Oamaru (Blue Penguin Colony)
Part of our guide to the best places to see penguins in the wild — Oamaru ranks #18 on the list.
Overview
The Oamaru Blue Penguin Colony is the easiest place in New Zealand to watch the world's smallest penguin come ashore — a purpose-built grandstand experience in a former rock quarry on the edge of Oamaru Harbour, just five minutes from the town centre. Penguins began nesting in the abandoned quarry in the early 1990s; the colony was formally protected in 1993 with just 33 breeding pairs counted in 1994, and has grown to around 280 breeding pairs (2022) — roughly 700–800 birds in total. Every evening of the year, visitors watch from two grandstands as the birds raft up offshore, surf in, and waddle up a stony ramp into the colony, passing within a few metres of premium seats. Oamaru is on State Highway 1, about 1.5 hours' drive north of Dunedin and 3.5 hours south of Christchurch, and InterCity buses stop in town — making this the most accessible guided penguin viewing on the South Island. All ticket revenue funds the colony's research and conservation work.
Location
- Where: 17 Waterfront Road, South Hill, Oamaru 9400, North Otago, South Island, New Zealand — the south-east corner of Oamaru Harbour at Friendly Bay, a few hundred metres past the historic Sumpter Wharf. Approx. 45°06'S, 170°58'E.
- Distance: About 5 minutes by car or 20–25 minutes on foot from Oamaru town centre; 113 km (about 1.5 hours' drive) north of Dunedin and 250 km (about 3.5 hours) south of Christchurch via SH1.
- The site: The quarry here supplied rock for the construction of Oamaru Harbour in the 1960s; quarrying ceased by the early 1970s and little blue penguins moved in. The site now has a Discovery Centre, nest boxes, research facilities, day-viewing areas and two evening grandstands. Since 2016, an underpass beneath Waterfront Road lets penguins cross between the sea and the colony without dodging traffic.
- Status: Privately operated conservation attraction; the colony's research and predator-control work is fully funded by ticket revenue. It is Oamaru's largest tourist attraction, drawing about 75,000 visitors a year.
Penguin Species
Little blue penguin / kororā (Eudyptula minor) — the world's smallest penguin (~30–33 cm tall, ~1 kg), found only in New Zealand and along southern Australian coasts (where it is known as the little or fairy penguin). In New Zealand the species is classified as "At Risk – Declining" due to introduced predators, habitat loss and road mortality. The Oamaru colony has grown from 33 breeding pairs in 1994 to about 280 in 2022 (roughly 700–800 birds total) — one of the best-documented population recoveries of any penguin colony in New Zealand, driven by predator control, nest-box provision and the 2016 road underpass.
- Habitat: The penguins nest in burrows, rock crevices and purpose-built nest boxes in the old quarry, a short climb from the landing beach in Friendly Bay.
- Daily rhythm: Out at sea fishing through the day; birds gather in rafts offshore at dusk, then come ashore in groups and cross in front of the grandstands. The colony publishes the previous night's arrival count on its website — recent counts have ranged from a handful of birds to over 250 in a single night.
- Conservation: Staff include a marine biologist; weekly monitoring has run continuously since 1993. Weather is the biggest population driver — a single major storm in 2015 cut adult survival by 25%. Visitors directly fund the work: the operation is entirely supported by ticket sales.
Getting There & Difficulty
- Driving (easiest): Oamaru sits on State Highway 1 — about 1.5 hours (113 km) north of Dunedin and 3.5 hours (250 km) south of Christchurch. Two free car parks at the colony, including campervan and bus spaces.
- Public transport: InterCity buses run Christchurch–Dunedin via Oamaru twice daily (about 3 h 40 min from Christchurch, 1 h 40 min from Dunedin). From the Oamaru stop in the town centre it's a 20–25 minute walk or short taxi ride to the colony.
- Cost: Evening Viewing — General grandstand: NZ$47 adult, NZ$42.30 senior/student, NZ$29 child (5–17), NZ$123 family (2 adults + 2 children), under-5s free. Premium grandstand: NZ$63 adult, NZ$56.70 senior/student, NZ$37.50 child, NZ$163.50 family. General seating holds up to 350 people about 10–15 m from the penguin crossing; premium holds just 60 people a few metres away — book premium well ahead, it sells out first. Day entry (Discovery Centre and day viewing, ~NZ$20) is separate.
