Royal Albatross Centre
Watch the big birds at Taiaroa Head
This is the world’s only mainland royal albatross colony – and the only public access is by a guided tour.
Albatross are here year-round, but the best viewing is between December and March, when parents alternate between protecting their chick and gathering food.
The albatross are more active in afternoons over this period when winds pick up. The albatross are incredibly popular and you can even watch them close-up year-round via the
Royal Cam Albatross Live Stream.
Taiaroa Head, right at the tip of the Otago Peninsula, also features a fort, built in 1885 to protect Dunedin Harbour from an envisioned Russian invasion.
Allow an hour for the 32km drive from Dunedin City to the Royal Albatross Centre.