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Accommodation Information |
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Golden Bay Information |
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| Penguins and other Wild Creatures |
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| Golden Bay is an important area internationally for several varieties of native land and shore birds.
For several years Blue Penguins or in Maori Korora have nested under our home and other buildings on our property.
These birds come ashore for much of the year to moult, claim and maintain their territory, court their mate, breed, lay eggs and raise their chicks.
We have built several nesting boxes for their protection (mostly against dogs) and so that they can be more easily observed by our visitors.We check on each of the boxes weekly, visitors are welcome to join us in this and therefore are often able to observe the penguins. The penguins head out to sea each morning and return in the evening giving our guests another opportunity to see them. The penguins are wild birds and their habits are seasonal. At some times of year the penguins spend 24 hours each day at sea feeding and therefore it is not possible for our visitors to see them.With the help of some of New Zealand's penguin experts we were able in 2005 to raise the first chicks in the nesting boxes. (photo top right) Each year since the penguins in our boxes have continued successfully raising two chicks - our penguin population is growing!! For more information on the blue penguin and
all types of other penguins in New Zealand, visit New Zealand Penguins or New Zealand Birds websites.
Dolphins regularly swim past our beachfront accommodation.
Less frequently we observe whales; Golden Bay unfortunately has had a number of whale strandings, these are usually successfully returned to the water. |
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