Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Clearwater Wildlife Tours, Eco tour agency, Otago Peninsula, Dunedin.
(8)
Our small group tours offer unrivalled opportunities to connect with rare wildlife from our family farm at Cape Saunders rated as ‘‘One of the most beautiful coastal headlands and beaches in NZ.’’ – Ahipara Luxury Travel NZ.
BREAKING: Here's the top 10 rankings on Day 5 of voting in 2024.
The karure black robin leads the race with the backing of VUWSA - Victoria University of Wellington Students' Association.
Is there any University of Otago students out there that could lead the charge for Hoiho?
Don't forget to vote
🐧 hoiho 🐧 for bird of the year https://www.birdoftheyear.org.nz/
Love this video 🥰 from the amazing team at the Dunedin Wildlife Hospital 💚
Don't forget to vote 🐧 hoiho 🐧 for bird of the year https://www.birdoftheyear.org.nz/
A beautiful sunrise out at Cape Saunders this morning from our farm gate camera. ☀️🥰
Love watching the baby lambs playing as the sunrises 🌅
🙏 🐧 🥰🙏🐧🥰
💛💛💛 Voting for Bird of the Year is NOW OPEN! 💛💛💛
The Wildlife Hospital is uniting with the City of Dunedin to highlight one of the world’s rarest penguins! With only 131 breeding pairs left on mainland New Zealand, the hoiho needs our help now more than ever.
Join us for the Bird of the Year competition and VOTE HOIHO 🐧
Together, we can make a difference
www.wilddunedin.nz/hoiho
Yellow-eyed Penguin Trust The Otago Peninsula Eco Restoration Alliance - The OPERA New Zealand Festival of Nature Tūhura Otago Museum Dunedin NZ
Thanks to Joe Lawry from Luminance Media for putting this together ❤️🐧❤️🦭
Conservation Week 2024, 2nd – 8th September! 🦎🐧🌱
‘Take Action for Nature’. and get involved -
Celebrate Conservation Week 2024 from 2-8 September.
Dunedin's Newest Wildlife Tour!
We are thrilled to get a feature article in this months edition!
❤️🐧❤️🦭❤️
For five generations, the Clearwater family have been the caretakers of the pristine land and water around Cape Saunders/Kaimata – arguably home to more wildlife per square metre than anywhere in Dunedin.
For five generations, the Clearwater family have been the caretakers of the pristine land and water around Cape Saunders/Kaimata – arguably home to more wildlife per square metre than anywhere in Dunedin.
UPDATE- 4 FREE TICKETS HAVE BEEN GIVEN AWAY
Keep following our page for more chances in the coming weeks.
We have 🐧😍 2 x 2 free tickets to giveaway for our 1.00 pm-5.00 pm tour tomorrow Wednesday 19th June leaving from the Octagon, Central Dunedin.
Any wildlife lovers or photographers 📷out there that are keen to join please comment below and we will select a winner asap.🐧🥰🦭
Thank you Dunedin NZ for featuring us in your winter campaign 👏 🤩
We have some more free tickets for Dunedin residents so comment here if you would love to win 2 free tickets to our 1.30pm - 5.30pm tour this Saturday 1st June 🦭 🦭 🐧 🐧
And neither do we. Make like a sea lion and head to a destination that does winter right, with a flurry of winter events, culinary comforts and wild encounters – this one’s for the chill seekers.
Winter in Dunedin: www.dunedinnz.com/winter
UPDATE - 6 FREE tickets have been allocated! Keep following our page for more opportunities to WIN!
We have 🐧😍 2 x 2 free tickets to giveaway for our 2.00 pm-6.00 pm tour this afternoon, Sunday 5th May leaving from the Octagon, Central Dunedin.
Any wildlife lovers or photographers 📷out there that are keen to join please comment below and we will select a winner asap.🐧🥰🦭
UPDATE- Congrats Savannah de Vos 👏 🐧🐧
Anyone keen to join our 3pm - 7pm tour this afternoon, Sunday 31st March.
We have 2 free tickets for the first person to PM us 🐧🐧
It might be a bit of a grey day but the wildlife love it 💁♀️
Happy Easter everyone! 🐣
🐧🐧🐧🐧🐧 8 Free tickets have all been taken.🐧🐧🐧🐧Try us again next time if you missed out!
We have 🐧😍 two free tickets😍🐧 available for our 3.30pm-7.30pm tour this afternoon, Sunday 24th March leaving from the Octagon, Central Dunedin.
