Taiaroa Head Albatross Colony

Northern royal albatross breed on remote subantarctic islands, with one exception: Taiaroa Head at the tip of the Otago Peninsula, where a colony established itself from the 1920s and has been protected ever since - the only mainland breeding site for the species anywhere in the world. The birds have a wingspan of about three metres and glide past the headland on the wind with no visible effort, which is what people remember. Viewing is from an enclosed observatory on a guided tour only; the colony itself is fenced and off limits, and there is intensive predator control and, in hot summers, sprinklers to stop chicks overheating. The same headland holds Fort Taiaroa with an Armstrong Disappearing Gun of 1886, installed against a feared Russian attack that never came, which rises and drops back into its pit. Little blue penguins come ashore at dusk nearby, viewed separately.

What you actually see

• Royal albatross - three-metre wingspan, gliding past the headland.
• The observatory - the only way to see the colony, on a guided tour.
• The disappearing gun - an 1886 Armstrong that rises from its pit.
• The blue penguins - coming ashore at dusk, viewed separately.

When to go

December to March, when chicks are on nests and adults are flying in and out. Wind helps - albatross fly poorly in calm air, so a still day means fewer birds moving.

Honest expectations

Guided tours only and ticketed; you cannot see the colony independently. On a calm day the birds sit still and there is little flying. The peninsula road is narrow and winding. Penguin viewing is a separate booking.

Nearby

Sandfly Bay and the peninsula beaches are along the way; Dunedin is 45 minutes back.