Nature’s Wonders Wildlife Safari

OVERVIEW

Travel out to the far tip of wild Otago Peninsula and encounter tiny penguins, plump fur seals, and nesting seabirds on an all-terrain tour of remote headland bluffs and beaches. Skirting Otago Harbor’s north shore past Sawyer’s Bay, Roseneath and St. Leonard’s, your coach will round the bend at Dunedin and continue out along the craggy peninsula coast to Natures Wonders, a family-run touring farm in the epicenter of what is arguably the most precious wildlife habitat in New Zealand. You’ll travel by mini-coach for part of the tour, and 8-wheel-drive Argo vehicle for the rest. The route will bring you from the farm’s high point 659 feet above sea level all the way down to the water’s edge and back up, passing breathtaking sights and viewpoints along the way. Watch a breeding colony of New Zealand fur seals basking on the rocks and swimming in the ocean pools; see breeding colonies of spotted shag cormorants nestled on a rugged cliff face just above the crashing Pacific waves; and take a shoreside ride to Penguin Beach, where you’ll be able to observe little blue penguins, and if you’re lucky, spot some very rare and shy yellow-eyed penguins as well.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Enjoy a scenic drive along Otago Harbor, through Dunedin and out to the far tip of Otago Peninsula.
• Visit the family-run farm, Natures Wonders, in the midst of spectacular headland bluffs and remote beach habitats.
• Tour this majestic wild terrain by both 8WD vehicle and mini-coach, descending from 650-foot sea cliffs down to the water’s edge and back.
• Anticipate encounters with wildlife at its most undisturbed – basking fur seals, spotted shags on the nest, fascinating little blue penguins and perhaps even shy yellow-eyed penguins.
• Returning via Dunedin, enjoy a brief highlights drive through this city of elegant Victorian landmarks.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.