Tavora Reserve |

Are you looking for a pleasant walk (about an hour) with amazing scenery, fur seals and possibly yellow eyed penguins? Then head to Tavora Reserve.

About 10 minutes drive from Palmerston and 40 minutes north of Dunedin, the reserve was purchased by the Yellow-eyed Penguin Trust in 1993. There has also been a lot of dune restoration work done in this area.

The walk starts at the car park and runs along the Tavora Creek to the beach. When you have finished exploring the beach and rocks, back track to the start of the track which heads up the hill to Bobby’s head for some spectacular views. This is an easy loop walk following the cliffs where you can see fur seals and maybe penguins. The walk then heads away from the cliffs and through a paddock before joining the road back down the hill to the car park.

Unfortunately we didn’t see any penguins but there were quite a few fresh footprints on the beach, so we will be going back soon to see if we can see them.

Combine this walk with a visit to Matanaka Farm, fish and chips or a picnic on Waikouaiti Beach for a great afternoon out.

Check out my other posts for more amazing walks and beaches around the Dunedin area – we are so lucky to have all this, right on our doorstep.

How to get there:

From Dunedin travel to Goodwood, just south of Palmerston. Turn right into Goodwood road and follow the road until you reach the car park on the right.