Tautuku Peninsula

Tautuku Peninsula is a rocky headland in the Catlins on the south coast of Otago on the South Island of New Zealand. It is located 25 km (15 mi) east of Waikawa, at the western end of Tautuku Bay.

View from Florence Hill lookout across Tautuku Bay to the Tautuku Peninsula

From 1839 to 1846, a whaling station was sited near the peninsula's neck, and a port was later developed for the fishing, flax and timber industries.[1] When these industries declined, the port was closed. Today, southern right whales are making slow come back and still can be seen around the peninsula occasionally.[2] New Zealand sea lions and yellow-eyed penguins (hoiho) also can be seen on beaches. Sporadic mammal visitors include leopard seals.[3]

The estuary of the Tautuku River, just north of the peninsula, is inhabited by fernbirds. A short walk leads from Outdoor Education Centre next to the Southern Scenic Route through this jointed rush wetland, partly as a boardwalk.[4]

Durvillaea bull kelp on the Tautuku Peninsula

There are numerous cribs (holiday cottages) on the peninsula, but these are mainly reached by four-wheel drive or tractor, as no roads reach the peninsula. The only access is via the mouth of the Fleming River, or along Tautuku Beach.[5] A signposted lookout on the side of the Southern Scenic Route road on Florence Hill offers a scenic view south over Tautuku Bay and the Tautuku Peninsula.

References
  1. "The Archaeology of New Zealand Shore Whaling" (PDF). Department of Conservation (New Zealand). Retrieved 25 February 2014.
  2. "Southern right whales/tohora". Department of Conservation (New Zealand). Retrieved 31 January 2016.
  3. "Molecular ecologists meet in the Catlins". Retrieved 26 December 2014.
  4. "Tautuku Walks". Department of Conservation (New Zealand). Retrieved 25 February 2014.
  5. "Tautuku Peninsula". New-Zealand-NZ.net website. Retrieved 25 February 2014.


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