In the South Island of New Zealand, there is a city called Oamaru, which the travel blueprint book Lonely Planet named "the coolest town in New Zealand". It's got steam trains, historic buildings, a historic district, great art galleries and a burgeoning steampunk movement.
Not far away are the odd large round boulder
The Moraki boulders are scattered along a 40-kilometre stretch of coast south of Oamaru. According to Maori legend, they were rolled out by the Araiteuru, a seafaring war canoe, when it sank off the coast more than a thousand years ago. Later, scientists believe that these boulders were formed 65 million years ago. The reason for the formation of the round stones is that the sedimentary mud on the seabed, which is full of calcium and carbonate particles that crystallize, has been slowly forming these boulders over a period of four million years, bit by bit.
But for tourists, the little blue penguins inhabiting the area are undoubtedly the biggest attraction. Characterised by a particular ability to be cute!
Little blue penguins are the smallest penguins in the world, and Oamaru's little blue penguins are the closest to humans, living in an area where they have long been recognized as local residents.
New Zealand, which has always focused on protecting wildlife, has recently made another amazing move. The local government has gone so far as to build a special penguin lane for the famous blue penguins here in order to allow them to cross the road safely.
Little blue penguins are usually active at night. At dusk, flocks of little blue penguins gather offshore and wait for the sun to set to start fishing, and after dark, they swim back to shore and head for their nests with the day's catch; there they have their babies and their mates.
In the Oamaru harbour area, blue penguins share the road with pedestrians and vehicles. When the penguins return home in the evening, they carefully cross the road in pairs. So, you're driving along the road and suddenly there are penguins crossing the road in front of you! You must give way to the penguins, switch off your headlights and wait.
On Oamaru's roads, there are signs warning motorists to watch out for penguins.
But in order to maximize the protection of the lovely blue penguins, the local government has decided to build an exclusive road, after all, in order to protect the lives of local "residents" to build a channel, think about it is also reasonable ah.
This exclusive road is in fact a series of "exclusive tunnels", the construction of which began at the end of September this year. Many local companies have donated money and materials to help their little neighbours. This is New Zealand's first underpass for wildlife.
Now that there is an exclusive road, mum doesn't have to worry about the constant flow of traffic anymore.
Take courage and go in. It's the safest way.
Blue penguins are now accustomed to every night from the exclusive tunnel home, many partners will be curious, how the little blue penguins find the channel ? Discovery thinks that the blue penguins are actually very smart, they have QQ groups, such a message does not turn not blue penguins, forward 5 groups can also get free Q coins, so the news in the penguins have long been spread crazy! 😜
This small gesture, which locals take for granted, unexpectedly attracted a lot of attention from domestic and foreign media, and people are praising this kind of animal-loving behavior of New Zealand locals, and this kind of loving behaviour has received a lot of kudos.
The way animals are treated is perhaps the yardstick of civilization of a country, for if animals are treated in such a way, how much more so are human beings? I would also like to give a nod to New Zealand!
Related products: Oamaru Penguins Nesting
General Admission: Sit on the bleachers of the outdoor penguins and listen to the explanation about the habits of the little blue penguins. The little blue penguins go out fishing every day and return to the shore after dusk, passing through the sandy beaches and rocky slopes back to the breeding base. This is a 350-seat stand, so it is recommended that you book your event tickets in advance for the summer.
Price: Adults $30 Children $15 (5-17 years old) Under 5 years old free of charge
VIP TICKETS: Sitting in the VIP bleachers for the nighttime penguin viewing, you will be about 2-3 meters closer to the penguins on their way home. You will hear a super informative talk about the little blue penguins. You can also enter the penguin breeding area and walk past the many penguin burrows before you finish your penguin viewing. VIP tickets are limited to 60 people per night.
Price: Adults $45 Children $22.50 (5-17 years old) Under 5 years old FREE!
Tip: No filming or photography is permitted during the nightly penguin viewing programme.
If you have any questions you can email to info@pioneertravel.co.nz or call 09 9750 888