City, Castle, Wildlife

Join our guide Mateo (an Otago Peninsula local) on a full-day tour of Dunedin City, Larnach Castle Gardens and the Otago Peninsula.

"We were left buzzing with all the beauty and experiences" - Frans and Monica on TripAdvisor

"Great service, great guide... Great for cruise ship passengers" - Kate on TripAdvisor 

Description:

Departing promptly in the morning we will take in beautiful Dunedin City. Highlights will include photographic opportunities of the beautiful University of Otago campus, Signal Hill lookout, a drive through the Octagon and George St to admire Dunedin's impressive architecture, a short walk at Baldwin St - the steepest street in the world, and a stop at the Dunedin Railway Station.

We leave Dunedin City and head towards the Otago Peninsula - Mateo's backyard. Beautiful views of the Pacific Ocean and Otago Harbour abound as we wind our way towards Larnach Castle. A stop will be made for a panoramic photograph opportunity along the way and we will learn about the difficulties that the early settlers faced when they arrived to Dunedin in the 1800's as Mateo shares his family history on the Otago Peninsula - a farm that has been in his family for over 150 years!

Larnach Castle will be our next destination with a longer stop here. The Peninsula Perfection tour includes entrance to the Larnach Castle gardens, ballroom cafe area. There is an opportunity to take a self-guided walk around the property or alternatively join Mateo for a short walk through the Native Plant Trail as he shares some knowledge about a few of the special trees growing in the gardens. After exploring the Castle grounds there will be a chance to buy a delicious lunch in the ballroom cafe - fuel for our action-packed afternoon.

A scenic drive around the bays and inlets of Otago Peninsula with our eyes peeled for the many wading birds to be found on the coast leads us to The OPERA Penguin reserve. The OPERA is a private conservation reserve for Yellow-eyed Penguins and we will learn about the lives of these extremely endangered penguins. A moderate guided walk with just your tour group (taken by Mateo, an ex-guide) allows us wonderful viewing opportunities of these elusive penguins and other marine wildlife (NZ furseals and Little Blue Penguins) all whilst supporting the conservation of these wonderful penguins.

Each month is different at The OPERA so please use this chart to get an idea of what might be happening at the time of your visit and read below for the latest update:

October 2024 – update: We are currently experiencing record low numbers of Yellow-eyed Penguins - a 76% decrease in the total population over the last two and a bit decades has been devastating. Viewing will be variable and we never expect to see quantity but rather we focus on best the viewing available at the time you visit. 

We are coming into the breeding and chick raising season. Given the predicament of the Yellow-eyed Penguins this is going to be a tough viewing season. We have one pair close to a viewing hide but currently not in plain sight. There will be tours where nest changeovers and feeding could provide great viewing but on others it will be non-existent, it just depends how the Yellow-eyed Penguins are feeling. As the breeding season progresses we expect to have a significant numbers of penguins in rehabilitation for various ailments and we are fortunate to be able to get up close views of the penguins at this facility on tour. Little blue penguins and NZ fur seals are still a major and regular attraction in the wild. 

The Yellow-eyed Penguin is at severe risk. This is a penguin whose prognosis is potential mainland extinction within the next 10-20 years! Your entrance fees to The OPERA (included in the tour price) go directly towards the conservation of these wonderful creatures...you can help save the Yellow-eyed Penguin from extinction by joining us on tour! If you would like any further updates on the expected viewing before booking please email us

Finally we head out to Taiaroa Head where we have a chance (if the wind is favourable) to see Northern Royal Albatross, Otago and Stewart Island Shags and many other Pelagic birds. With a wingspan of more than 3m, the Northern Royal Albatross is a magnificent bird to see in flight!

*We cannot guarantee any or all of the wildlife will be seen on every tour - it is wild after all, and that's the way we want it to stay! But we are confident you will experience some special viewing moments whilst learning about and enjoying the best of what's on offer on the day of your tour*

Duration:

Full-day - 8+ hours (approx.)

What is included:

• Transport (Hotel to Hotel, or to/from Port Chalmers Cruise Ship Terminal)
• Mateo - your local guide offering expert commentary and keeping you comfortable all day
• Entrance fees to Larnach Castle (Garden's Only) 
• Private guided tour at The OPERA Penguin Conservation Reserve.

What to bring: 

• A warm, waterproof jacket
• A sunhat and sunscreen
• Your camera
• Comfortable walking shoes
• Money/Credit Card for gifts/souvenirs and lunch

Our promises to you:

• untamedNZ pride ourselves on small group touring - we guarantee you will have 12 or fewer people in your tour group.

Cancellations:

For this tour our standard cancellation policy appplies:

• Cancellations more than 1 week before departure - 90% refund
• Cancellations more than 48 hours before departure - 50% refund
• Cancellations less than 48 hours before departure - no refund

Cancellations can be made by email to tours@untamedNZ.co.nz with a subject line of 'CANCELLATION'. Please include your booking reference number in your email.