Share our post and like our page and let us know why you would like to win and we will select a winner asap.🐧🥰🦭
Clearwaters of New Zealand
Born in the USA, and of Dutch descent, Garett Hopper Clearwater was the first descendant of the Clearwater family who arrived at Otakou on the Lucy Ann in 1832 before finally setting in 1838 on the Otago Peninsula.
He worked as a whaler, ships carpenter, as a shipwright for the Weller Brothers, a cooper and later as a sawyer, goldminer, and farmer.
He first met his wife, Ann Stevenson, as she was disembarking from the sailing ship the Phillip Laing from Scotland, after it berthed in 1848. This was the second immigrant ship to arrive in Dunedin following the John Wickliffe that same year. They first settled at Company Bay where he started a sawmilling business and then to Broad Bay, at the top of what is now known as Clearwater Street.
Garrett and Ann had 7 children of which all the Clearwater’s of New Zealand are direct descendants.
In those days Otago Peninsula was called upon to supply much of the produce, milk, butter, potatoes, and vegetables for the Dunedin market. There was also a large demand from the ships at Port Chalmers for fresh food.
Their 5th child William and wife Charlotte, nee Geary, farmed in Papanui Inlet. William was also a blacksmith, and his wife Charlotte was known to walk to Dunedin to sell butter, a distance of 20 miles over rough country.
William and Charlotte had 11 children and their 10th child Robert was our grandfather.
Robert and his wife Eliza took over the family farm and had 7 children. Their sons Des, Brian, Robert (Bob) and Alan all took up farms in close proximity to their home farm at Mount Charles, the highest point on the Otago Peninsula. All these farms remain in the Clearwater family and are predominately farming sheep and cattle and sewing crops for winter feed.
Robert & Eliza’s 7th child Alan and his wife Sandra (our parents) purchased the home farm in 1975 and had 4 children. Steven the eldest acquired the home farm in 2008 and Rachel, Janine and Mark purchased Cape Saunders Farm in 2006, alongside their parents.
To date 6 generations of Clearwater’s have resided on the Otago Peninsula since 1838.
Our family genealogy was recorded in 1986 and every descendant of Garrett Hopper Clearwater was allocated a code to represent their family history by generation.
Most Clearwater’s are familiar with the book - Clearwater’s of New Zealand. Ask any descendant and they may surprise you with their family code!
Rachel Kerr (nee Clearwater) 5.10.7.2
Check out our family tree here - https://clearwaterwildlifetours.co.nz/our-story/clearwaters-of-nz
Our Story
Clearwater Wildlife Tours is a family owned and operated business.
My brother, Mark Clearwater and I grew up on the Otago Peninsula on our family farm located at Mt Charles, Papanui Inlet. This farm has been in our family since the days of the European settlers in Dunedin - over 180 years.
l ventured into tourism back in 1996 when my husband Mike and I opened Peninsula Bed & Breakfast in Portobello. Our 3 boys were born there, and we enjoyed meeting travelers from all over the world.
Without internet back then many guests would miss out on wildlife tours as they were fully booked. I would often bundle them into my car and take them to our backcountry so they could experience the scenic inlets, the rugged outer coast, and the abundance of wildlife at Cape Saunders. I was always so proud to explain our family ties to the area and our farming history.
Cape Saunders farm was previously owned by our Uncle Brian Clearwater and in 2006 we purchased this land alongside our parents Alan and Sandra.
Our Dad still manages the farm and is still counting sheep among many other tasks after over 60 years of farming on 3 Clearwater farms.
In 2019 the opportunity to expand the family farm at Cape Saunders arose, and we took it. At the time we planned to launch a joint partnership with an existing operation, but the universe had other plans…
Unfortunately, tragedy struck in late 2019 with the loss of my husband, the father of our 3 sons and in 2020 covid followed.
Out of the ashes our family has created Clearwater Wildlife Tours.
We have selected a team of the best local guides to make sure your visitor experiences are the best they can be.
Our family has improved all the walking tracks and roads so that our tour vehicles have better access. This has reduced the walking distances so that the beach access is now just a gentle stroll to the shore. We have also provided better access for wildlife and will continue to plant native trees to expand our private conservation area, keep the beach clean, monitor, report and transport sick or injured wildlife and protect their habitats from predators.
Our aim is to secure this land for future generations to experience and to continue the conservation efforts to protect these precious wildlife habitats.
We are very proud of our achievements and are excited to showcase this experience to the world.
