Pōhatu penguins/Plunge NZ Ltd

I think this is the experience that truly defined our honeymoon or at the very least, the one that made my wife so happy that I became just as enthusiastic. Our travel agency’s itinerary didn’t include a stop in Akaroa, so we chose to visit this small town and the Banks Peninsula by taking time away from other activities. Was it worth it? Absolutely, 100%. While looking for things to do in the area, I came across this small locally run penguin reserve offering various tours around the Flea Bay / Pohatu area. It was unforgettable! Our two guides, Beckie and Mona, were fantastic: they accompanied us every step of the way, telling us about the project, the penguins, the area, and the reforestation efforts taking place in this part of New Zealand. We visited the penguin nesting boxes, helping the researchers monitor the little residents. We witnessed newly hatched chicks being cared for, penguins hunting for fish in the bay, and their return to shore. The experience lasts several hours – as the guides suggested, it’s best to have dinner beforehand, as everything closes early – but it is absolutely worth it. We were lucky enough to enjoy a beautiful day with an incredible sunset. A truly remarkable experience that brings you into close contact with nature: both flora (manuka and kanuka plants) and fauna (lambs, sheep, rabbits, seals, and penguins). Thank you, Mona, for the lovely chat on the way back – it was a pleasure learning more about the Akaroa area and your work.

Wow! What an incredible experience. An absolutely stunning drive through the rolling hills, with ocean views, followed by an informative walk through the penguin colony. Seeing lambs, ducks, and seals was an extra treat! We learnt so much from Tayla - she was so knowledgeable and fun to chat with, and had such great initiative taking photos. How incredible that they had camouflage jackets and binoculars to lend to us to enhance the experience. Akaroa stole our hearts, but this tour was just the cherry on top.

Wonderful experience! We did the 24hour package and I would say it's definitely worth it! We got driven from Akaroa and the guide stopped along the way for beautiful scenery photos. She also had a lot of wonderful information for us. A note that it's important to have good shoes and dress well because they then drop you off at the top for a 3 or 1.5 hour hike down to the farmstay. It passes through a forest, following a river and then through farmland where you literally walk among the sheep. The farmstay was great! Rustic accommodations with everything you need and very clean kitchen/toilets! The property is STUNNING. There's a small stretch of beach where you can swim and see so much marine life. The penguin tour was great- we got to see babies in their boxes, adults at sea, seals and dolphins. Also saw all the rare sheep breeds at the farm. They drove us back the next morning to Akaroa. We would have loved to stay longer!!

We had an unforgettable time staying here and highly recommend you do the 24 hour stay as well. Becky, our guide, was quite knowledgeable and helpful. We really enjoyed the hike into the property. The scenery was picturesque. The property is surrounded by wildlife, so you get a very close and personal experience. The sea kayaking guides, Ben and Kevin, were funny and made us feel very safe. All the facilities were quite clean and the accommodation was comfortable. Watch out for penguins at night however because they are nesting all over the property even under the bathroom floorboards!

We did the evening tour. Our tour guide Geraldine was lovely and gave us all the information we could've wanted and more. Wonderful scenery, and we went in early September and were lucky enough to see not only a lot of penguins but also lambs and a fur seal. The walk is not as intense as the website makes it sound so don't worry too much. A bit narrow or uneven in some places but not too many steep hills or anything. It does get cold.

My daughter and I went on the 2-hour Pohatu Penguins nature tour today with Kevin as our guide, and we had the best time! We absolutely loved getting up close and personal with all the animals. Kevin’s knowledge and passion for the environment made the whole experience even more special – we learned so much while still having a lot of fun. Such a unique and memorable experience, and we highly recommend it to anyone visiting the area. Thank you so much Kevin, we will be back! My daughter is already asking about doing the school holiday program with you guys.

If it was possible to put more than 5 I would do it! Géraldine wad so great and giving us a lot of information, we saw tones of penguins on that night and she was super helpful by helping us to find those little things in the middle of the water and then on the beach! She spent a lot of time explaining us the biodiversity too and teaching about native plants! Special mention to the sheep and their babies! So incredible, 100% recommended, I would do it again before to leave New Zealand!!!

I greatly enjoyed their overnight farmstay package. The nature drive into the cottage was interesting and very scenic. The accommodations were very cute and comfortable and the penguin program was excellent. I also got to bottle feed a lamb and enjoyed the sheep and cattle on the property. This was an excellent way to end my New Zealand trip. All the staff are beyond friendly. Highly recommend them.