89 Bushy Beach Road, South Hill, Waitaki

Bushy Beach

Bushy Beach is just a 10 minute drive from the main street of Oamaru. Here you can watch hoiho (yellow-eyed) penguins free of charge. A scenic reserve on the south side of Cape Wanbrow, Bushy Beach is worth seeing for its geology, wildlife and scenery. As well as hoiho, New Zealand fur seals visit regularly, while Hooker's sea lions, leopard and elephant seals drop in occasionally. Walk along a well-formed track to the hide to watch the penguins come ashore. If you're lucky, you'll see them porpoise through the waves before they waddle up the beach. The show isn't over then; walk back along the track a little and wait. The penguins climb up the cliffs and appear at their nests, some of which are only a few metres from the track. There they'll stand with their flippers stretched out to cool down while they wait for their mates to arrive. The raucous cries make you understand how they came by their Maori name, which means 'noise shouter'.

Some years ago the hoiho looked to be following the moa to extinction. Thanks to a Mainland Cheese ad on TV, the country rallied to help. Many volunteers worked with the Department of Conservation to care for the birds and fence breeding areas to protect them from predators. Jim Caldwell, an authority on this colony after working with them for 20 years, gives guided tours from the viewing hide from November to March.

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