Rachel Kerr (nee Clearwater)
Owner, Operations Manager & Guide
Clearwater Wildlife Tours & Cape Saunders Farm
Book Now!
www.ClearwaterWildlifeTours.co.nz
Embark on an extraordinary journey to a private and secluded wildlife sanctuary within the Clearwater family farm.
Experience unrivalled opportunities to view rare yellow-eyed penguins, New Zealand sea lions, fur seals and a variety of sea and wading birds.
The journey to Cape Saunders takes you through the beautiful backcountry and inlets of the Otago Peninsula where you will see a variety of wildlife including native birds amid breath-taking scenery.
Arrive at Cape Saunders through our working farm and learn about our Clearwater farming history dating back over 6 generations on the Otago Peninsula.
Experience a uniquely secluded breeding colony of NZ fur seals and a variety of sea birds from two stunning viewing locations overlooking the wild and rugged Pacific Ocean.
We then journey to our native conservation reserve where our knowledgeable and experienced team will guide you to vital breeding grounds for yellow-eyed penguins and New Zealand sea lions.
Witness and learn about this special place from several viewing hides and secluded locations while exploring one of NZ’s most beautiful untouched natural beaches.
After embarking on a spectacular wildlife experience and witnessing unforgettable vistas and breathtaking coastal, beach and shore environments we complete the journey back to your pick up location.
Our aim is to give you a truly authentic NZ experience and leave you with memories that will last for a lifetime.
Book Now!
www.ClearwaterWildlifeTours.co.nz
Free tickets anyone?
🐧🦭🐧🦭
Update- all free tickets have been allocated 🐧🐧🐧🐧
We have 4 free tickets for our 11.00am-3.00pm tour tomorrow morning, Thursday 1st February.
Share our post and like our page and let us know why you would like to win and we will select a winner asap.🐧🥰🦭
🌍 #7 in the world! 🌎
Well done 💙💛 OTAGO 💙💛
We have been getting a lot of comments from travellers from all over the globe as to how friendly Kiwis are and how lucky we are to live here.
Great pic of Allans Beach, Hoopers Inlet and Mt Charles ❤️
Regions in Taiwan, the UK, Colombia and Italy also appeared on the list.
So this happened on Monday morning….. 😱🫣
Cruising around Hoopers Inlet with 6 Aussies on board we suddenly couldn’t quite believe what we were seeing. 😳 🐧 😱 📷
Sitting out in the middle of Hoopers Inlet was an under weight, juvenile Snares Crested Penguin 🤩🐧🤩
Is this normal? Ahhh no! 🤷♀️
He is a long long way from home! (200km) 😬
We quickly dispatched Hiltrun from our team to pick him up and deliver him to The Opera rehab facility into the safe hands of their team. 🥰 🙌
Snares Island penguins are usually only found south of New Zealand in the Snares Islands (all within 3 sq. km).
The Snares Islands is a group of uninhabited islands lying about 200km south of the South Island.
Snares Island penguins have a crest of yellow plumes that extend behind the eyes.
Size - up to 64 cm
Weight -2.5 to 3kg
Diet -euphausiid shrimp, squids, fishes
Incubation -31 to 37 days
Sexual Maturity -6 years old
Life Span -15 to 20 years
Nests in muddy, forested areas and on rocky slopes.
Population
Approximately 62,000 mature penguins
Status -Vulnerable
He is currently hanging out at and will be released back out to sea once he has put on some weight and can hopefully make it home before the moult. 🙏 🐧🙏
We have added the close up pic from the DOC website 🐧
Are there any wildlife lovers out there?
UPDATE- winner is Natalie Dassen 🐧🐧 Enjoy ☺️
We have 🐧😍 two free tickets😍🐧 available for our 4.30pm-8.30pm tour this afternoon.
Share our post and like our page and let us know why you would like to win and we will select a winner asap.🐧🥰🦭
Our guides Eric and Will had an extra passenger on the trip home on Thursday evening! 🐧
We spotted two unwell penguins on Wednesday night and a NZ Sealion (Leo) with a bit of a nasty gash. 😢
One Hoiho had a bad limp and one looking a bit underweight.
Eric and Will were dispatched to check on them and came home with a different Hoiho (Teo) that had an old wound that he was fussing with and preening with his beak so they picked him up and delivered him to the safe hands of the ❤️ Dunedin Wildlife Hospital ❤️ to get a check up.
Our tour on Wednesday included the gorgeous Harmes girls Macy and Freya so we asked them to name these two. Freya has named the Hoiho Teo 🐧 and Macy the NZ Sealion Leo 🦭.
