Monro Beach Walk

Monro Beach Walk

20 Rankers Reviews

15 Face-to-Face

8 Penguin Watching

4 Haast

Your Nature Guide

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Marios Gavalas

Author And Researcher

Nau mai, haere mai

Nau mai, haere mai

I'm Marios, delivering the best of Aotearoa's nature walks to your device.

I've personally walked hundreds of New Zealand's tracks and spent months in libraries uncovering interesting information on New Zealand/Aotearoa. And you'll find a slice of that research on this page - enjoy!

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Photos

Monro Beach - Look for Penguins!

Information

Monro Beach Walk

4.7 km return | 1 hour 30 minutes return

Fiordland crested penguins hang out here. We are the reasons their numbers are in serious decline. Be respectful, note the advice on the signs. And KEEP YOUR DISTANCE.

Walking Track

Timing

Penguins are most likely to be present between July and September.

Access

Monro Beach is signposted near the southern end of Lake Monowai, just after crossing the Moeraki River. This is 85 km from Fox Glacier and 5.5 km from the Knights Point summit lookout.

There is a parking area and toilet.

Track

After crossing the swingbridge over the stream, the track shortly meets a 4WD road before re-entering coastal rainforest. It is a gentle descent to a secluded beach.

Fauna

This is the haunt of Fiordland crested penguins (Eudyptes pachyrhynchus). Most noteworthy for the broad yellow stripe which protrudes from the nostril to the back of the head like an exaggerated eyebrow that has had an electric current passed through it.

They sound primeval with braying, hissing and growling noises.

They only breed in the south of the South Island and Stewart Island, in isolated places away from disturbance. They are by-nature antisocial, so don’t try and be their friend. They simply don’t care and probably find your presence both an annoyance and major inconvenience.

Following breeding they head to sea to put on mass before their annual moult, usually around February. This is a pain for them, as they are land-bound during this time and an easy target for illness and predation. They lose half their body weight and are so disturbed by this unfortunate evolutionary hiccup that they have to go fishing for several months after to regain sanity.

Details

Feature Value Info

Location

South IslandWest CoastHaast

Categories

  • Activity__walking_and_trekkingWalking
  • Activity__penguin_watchingPenguin Watching
  • Free

Directions

To Coordinates

Coordinates

-43.7175513442765

169.270505809784

Latitude
-43.7175513442765
Longitude
169.270505809784

Nearby

Reviews

    • Easy access, beautiful walk through the forest.
    • 2 hour walk with many bird sounds - wonderful.
    • Beautiful, hanging bridge and many plants.
    • 40km North of Haast.
    • Pleasant walk thru the forest to the beach.
    Rating Count Percentage
    10/10 8
    40%
    9/10 6
    30%
    8/10 5
    25%
    7/10 0
    0%
    6/10 1
    5%
    5/10 0
    0%
    4/10 0
    0%
    3/10 0
    0%
    2/10 0
    0%
    1/10 0
    0%
  • 3.0/5

    Way to the beach through a rainforest was really interesting.

    Took lots of photos there. Unfortunately we did not see any of the penguins, but saw a seal puppy.

    Reviewed over 7 years ago and experienced in November 2016

  • 4.5/5

    It was pouring when we went and the penguins were not there, but the walk was pretty lovely even raining.

    Reviewed almost 8 years ago

  • 4.5/5

    Found this by sheer luck.

    We thought this was near Knights Point, but you have to actually drive a couple of miles down the road where the Monro Beach Walk sign is on the left. Allow plenty of time for the return walk. We are reasonably fit and this took approximately 45mins each way - not including time on the beach looking for penguins! We did see a few Fjordland Crested penguins arrive back on the beach from feeding around 6pm, which definitely made the walk worthwhile despite the masses of sandflies on the beach. Recommend that you take binoculars for the best viewing experience. Please be respectful to the penguins and keep your distance if you see them. Camera zoom will pick up the detail when you get home :)

    Reviewed almost 8 years ago

  • 4.5/5

    Simple walk through beautiful rainforest to a beautiful long beach.

    Penguins supposedly there but we did not come at the right time - even so was worth it!

    Reviewed over 8 years ago and experienced in February 2016

  • 5.0/5

    Easy access, beautiful walk through the forest.

    The beach is very nice, even without penguins.

    Reviewed over 8 years ago and experienced in January 2016

  • 5.0/5

    2 hour walk with many bird sounds - wonderful.

    Reviewed over 10 years ago and experienced in March 2014

  • 4.5/5

    Lovely walk through rain forest, did not see penguins on the beach but thousands of sandflies (only on the beach, not on the walk).

