October 01, 2012
Penguin sanctuary prompts tourism venture
The Karetai whanau on the Otago Peninsula is setting up a tourism venture around the blue penguins that gather at Pilot’s Beach below Taiaroa Head.
Hoani Langsbury, the director of operations and wildlife for Blue Penguins Pukekura, says up to 100 people will be taken each evening to see the penguins raft in from the sea and come up the beach to nest.
The venture also incorporates stories of the history of the area, which is near a significant Kai Tahu pa site where the Treaty of Waitangi was signed.
He says the venture will help the trust fulfil its kaitiaki role, and local schools through the Kids Restore New Zealand Environmental Trust are helping to replant the area around the new viewing platform.