Imagine.... a huge Royal Albatross with a three-metre wingspan gliding overhead, within metres from where you are standing....
The Royal Albatross Centre is located at Taiaroa Head on the tip of the Otago Peninsula 45 minutes drive from Dunedin. Owned and operated by the Otago Peninsula Trust, a charitable trust, whose purpose and objective is the protection and enhancement of the Otago Peninsula. Taiaroa Head itself, a nature reserve, is managed by the Department of Conservation.
As well as being the only mainland place in the world to view Northern Royal Albatross in their natural habitat, Taiaroa Head has a strong historical connection. From Maori settlement in the 1300's to the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi: the establishment of the lighthouse and fortifications in the late 1800's, and its use as a defense base during World War I and II, New Zealand's culture and history is uniquely celebrated here alongside wildlife.
Open 364 days, the Visitor's Centre is complete with gift shop and cafe. Reservations Essential.
Things to know:
The Royal Albatross Centre is owned and operated by a charitable trust. All surplus funds generated by the enterprise are returned to projects which protect and enhance the environment and wildlife of Dunedin’s Otago Peninsula.
There is no public access to the wildlife reserve, access is granted by booking on a guided tour. Bookings are essential to guarantee a place on a tour.
The albatrosses are not in captivity. They are wild creatures. Accordingly, we cannot guarantee their behaviour or sightings on any given day, although some times of year and some seasonal and weather variations create more suitable conditions for albatrosses to fly.
Ours is a rugged environment. A reasonable level of fitness is required to walk from the Centre to the observatory and the fortifications.
Adults not booked on a tour pay a $5 entry fee to visit the Centre to enjoy the facilities. NZ Gold Card holders $3 and school age children free.
The Royal Albatross Centre is a 32km scenic drive from Dunedin city centre.
The closest public transport to the Centre terminates at Harington Point, 3.5kms from the Centre.
The Northern Royal Albatross is just one of about 20+ species of bird and animal which makes its home on Otago Peninsula’s Taiaroa Head.
Feature | Value | Info |
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Organisation |
Otago Peninsula TrustCommercial organisation |
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Location |
South Island ▷ Coastal Otago ▷ Dunedin |
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Categories |
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Directions To Coordinates |
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Feature | Value | Info |
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Payment Requirement |
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Payment RequirementIs there a cost for this experience or is it free? Paid access/participation The experience costs money to access or take part in. |
Great Tour, Very much enjoyed it.
Wonderful educational experience.
Good information and successful.
Very good and informative.
You can see the Albatross only through windows.
Rating | Count | Percentage | |
---|---|---|---|
10/10 | 26 |
|
19% |
9/10 | 32 |
|
23% |
8/10 | 31 |
|
22% |
7/10 | 16 |
|
11% |
6/10 | 11 |
|
8% |
5/10 | 7 |
|
5% |
4/10 | 8 |
|
6% |
3/10 | 5 |
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4% |
2/10 | 2 |
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1% |
1/10 | 2 |
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1% |
5.0/5
Great experience to see the Royal Albatross during flight.
An excursion was very interesting and instructive too - life of Albatross is really glamourous. The windy day is the best for the excursion.
Reviewed over 7 years ago and experienced in February 2017
Customer
5.0/5
Fantastic.
Great information by our guide. Yes - people tell you that the birds can be seen from the parking lot - but paying for the guided tour is well worth the money. Weather was cold and windy but many albatross were flying that day.
Reviewed over 7 years ago and experienced in January 2017
Customer
4.0/5
Highly informative, passionate delivery, biggest birds in the world.
Reviewed over 7 years ago and experienced in January 2017
Customer
4.0/5
Very expensive but you feel that good work is done there, nice staff with a good knowledge.
Reviewed over 7 years ago and experienced in January 2017
Customer
5.0/5
Really impressed with the dedication from the team there.
Very informative information and was amazing to see those incredible birds in flight and nesting.
Reviewed over 7 years ago and experienced in November 2016
Customer
4.0/5
Great sense of history.
Video, tours and more wildlife than you can shake a stick at. Seal, sea lions and a variety of birds. You do not have to pay for the seals and lions but the Albatross and penguins are guided tours.
Reviewed almost 8 years ago and experienced in November 2016
Customer
3.0/5
Beautiful landscape where it is possible to see seals, albatross and penguins.
But to see penguins it is a little expensive just for one or two hours photography.
Reviewed over 7 years ago and experienced in December 2016
Customer
5.0/5
Very good to see Albatross and chicks.
Tour price was $45 per person.
Reviewed over 8 years ago and experienced in February 2016
Customer
4.5/5
A very dedicated guide.
Reviewed over 8 years ago and experienced in January 2016
Customer
2.5/5
Expensive.
Interesting explanations about Albatross lives but could not see very well with birds (too far away or too fast).
Reviewed over 8 years ago and experienced in February 2016
Customer
5.0/5
Fantastic.
