal Albatross Centre is located at the tip of the Otago Peninsula, a 50 minute scenic drive from the Dunedin city.
- Make sure you allow time to enjoy a delicious meal in the Toroa Cafe open all day.
- Photography is allowed on our tours, but no flash. Viewing the albatross is behind a one way glass system to reduce our disturbance on the albatross and wildlife.
- The weather at Taiaroa Head can prevail, please bring warm and waterproof clothes.