Royal Albatross Centre
4.1 141 reviews
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Cymen Crick
Rankers Crew
Use code RANKERS for 10% off
Use code RANKERS for 10% off
There's a few wildlife tour options in Dunedin and they're all a little different. Check our Escape the Algorithm takes on each one make sure you get what you're after.
Royal Albatross Centre - The Albatross Classic
Make your way to the public (free) carpark at the end of the peninsular and take in this magic spot. Plus you can see these regal birds flying for free. It's one of those times where a windy day is in your favour.
Yet it's also a chance to learn more and I for one am very happy I've forked out the $60 odd dollars to visit the worlds only mainland royal albatross the colony.
The Albatross Classic is the least expensive option and would also be my choice.
You'll join a small group up to a 'hide', inside the nesting area. The hide has very open windows and we saw so much. Adult birds coming and going, plus chicks being fed and quietly going about their business. I learnt alot and was much
the better for it.
There's a different experience depending on the time of year. The chicks hatch in January and are around until September. Between October and December it's adult together / nesting time. I've visited in January and April. Both times were good.
Due to the already good value price, our Rankers 10% off promo code carries less wingspan than this large bird, but it all helps none the less :)
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Information
Royal Albatross Centre
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.
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Otago Peninsula TrustCommercial organisation |
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South Island ▷ Coastal Otago ▷ Dunedin |
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Promo Code 10% Off |
Use discount code rankers with Royal Albatross Centre and 10% off. |
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Bird Watching
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Reviews
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Saw spotted shags.
Floren -
Weather was terrible.
Wanda -
Good information and successful.
Gerhard -
Good attraction with informative displays.
bobmcg -
Outstanding scenery.
Margaret and Derek McNeil
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Although we could not see that much, since it was nesting season, it was very interesting and our guide very knowledgeable.
Best to go, when the little one start to fly.
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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.
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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.
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Very expensive but you feel that good work is done there, nice staff with a good knowledge.
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Really impressed with the dedication from the team there.
Very informative information and was amazing to see those incredible birds in flight and nesting.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Expensive.
Interesting explanations about Albatross lives but could not see very well with birds (too far away or too fast).
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Although we could not see that much, since it was nesting season, it was very interesting and our guide very knowledgeable.
Best to go, when the little one start to fly.
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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.
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Very expensive but you feel that good work is done there, nice staff with a good knowledge.
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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.
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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.
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Really impressed with the dedication from the team there.
Very informative information and was amazing to see those incredible birds in flight and nesting.
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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.
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Expensive.
Interesting explanations about Albatross lives but could not see very well with birds (too far away or too fast).
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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.
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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.
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For bird lovers, very interesting, for me nice, but not a must see.
We saw three nesting Albatross.
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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
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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.
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It was friendly people there and the moved and other things was okay.
But it is too expensive.
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