Royal Albatross Centre Tours and Activities

Royal Albatross Centre which includes interior views as well as a small group of people
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Get close to some of New Zealand’s rarest and most spectacular birds at Taiaroa Head.

Visit the Royal Albatross Centre, the world’s only mainland royal albatross breeding colony, and marvel at these giant birds as they soar above the wild Pacific Ocean. See penguins and sea lions on the beaches around the centre and check out Fort Taiaroa to find out why this location played such an important role in the nation’s history.

Located on a long green headland at the tip of the Otago Peninsula, the Royal Albatross Centre offers a truly unique wildlife experience. Watch from the indoor viewing area as great northern royal albatrosses circle the cliffs before returning to their nests just a few metres away. If you visit in the summer after the chicks have been born you may be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of the adults teaching them to fly. To find out more about the birds’ behaviour, take a tour and enjoy a short film that documents the existence of the albatross in Otago.

During your trip be sure to explore Fort Taiaroa. Positioned right on the end of the headland, this underground fort was built on the site of a 14th-century Maori camp. As well as being a key defensive outpost during both world wars, this spot is where the Treaty of Waitangi was signed in 1840.

The coastline that surrounds the centre is a haven for an array of animals. The most popular resident is the little blue penguin. Join a guided tour of Pilot Beach and look for the furry birds as they waddle up the beach to their nests after a day of fishing. Spot the lazy sea lions that spend their days sunbathing on the warm sand.

The Royal Albatross Centre is a 40-minute drive northeast of Dunedin. The centre is open all day through the year. Book tours over the phone or through the centre’s website.

Reviews of Royal Albatross Centre

4.4
Top destination
5 - Excellent
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" "5 - Excellent 54.074074074074076%
4 - Good
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" "4 - Good 35.55555555555556%
3 - Okay
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" "3 - Okay 7.407407407407407%
2 - Disappointing
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" "2 - Disappointing 2.2222222222222223%
1 - Terrible
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" "1 - Terrible 0.7407407407407407%

2/5 - Disappointing

Verified traveller
26 Aug 2019

Possibly phone ahead to book as we drove all the way diwn there and were unable to go on a guided tour because there were too many people.

1/5 - Terrible

Verified traveller
10 May 2019

We didn’t go there this trip but I did visit on another occasion and thought it was a big rip off. We parked up and got to watch a couple of these birds coming in to land. We then entered the facility and paid full price as we expected to be able to go outside and walk around as advertised. We went into a room, watched a video, saw a stooped albatross with its wings out and then were herded back to the central part. When I asked about going out to have a walk around they said it was closed due to it being breeding time. I looked around for notices or anything saying that but there were none. I asked for a refund as we only paid to get up close but the car park views were the best we saw. I feel we were hoodwinked as they never mentioned the walk was closed and we would never have paid full price to sit in a room and look at a video of them and a stuffed one. I thought the response of the staff was unprofessional and inadequate and I would never return or recommend a visit. Go to the car park and watch from there or at the very least clarify what you are paying for. An albatross expert who we know told us not to visit and he was right...Como,etc was the of money and duplicitous in the way in which they charged us full price without telling us the actual outside visit wasn’t open.

5/5 - Excellent

Verified traveller
29 Mar 2019

Blue Penguins are the best !

4/5 - Good

Verified traveller
18 Dec 2018

Need to have some more time to take a tour.

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