Timaru: where the world’s smallest penguins come out to play after dark

I turn around in shock. I spent the last half hour photographing a penguin chick when they suddenly disturb me. Walking down the street making a considerable fuss are a couple of locals having a boisterous conversation. Their eyes move in all directions, their heads stretch forward.

No, I don’t mean the people, this part of Timaru belongs to the penguins. And a couple of little penguins sneaked up on me, walking down the path like it was made for them.

Timaru is one of New Zealand’s most underrated coastal towns, built around the golden sands of Caroline Bay. The beach and adjoining park are lined with busy cafes, gardens, and are also home to a very rare resident – the little blue penguin.

These penguins have a permanent colony on the beach, and every night a procession of locals and curious tourists head to the boardwalk to witness a little blue miracle: the smallest penguins in the world, surfing on land and walking to their nests.

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The penguins live in Marine Parade, next to the harbor. We arrived long before sunset, not really knowing what to do. We parked our car next to the rocks in front of the sea and walked from one side of the beach to the other for more than an hour, without seeing anything. Then the locals start gathering in the distance, around our car.

It turns out that the penguin’s nesting area is one meter from where we parked.

Under the industrial glow of the harbor lights, as night falls, a series of chicks are seen emerging from rocks and brush. They are hungry; They’ve been waiting all day for Mom and Dad to come home, and you can’t blame them for being a little late.

Adult penguins swim up to 25 kilometers offshore in search of small fish, krill, and squid. They only weigh one kilogram, but can double their body weight by eating and storing food in the sea, before returning home to regurgitate it to their young.

The only place to see penguins is on a trail, behind ropes, which still allows you to get noticeably up close. Spectators congregate first where the surf and the beach meet. This is where the penguins ride the waves on land, and in an uncoordinated symphony of cuteness, they try to go from swimming to standing with all the grace of someone who has drunk too many wines.

Once on land, the mission to the nest begins. At this point, the chick has normally caught the squawking of the father and is beginning to run with uncontrolled excitement. Some take to the path, while others circle the bush. When a parent finally reaches the nest, the food exchange begins.

There are an estimated 300,000 to 600,000 little blue penguins left in the world, found in Australia and New Zealand.

The species is considered threatened in many areas on land, however an annual Forest and Bird census in the Timaru region has shown a 5% annual increase in population. This has been attributed to the warming of the sea and increased food supply.

A regular Penguin Watch team is also on patrol to make sure people keep a safe distance.

Given their proximity to the city, the penguins’ greatest threat continues to be dogs. So if you take your four-legged friend to the beach, make sure he’s on a leash.

And for the rest of us, we can all do our bit by being respectful. That means no flash photography and always staying behind the ropes.

Timaru is, however, much more than a penguin-spotting paradise: it is a picturesque seaside town with plenty to do during the day.

Caroline bay

Start your day in Caroline Bay with coffee and pastries at one of the many elegant cafes that line the central park.

After a stroll along the Gold Coast and Rose Gardens, head into town to admire the Edwardian cityscape that rose from the ashes of the great city fire in 1868, which destroyed 39 wooden buildings.

Maori rock art

Hidden in the hills around Timaru are a number of rare Maori rock art, and the best place to learn about it is at the Te Ana Māori Rock Art Center.

The center also organizes tours to a secret valley to discover a series of caves, with more than 100 drawings inside, believed to be more than 500 years old. The most significant piece is a spectacular five meter long taniwha drawn on the ceiling of a cave.

A Feast for the Senses

While there is no shortage of great places to eat in the city, a favorite with locals and visitors is Street Food Kitchen.

Start with fried chicken or bao pork belly (buns) and continue with Korean beef short ribs, salt and pepper squid or crispy fried chicken with charred pineapple and bell pepper.

Desserts are called “happy endings” and there is nothing happier than a Thai fried banana with salted caramel, cashew crunch, and coconut ice cream.

Also highly recommended is a 20 minute trip out of town to Strawberry Divine, which serves the best fresh fruit ice cream I have come across.

They source a wide selection of local fruits and transform it into an edible work of art right in front of you.

More information:

Timaru Penguins has a guide on where to find penguins and how to behave: timarupenguins.co.nz

For more ideas on what to do in the city during the day see: vttourism.co.nz

Stay at Coastal Ridge Apartments from $ 166 per night. See: https://coastalridgeapartments.co.nz

The author’s trip was supported by Venture Timaru.

Brook Sabin and Radha Engling travel the length of New Zealand on a Stuff Travel country road trip in a new Hyundai Kona Electric. The vehicle has 449 km of range in the real world on a single charge; for more information see: hyundai.co.nz/Kona-electric. This story was produced as part of an editorial partnership with Tourism New Zealand. Read more about the content of our association here.