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Monarch Wildlife Cruises & Tours

20 Fryatt Sreet, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
+64 3 477 4276
Website
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Ranked #5 of 20 activities in Dunedin
Type: Tours
Owner description: Monarch Wildlife Cruises & Tours have been offering tours of Dunedin and the Otago Peninsula since 1985, taking visitors to view the unique and... more » Owner description: Monarch Wildlife Cruises & Tours have been offering tours of Dunedin and the Otago Peninsula since 1985, taking visitors to view the unique and unrivaled wildlife & beauty the area is renowned for, including the Northern Royal Albatross, Yellow-Eyed Penguins (the world’s rarest penguin) seals and sea lions, and up to 20 other species of bird and marine life. A three time New Zealand tourism award winner, Monarch Wildlife Cruises is also Qualmarked & Qualmark Green accredited. Take a one hour cruise from Wellers Rock Wharf,on the Otago Peninsula or a half or full day tour which includes other Peninsula attractions, from 20 Fryatt St Dunedin. « less
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116 reviews from our community

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Montreal, Canada
Reviewer
3 reviews 3 reviews
Reviews in 3 cities Reviews in 3 cities
2 helpful votes 2 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 16 May 2013 NEW

I really enjoyed my 2 hour cruise and penguin visit. I wanted to do the Royal Albatross Center visit package instead but that was not available that day (end of season), but everything worked fine as I went the following day to the center and the cruise was actually as good (actually better) to see albatrosses flying, which was my... More

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Bargara, Australia
Top Contributor
83 reviews 83 reviews
41 attraction reviews
Reviews in 28 cities Reviews in 28 cities
16 helpful votes 16 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 13 April 2013

The second time we've done this tour and it was better than the trip a few years ago as the wind was high (40 knots maybe) and there were 4 varieties of albatross in the air and even on the water. Also, being a little later (4 March instead of February) we saw young albatross sitting waiting for food to... More

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See 3 more reviews by JimandFran for Dunedin
MonarchWildlife, Manager at Monarch Wildlife Cruises & Tours, responded to this review
21 May 2013

Thank you Jim & Fran for your delightful review and was wonderful to hear it was a repeat visit and you enjoyed your cruise even more than your first trip. As you mentioned March onwards is a good time to view the albatross chicks. Lynne More

Stratford, New Zealand
2 reviews
Reviews in 2 cities Reviews in 2 cities
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 10 April 2013

We joined the tour on 28th March where we were picked up from our motel by our tour guide Bruce - who was outstanding with his knowledge of not just of the places visited but also gave a fantastic running commentary along the way. We took the opportunity of visiting Larnach Castle before joining the boat trip and were lucky... More

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Leeds, United Kingdom
Reviewer
3 reviews 3 reviews
Reviews in 3 cities Reviews in 3 cities
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 1 April 2013

We had considered going to the albatross observatory at Taiaroa Head but as we love being on the water we opted for the boat trip instead. It also meant a pick up from our Dunedin hotel rather than a 45 minute drive to the observatory which was nice on a holiday that had involved so much driving. We were really... More

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Taipei, Taiwan
Reviewer
4 reviews 4 reviews
Reviews in 3 cities Reviews in 3 cities
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 30 March 2013

We joined the tour on 21 Feb. 2013. I feel embarrassed that I forget the name of the tour guide but she was so nice and knowledgable. She told us that we were truly lucky because we could see so many albatrosses flying in the sky. The timing was just perfect when there's a fishing boat nearby where albatrosses flew... More

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London
Reviewer
5 reviews 5 reviews
Reviews in 2 cities Reviews in 2 cities
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 30 March 2013

We took the Monarch boat from Wellers Rock, near the end of the Otago Peninsula, out to Taiaroa Heads where we met the open sea. The boat has lots of character and felt strong and safe. We were supplied,as we arrived in the boat, with warm waterproof jackets and binoculars. The skipper told us everything that was happening around us,... More

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See 3 more reviews by groundwalker for Dunedin
Senior Reviewer
10 reviews 10 reviews
6 attraction reviews
Reviews in 9 cities Reviews in 9 cities
3 helpful votes 3 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 20 March 2013 via mobile

Great value day with Monarch! Began with a prompt pickup at the wharf by Bruce then off to Lenoch Castle with great dialogue about local points of interest....a knowledgable tour of the castle with opportunities to explore and take pictures...we were then taken for a fabulous boat tour of the breeding grounds for Albatross and then out to sea to... More

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Kajang, Malaysia
Senior Contributor
27 reviews 27 reviews
4 attraction reviews
Reviews in 12 cities Reviews in 12 cities
11 helpful votes 11 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 19 March 2013

Booked a tour with Monarch on 22 Feb 2013. Pick up was punctual but later the timing was upset by a group of Japanese tourist who were late. The tour went on and the tour guide (can't remember her name) was very knowledgable and friendly. Good introduction and briefing on the wildlife and we managed to get glimps of Albatrosses.... More

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See 4 more reviews by BKLimSelangor for Dunedin
Imperial Beach, California, United States
Senior Contributor
42 reviews 42 reviews
9 attraction reviews
Reviews in 21 cities Reviews in 21 cities
5 helpful votes 5 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 14 March 2013

Terrific tour on February 1st, a sunny day with little wind. Saw Albatrosses (tho at long distance), seals, and with the Penguin tour add on, we saw Yellow Eye penguins up close and personal. Guides on the boat and on the penguin tour very friendly and informative. The boat was comfortable and the surrounding scenery enthralling. Strongly recommend the Y.E.... More

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Hollywood, Florida
Senior Reviewer
10 reviews 10 reviews
Reviews in 9 cities Reviews in 9 cities
70 helpful votes 70 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 14 March 2013

I wholeheartedly agree with all the other glowing reviews on the boat tour itself. We saw dolphins, albatrosses, seals, and sea lions. But I was really impressed with the customer service. My travel agency assurred me before leaving the states that transportation would be provided for the one hour boat tour. I had my doubts from the description on my... More

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MonarchWildlife, Manager at Monarch Wildlife Cruises & Tours, responded to this review
29 March 2013

Thank you for your very positive feedback and particulary your comments on our customer service. Our small team of passionate and experienced staff strive to provide the best possible experience for all our customers and we really value all the feedback received. Thanks Lynne More

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