Tautuku Peninsula
The Tautuku Peninsula is a rocky headland 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 a bay (Tautuku Bay) in the area known as the Catlins.
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 hoiho the yellow-eyed penguins also can be seen on beaches. Other sporadic mammal visitors include leopard seals and so on.[3]
The estuary of 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]
There are now 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.
46°36′14″S 169°26′10″E / 46.604°S 169.436°E
Photo Gallery
- Category:Tautuku Bay on Wikimedia Commons
References
- ^ "The Archaeology of New Zealand Shore Whaling" (PDF). Department of Conservation NZ. Retrieved 25 February 2014.
- ^ "Threats to southern right whales". Department of Conservation NZ. Retrieved 25 February 2014.
- ^ "Molecular ecologists meet in the Catlins". Retrieved 26 December 2014.
- ^ "Tautuku Walks". Department of Conservation NZ. Retrieved 25 February 2014.
- ^ "Tautuku Peninsula". New-Zealand-NZ.net website. Retrieved 25 February 2014.
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