"Oamaru, Penguin Country..." Top 5 Page for this destination Oamaru by kenmerk


Oamaru Travel Guide: 51 reviews and 94 photos

Well, I have to say that Oamaru is a town that is certainly worth visiting....

It has two nearby penguin colonies (one blue penguins and one of the endangered yellow eyed penguins) and also an interesting historic downtown section.

You can have your whole day layed out for you here. Visit the downtown section during the afternoon, then head over to the yellow eyed penguin colony at about 5 PM. Here you can sit in the penguin blind and watch a few hit the beach on their way home.

I would then highly recommend the guided tour down into the restricted nesting area. The guide will take you right up to a couple of the nests where it is easy to take close up pictures of the penguins nesting...

Head back to town for some dinner and buy a bottle of wine... After dinner, at about 9:30 PM, its about time for the Blue Penguins to start coming back in... Sit back and enjoy a few glasses of wine as you watch the little guys invade the beach...

It does make for an enjoyable (and full) day in Oamaru...

  • Last visit to Oamaru: Dec 2002
  • Intro Updated May 28, 2003
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  • dragontml's Profile Photo
    dragontml Jan 16, 2004 at 1:14 AM Report Abuse

    hhmmm, yellow eyed penguins, i saw in dunedin and it was much fun watching these little guys.....;-) only had a lunch stop at oamaru and it looked like a very historical town.

  • Bwana_Brown's Profile Photo
    Bwana_Brown Dec 6, 2003 at 9:45 PM Report Abuse

    Interesting penguin facts - never knew about this place! Also, looks like very interesting architecture in the town! I would love to visit NZ!!!

  • pepples46's Profile Photo
    pepples46 Sep 27, 2003 at 2:35 AM Report Abuse

    delightful, absolutly delightful .....and Janet Frame grew up here in Oamaru, NZ most famous contemporary writer...HaPpY BiRtHdAy Kenny:-) the white pengie ..ya missed :-(

  • Guantanamera's Profile Photo
    Guantanamera Sep 26, 2003 at 6:45 PM Report Abuse

    An economy based on penguins and pretzels... Interesting...

  • tpangelinan's Profile Photo
    tpangelinan Sep 21, 2003 at 6:54 PM Report Abuse

    Yellow Eyed Penguin! Really unusual pictures and great shots of the wild life!! Love the penguin crossing sign!

  • solo_mc's Profile Photo
    solo_mc Sep 3, 2003 at 5:31 PM Report Abuse

    Penguin walking is our last exercise fad. It is supposed to give you a lovely looking back.

  • Geisha_Girl's Profile Photo
    Geisha_Girl Jun 23, 2003 at 7:57 PM Report Abuse

    "I believe the word you are looking for is "Aaaaahh!" (Penguin addressing Catwoman in "Batman Returns")

  • craic's Profile Photo
    craic Jun 4, 2003 at 7:23 AM Report Abuse

    Love your NZ pages. Hope you have many more to come. BTW Oamaru is the only word I have seen misspelled in The New Yorker. Plus an alpha male would have found a mate. LOL The loner one must be a deta male.

  • syllybabe's Profile Photo
    syllybabe Jun 4, 2003 at 3:09 AM Report Abuse

    Good info about penguins, Ken. They're cute.

  • herzog63's Profile Photo
    herzog63 May 29, 2003 at 10:54 PM Report Abuse

    Wow Ken! I'd love to see Penquins in real life!! Great pictures!! Oamaru would be worth it just for that!

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