Marios Gavalas
Author And Researcher
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!
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.
Penguins are most likely to be present between July and September.
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.
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.
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.
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South Island ▷ West Coast ▷ Haast |
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