Thanks girls you were super cute and so engaged the whole trip even tho we didn’t get you home till well past your bedtime ☺️ 🥱
We are keeping a close eye on these guys but all the hard work is undertaken by the amazing team at the Dunedin Wildlife Hospital 🙌 🥰 🐧
Otago Peninsula
Dunedin
9077
| Monday | 8am - 10pm |
| Tuesday | 8am - 10pm |
| Wednesday | 8am - 10pm |
| Thursday | 8am - 10pm |
| Friday | 8am - 10pm |
| Saturday | 8am - 10pm |
| Sunday | 8am - 10pm |
Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Clearwater Wildlife Tours posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
Send a message to Clearwater Wildlife Tours:
Thanks to Joe Lawry from Luminance Media for putting this together ❤️🐧❤️🦭
Embark on an extraordinary journey to a private and secluded wildlife sanctuary within the Clearwater family farm. Experience unrivalled opportunities to view rare yellow-eyed penguins, New Zealand sea lions, fur seals and a variety of sea and wading birds. The journey to Cape Saunders takes you through the beautiful backcountry and inlets of the Otago Peninsula where you will see a variety of wildlife including native birds amid breath-taking scenery. Arrive at Cape Saunders through our working farm and learn about our Clearwater farming history dating back over 6 generations on the Otago Peninsula. Experience a uniquely secluded breeding colony of NZ fur seals and a variety of sea birds from two stunning viewing locations overlooking the wild and rugged Pacific Ocean. We then journey to our native conservation reserve where our knowledgeable and experienced team will guide you to vital breeding grounds for yellow-eyed penguins and New Zealand sea lions. Witness and learn about this special place from several viewing hides and secluded locations while exploring one of NZ’s most beautiful untouched natural beaches. After embarking on a spectacular wildlife experience and witnessing unforgettable vistas and breathtaking coastal, beach and shore environments we complete the journey back to your pick up location. Our aim is to give you a truly authentic NZ experience and leave you with memories that will last for a lifetime. Book Now! www.ClearwaterWildlifeTours.co.nz
So this happened on Monday morning….. 😱🫣 Cruising around Hoopers Inlet with 6 Aussies on board we suddenly couldn’t quite believe what we were seeing. 😳 🐧 😱 📷 Sitting out in the middle of Hoopers Inlet was an under weight, juvenile Snares Crested Penguin 🤩🐧🤩 Is this normal? Ahhh no! 🤷♀️ He is a long long way from home! (200km) 😬 We quickly dispatched Hiltrun from our team to pick him up and deliver him to The Opera rehab facility into the safe hands of their team. 🥰 🙌 Snares Island penguins are usually only found south of New Zealand in the Snares Islands (all within 3 sq. km). The Snares Islands is a group of uninhabited islands lying about 200km south of the South Island. Snares Island penguins have a crest of yellow plumes that extend behind the eyes. Size - up to 64 cm Weight -2.5 to 3kg Diet -euphausiid shrimp, squids, fishes Incubation -31 to 37 days Sexual Maturity -6 years old Life Span -15 to 20 years Nests in muddy, forested areas and on rocky slopes. Population Approximately 62,000 mature penguins Status -Vulnerable He is currently hanging out at @TheOpera and will be released back out to sea once he has put on some weight and can hopefully make it home before the moult. 🙏 🐧🙏 We have added the close up pic from the DOC website 🐧
🐧 Yellow Eyed Penguins 🐧 Taken on a Clearwater Wildlife Tours this video was captured and produced by Koshy from Black Stallion Photography Thanks for sharing this with us. ❤️🐧🐧❤️ #clearwaterwildlifetoursnz #wildlifephotography #yelloweyedpenguin #wildlife
We have been following Pepples progress on our tours. While pregnant she was choosing a few interesting locations on gravel roads and up a driveway tucked in under a flax bush to escape any attention from male sealions. Thankfully she is now in a much safer place to rest and suckle her pup 🙏
These guys have been keeping us entertained this week. 🤩 🐧 🐧🤩 We are always so excited to see these two healthy and happy chicks. Mum and Dad are doing a great job of keeping up with their demands. 🥰 🙏 🥰
NZ Sealion Pups playing in Papanui Inlet - May 2023. #wildlifephotography
Love at first sight 🥰 You gotta melt at these dishy eyes, tiny ears and button nose ☺️ #NZfursealpup #ClearwaterWildlifeToursNZ
