Kia ora.
The cost of the tour contributes to the stewardship of the Albatross. It enables the Otago Peninsula Trust, which manages the Royal Albatross Centre to continue to offer albatross experiences to the public, to offer education programmes to children, free interactive displays contributing to understanding of the peninsula wildlife and ecosystem for visitors and to continue in its role "To preserve and enhance the Otago Peninsula". A portion of the tour fees goes to the Department of Conservation and supports the department's role as wildlife guardians and for their management and care of the albatross at the colony. The $50 cost for the one hour tour or $55 cost for the 90 minute tour compares very reasonably with other NZ tour attractions - and as this is run by a not-for-profit trust you can be assured that the tour revenue is being used for a great cause!
As a kaitiaki of the headland we are primarily driven by the conservation of all the species that call Pukekura home, including the Royal Albatross at the world's only mainland albatross breeding colony. We love to share this special place and unique wildlife experiences with our visitors. By taking a tour visitors are contributing to the care and conservation of these species – we are the only operator that submits funds to the Department of Conservation for Royal Albatross viewing. We offer the best chance to see albatross in their breeding environment - the only mainland royal albatross breeding colony in the world!
Otago Peninsula Trust is NZ's first charitable conservation trust, which was set up in 1967 to 'preserve and enhance Otago Peninsula'. Our Annual Report is available online for anyone to view to see how funds are used and the good work we carry out; Trust members have membership privileges, we also offer special prices for families and days where locals can visit for very special prices. We run education programmes for school children at a minimal cost for the pupils. In 2016 we have hosted around 1500 students. The Trust has also donated over $11,000 of free tickets to help schools, charities and good causes fundraise.
The Royal Albatross Centre itself, with its comprehensive historical and educational displays, videos, toilets, cafe, and gift shop is free to access for everyone. This is only made possible by the Trust's activities. As you will appreciate, it costs a significant amount to run a centre like this 364 days a year. We very much value all the contributions people make so that the Trust is able to offer this access and facilities to everyone year round. The cost of providing water and toilets to guests is about $100,000 per annum as water and sewage have to be trucked in and out of the headland.
The albatross guided tour offers an informative, knowledgeable hosted experience for the limited number of visitors that are permitted by the Department of Conservation to access the colony. This includes a video, explanation of and insights into the lives of albatross, exclusive viewing from on the wildlife reserve and the only chance visitors have to easily access a close up experience of an albatross breeding colony. The activity is different every day, all year around as albatross court, breed and raise their chicks. There are over 20 species of wildlife that live at Pukekura, the observatory allows viewing of this wildlife too – and magnificent views of Otago Harbour and Peninsula.
We very much value any contribution that visitors are able to make to this precious wildlife sanctuary by supporting the Royal Albatross Centre's tours and activities.
All the best,
Ashleigh Compton