Great information by our guide. Yes - people tell you that the birds can be seen from the parking lot - but paying for the guided tour is well worth the money. Weather was cold and windy but many albatross were flying that day.
Reviewed over 7 years ago and experienced in January 2017
Customer
4.0/5
Highly informative, passionate delivery, biggest birds in the world.
Reviewed over 7 years ago and experienced in January 2017
Customer
4.0/5
Very expensive but you feel that good work is done there, nice staff with a good knowledge.
Reviewed over 7 years ago and experienced in January 2017
Customer
5.0/5
Great experience to see the Royal Albatross during flight.
An excursion was very interesting and instructive too - life of Albatross is really glamourous. The windy day is the best for the excursion.
Reviewed over 7 years ago and experienced in February 2017
Customer
3.0/5
Beautiful landscape where it is possible to see seals, albatross and penguins.
But to see penguins it is a little expensive just for one or two hours photography.
Reviewed over 7 years ago and experienced in December 2016
Customer
5.0/5
Really impressed with the dedication from the team there.
Very informative information and was amazing to see those incredible birds in flight and nesting.
Reviewed over 7 years ago and experienced in November 2016
Customer
4.0/5
Great sense of history.
Video, tours and more wildlife than you can shake a stick at. Seal, sea lions and a variety of birds. You do not have to pay for the seals and lions but the Albatross and penguins are guided tours.
Reviewed almost 8 years ago and experienced in November 2016
Customer
4.5/5
A very dedicated guide.
Reviewed over 8 years ago and experienced in January 2016
Customer
5.0/5
Very good to see Albatross and chicks.
Tour price was $45 per person.
Reviewed over 8 years ago and experienced in February 2016
Customer
2.5/5
Expensive.
Interesting explanations about Albatross lives but could not see very well with birds (too far away or too fast).
Reviewed over 8 years ago and experienced in February 2016
Customer
3.0/5
Since we love bird watching, we paid double what it should have cost to see four nesting birds and little else.
There was 2 tier viewing and the people in the back row were left waiting for a turn to see.
Reviewed over 8 years ago and experienced in March 2016
Customer
4.0/5
We saw a lot of birds and a few very big Albatross.
Great to see these birds and nice centre with a lot of information.
Reviewed over 8 years ago and experienced in March 2016
Customer
3.0/5
For bird lovers, very interesting, for me nice, but not a must see.
We saw three nesting Albatross.
Reviewed over 8 years ago
Customer
2.5/5
There were only three albatross to see sitting on their eggs, we expected to see more, quite expensive $45 per person, but the guide gave a lot of very interesting information and it is a good project
.
Reviewed almost 9 years ago
Customer
4.5/5
Have seen 5 nests (sitting Albatross) and one flying Albatross!
Wonderful experience.
Reviewed about 9 years ago and experienced in January 2015
Customer
4.5/5
Learnt a lot about Albatross, although we did not see them fly.
Reviewed over 9 years ago
Customer
2.0/5
Nice to see the rare bird.
But a bit expensive 9$45) to see them by a window at 300m doing nothing. But maybe we were unlucky.
Reviewed over 10 years ago and experienced in January 2014
Customer
3.0/5
It was friendly people there and the moved and other things was okay.
But it is too expensive.
Reviewed over 10 years ago and experienced in February 2014
Customer
3.5/5
Very nice centre and an informative tour, we did not see very many albatross though!
Reviewed over 10 years ago and experienced in February 2014
Customer
5.0/5
Viewing nesting Albatross chicks, guided tour, presentation all were excellent.
Very well managed facilities, saw many adult and several Albatross chicks.
Reviewed over 10 years ago and experienced in March 2014
Customer
5.0/5
Excellent facility and great guide for Albatross viewing - well worth the cost.
Reviewed over 10 years ago and experienced in March 2014
Customer
2.0/5
Too expensive, only 3 birds and no guarantee of seeing them.
Lots of people in the carpark complaining bitterly.
Reviewed over 10 years ago and experienced in February 2013
Customer
5.0/5
Wonderful educational experience.
Staff were really friendly and obviously passionate about the efforts they are making to preserve these birds.
Reviewed over 10 years ago and experienced in February 2014
Customer
3.5/5
You can see the Albatross only through windows.
But the teaching before is really good, they teach you all about the Albatross. It is too expensive.
Reviewed over 10 years ago and experienced in February 2014
Customer
2.5/5
Really nice tour, IF you spot some albatross.
Since you only walk up to a lookout and look down at them, its all about luck if they will be there or not. A bit expensive.
Reviewed almost 11 years ago
Customer
5.0/5
Visit- very good guide.
Reviewed almost 11 years ago and experienced in January 2013
Customer
3.0/5
too commercial and too expensive.
They didn't told us that there is only a small chance of seeing flying albatros
Reviewed almost 12 years ago
Customer
5.0/5
Outstanding scenery.
Information and video of visitors centre excellent.
Reviewed almost 12 years ago
Customer
3.5/5
Too expensive, birds fly above, nice centre to visit though.
Reviewed almost 12 years ago
Customer