    Reviewed over 11 years ago and experienced in March 2013

  • 4.0/5

    40km North of Haast.

    Very nice track to the beach through forest.

    Reviewed almost 12 years ago

  • 5.0/5

    Nice walk (1.5hours return) to a wild, beautiful coast scene and in the end we saw six penguins!!

    Very easy to go and there were not so many people!!

    Reviewed almost 12 years ago

  • 5.0/5

    Pleasant walk thru the forest to the beach.

    We saw quite a few penguins walking back to their nest sites from the ocean - although from a bit of a distance. Very enjoyable visit.

    Reviewed almost 12 years ago

  • 4.0/5

    Rainforest walk to a beautiful beach - saw glowworms in the dark!!

    Reviewed about 12 years ago and experienced in March 2012

  • 4.5/5

    1/2 hour walk through rainforest to a small lagoon and back along the beach.

    Lovely walk and great place to have lunch.

    Reviewed over 12 years ago and experienced in February 2012

  • 3.0/5

    Way to the beach through a rainforest was really interesting.

    Took lots of photos there. Unfortunately we did not see any of the penguins, but saw a seal puppy.

    Reviewed over 7 years ago and experienced in November 2016

  • 4.5/5

    It was pouring when we went and the penguins were not there, but the walk was pretty lovely even raining.

    Reviewed almost 8 years ago

  • 4.5/5

    Found this by sheer luck.

    We thought this was near Knights Point, but you have to actually drive a couple of miles down the road where the Monro Beach Walk sign is on the left. Allow plenty of time for the return walk. We are reasonably fit and this took approximately 45mins each way - not including time on the beach looking for penguins! We did see a few Fjordland Crested penguins arrive back on the beach from feeding around 6pm, which definitely made the walk worthwhile despite the masses of sandflies on the beach. Recommend that you take binoculars for the best viewing experience. Please be respectful to the penguins and keep your distance if you see them. Camera zoom will pick up the detail when you get home :)

    Reviewed almost 8 years ago

  • 5.0/5

    Easy access, beautiful walk through the forest.

    The beach is very nice, even without penguins.

    Reviewed over 8 years ago and experienced in January 2016

  • 4.5/5

    Simple walk through beautiful rainforest to a beautiful long beach.

    Penguins supposedly there but we did not come at the right time - even so was worth it!

    Reviewed over 8 years ago and experienced in February 2016

  • 5.0/5

    2 hour walk with many bird sounds - wonderful.

    Reviewed over 10 years ago and experienced in March 2014

  • 4.5/5

    Lovely walk through rain forest, did not see penguins on the beach but thousands of sandflies (only on the beach, not on the walk).

    Reviewed over 11 years ago and experienced in March 2013

  • 4.0/5

    40km North of Haast.

    Very nice track to the beach through forest.

    Reviewed almost 12 years ago

  • 5.0/5

    Nice walk (1.5hours return) to a wild, beautiful coast scene and in the end we saw six penguins!!

    Very easy to go and there were not so many people!!

    Reviewed almost 12 years ago

  • 5.0/5

    Pleasant walk thru the forest to the beach.

    We saw quite a few penguins walking back to their nest sites from the ocean - although from a bit of a distance. Very enjoyable visit.

    Reviewed almost 12 years ago

  • 4.0/5

    Rainforest walk to a beautiful beach - saw glowworms in the dark!!

    Reviewed about 12 years ago and experienced in March 2012

  • 4.5/5

    1/2 hour walk through rainforest to a small lagoon and back along the beach.

    Lovely walk and great place to have lunch.

    Reviewed over 12 years ago and experienced in February 2012

  • 4.0/5

    Beautiful, hanging bridge and many plants.

    Reviewed over 12 years ago and experienced in February 2012

  • 5.0/5

    About 45 min each way through lovely rainforest.

    Clean, easy trail and a marvelous beach at the destination - possibly seals and penguins in season.

    Reviewed over 12 years ago

  • 5.0/5

    Saw two penguins and a professional photographer photoing them.

    Sweet as!!!

    Reviewed almost 13 years ago

  • 4.0/5

    Very peaceful and pleasant walk through a beautiful forest.

    Didn't see any penguins at the beach but there were some oystercatchers and skua gliding past. No one else around and it was worth it just to get off the tourist track a little.

    Reviewed over 13 years ago

  • 5.0/5

    Lovely walk through forest, worth it even though we didn't see any penguins at the end.

    Reviewed over 13 years ago

  • 4.0/5

    Very scenic, walk through the rainforest to the beach.

    Reviewed over 13 years ago

  • 4.5/5

    Walking track to penguin colony, even without penguins it is great.

    Reviewed over 13 years ago