penguin obsevation centre

wub100

I took some English visitors there to see the penguins. It was a very nice experience, the volunteer guides were excellent and obviously passionate about the little birds. We saw lots of penguins and their chicks. As we went when the chicks were still in the burrows we saw the hilarious feeding experience when they literally mug their parents for food, if there are two chicks the parent gets really quite beaten up - if I had these chicks as tennagers I do not think i would bother coming home. Good idea to take your own torch, the volunteer guides give you red cellophane that you can put over the light so the white light does not disturb the very cute birds. All in all a very enjoyable experience but make sure you take a warm jacket even in summer as it can and did get very cold.

Amykayhouston

Free talk about the penguins then went for a walk along the beach to see the little guys. So cute! Saw quiet a few and some lovely fluffy baby ones. Presentation was great and the presenter seemed to know what he was talking about and was very friendly.

xyz2015

Guaranteed to see penguins galore!!we took some overseas visitors here & I think they were pleasantly surprise at the amount of penguins we did see! Also at how 'close up' you actually get to them....!Worth a visit - we took a walk along the boardwalk at 11pm to the penguin center - spent at least an hour watching these little creatures. Great experience.

siobhanc410

We were delighted with seeing several little penguins only a few feet from us (or under our feet beneath the boardwalk). And the guides are experienced, informed and incredibly aware of the needs of these beautiful little birds.Burnie may not be a pretty city, having been an industrial heartland for the region, but it has a thriving artist and environmentally active community which are successfully turning the emphasis toward sustainability and the richness of the local produce. The Penguin observation Centre is one of these dynamic and creative projects.It is run by volunteers and exists on donations (which are not compulsory) and is well worth the stroll down the boardwalk. Spend some time listening to the experts and observing these little creatures. They will delight you!Oh, and if you have a coin or two to help sustain them, do your bit for Burnie and for the Fairy Penguin.

519kimberleym

We went to see the penguins both nights we were in Burnie. It's a lovely walk down the boardwalk to the rocks where the penguins come in.The best thing about it was there wasn't too many people. No one was using the flashes on their cameras, no shouting or shoving. Everyone was just enjoying watching the little penguins come in... And where you stand on the boardwalk, they're less than a foot away from you.Amazing :-)

mamaitaly35

After seeing the penguins in Bicheno, we were thrilled to have the chance to see them again and a bonus that it was free! The volunteers are knowledgeable and dedicated to the plight of the penguins. We arrived abt 8pm, on dusk, and started to see the little blue penguins waddle up the rocks. They were do close and the boardwalk provided a perfect platform for all to see. A truly wonderful experience!

346kellyh

The boardwalk along the beach is fantastic, you can see all the little penguins in a safe manner. They just wander up to their nests and it was such a good night and its all free....

Dani2111

We stayed at Burnie and were told we could see penguins for free here. We did arrive to early, so we went for a drive then returned on dark. Being quiet and paitent is the key. We saw our first little penguin around 6:45pm. You cant use cameras or bright torches as they spook very easy.If you are quiet they just go on about their night and it shows you in their natural habitat.

135vickih

Great facility, purposely built to view the Penguins. Unfortunately we visited at the wrong time of year to see any penguins. Would definitely suite a family with small children as there are E number of viewing windows at different heights.

UMPath

We stayed with friends at Burnie. They took us to see the little penguins returning home after a days fishing. Usually later in the year there are lots of penguins but there are also crowds which affect their behaviour. As there were only the 4 of us, the few penguins that were there showed nesting behaviour our friends had never seen before.We accidentally exposed a penguin to a white light which startled it and made it fall over. A Red light is essential for this attraction; and you cannot use flash photography!

FranN775

Such a surprise that the penguin burrows are right on the harbour beside a parking lot. The very friendly volunteers were quite helpful pointing out the baby penguins that were waiting to be fed by the parents. It was amazing to see what the parents had to do to get to them. They came out of the water onto the rocks and then hopped up quite a steep rocky hill to get to them. Of course this happens when it is dark so it is hard to see a lot of the time. Some people had special flashlights with an infrared cover. That would have been handy.

KarenKirk72

In Burnie, west of Davenport, find the makers workshop and information centre. Next to this at sundown head onto the boardwalk that runs along behind the centre. Here you can get really up close to the tiny fairy penguins. The area has been developed to protect the colony and has increased to around 300 breeding pairs currently. There are wonderful local guides who know everything about the birds and are happy to point out the penguins and their burrows using red lights( it seems penguins have limited visibility in the red range, so these lights do not bother them). The talks were complimentary, although you are welcome to make a donation to help preserve the creatures in the future. An amazing experience. A big thank you to the volunteers for their time and expertise.

andreasr589

Als sparsamer Backpacker war ich immer froh eine günstige Aktivität zu finden.Wen sich die dann als gratis Herausstellt, Spenden waren zwar willkommen jedoch absolut freiwillig und ohne Druck, und dann noch solch eine Qualität hat ... Awesome.Tipp: UNBEDINGT warme Sachen mitbringen die auch eine harsche Briese aushalten. Der Küstenwind war, im Sommer, kühl und meine weibliche Begleitung hielt es nicht lange an der Küste aus. Es ist überraschend kalt!