- Difficulty: trivial. Step-free access, seated grandstands, expert commentary throughout. The only real challenge is the cold — the stands are outdoors and exposed to the harbour breeze. Suitable for all ages and fitness levels.
Best Time to Visit
- Year-round, every evening — penguins come ashore 365 days a year; start time tracks sunset (October–March: viewing begins between 7 and 9 pm, finishing 8:30–11 pm; April–September: begins 5–6:30 pm, finishing 7–8:30 pm). Allow 1–2 hours.
- November–February (breeding/chick-rearing): The most penguins ashore — regularly 200+ birds a night, sometimes 250–400 at the November–December peak, as adults shuttle food back to chicks. Best window overall.
- March–August (autumn/winter): Far fewer birds — typically 20–50 a night — but crowds are thin and the penguins that do come in are close and unhurried. May–June is noisy pair-bonding season.
- Moult (roughly February–April): Moulting adults stay ashore for about two weeks and look scruffy; numbers crossing each night drop.
- Check the count: The colony posts the previous night's tally on its homepage — a reliable guide to what you'll see.
- Weather: Coastal North Otago is cool and windy year-round; even summer evenings drop below 10°C with the sea breeze. In winter, temperatures near 0°C with wind chill are normal.
Tips
- No cameras at all during the evening viewing. As at Phillip Island, Oamaru bans all cameras, phones and filming devices — including any device with a bright screen — for the entire evening session. Leave the phone in your pocket and just watch.
- Book premium seating for the best experience. Only 60 seats, a few metres from the crossing route versus 10–15 m for general — at NZ$16 more per adult it is widely considered worth it, and it sells out days to weeks ahead in summer.
- Arrive at the advertised start time, not sunset. The experience begins in the Discovery Centre before you move to the stands; latecomers miss the briefing and the first birds.
- Dress much warmer than the afternoon suggests. Beanie, gloves and a windproof layer even in January; the grandstands face the harbour breeze and you will be sitting still for over an hour.
- Stay seated, quiet and still. If a penguin pauses near you, don't reach out, stand up, or block its path — movement and noise delay birds returning to hungry chicks.
- Add Bushy Beach for a free wild bonus. Five minutes' drive south (Bushy Beach Road, off Tyne Street on South Hill), this DOC scenic reserve has a cliff-top viewing hide for yellow-eyed penguins/hoiho — one of the world's rarest penguins — best at dawn or dusk. The beach itself is closed to the public from 3 pm to 9 am to protect the birds; watch from the hide, keep 20 m from wildlife, no dogs, no drones without a DOC permit. Fur seals are near-guaranteed; hoiho sightings are luck.
- Combine with the historic precinct. Oamaru's Victorian whitestone precinct, Steampunk HQ and the harbour-front penguin-crossing signs are all within walking distance of the colony — arrive mid-afternoon and explore before the evening viewing.
- Don't expect to photograph penguins — buy the official photos. The colony sells professional images; your ticket already funds the research.
Image Credits
All photos are real, freely licensed images from Wikimedia Commons — authors and licenses are credited in the captions. Because photography is banned at the evening viewing, the hero image is a wild little blue penguin photographed on a beach near Oamaru (a rehabilitation release, 2010); the swimming penguin portrait was taken in Wellington and is captioned as such.
Sources
- Ōamaru Penguins (official colony site) — Evening Viewing (prices, seating, camera ban, nightly count): www.penguins.co.nz ; Plan Your Visit (address, drive times, seasonal start times): www.penguins.co.nz
- New Zealand Tourism (official) — Ōamaru Blue Penguin Colony (colony size 700–800 birds, seasonal nightly numbers, history): www.newzealand.com
- Otago Daily Times — "Penguin colony opens up for anniversary" (established 1993, 33 pairs 1994 → 280 pairs 2022, quarry history, 2015 storm): www.odt.co.nz
- Smithsonian Magazine — "New Underpass Helps New Zealand Penguins Cross Busy Road" (2016 underpass, 75,000 visitors/year): www.smithsonianmag.com
- Department of Conservation — Bushy Beach Scenic Reserve (hoiho viewing hide, 3 pm–9 am beach closure, 20 m rule, directions): www.doc.govt.nz
- Rome2Rio — Christchurch to Oamaru (InterCity bus times and prices): www.rome2rio.com
Related destinations
- Otago Peninsula — the rare yellow-eyed penguin, 1.5 hours south.
- Phillip Island (Australia) — the same species, the biggest colony.