Boulder Beach

Dogs No Dogs

Features Views · Wildlife

Though not as scenic as other beaches on the Otago Peninsula, Boulder Beach is home to good wildlife and offers the feeling of remoteness.

The trail begins at the end of Braidwood Road, with parking dictated by just how far you're willing to navigate your car down the increasingly rough track. Follow the track down the hill through farm paddocks with lovely views of the Boulder Beach basin. The trail becomes singletrack, and near the valley bottom the route to the beach turns abruptly to the left across a fence.

There is a sign marking the Boulder Beach Conservation Area, but it can be hard to see in the high vegetation. Once over the fence, the trail becomes obscure in places, but heads directly via the path of least resistance to the beach. Once at the beach, watch for sea lions in the sand, fur seals on the rocks at either end, and penguins in the bush.

The Boulder Beach reserve is managed by the Department of Conservation. Penguins occasionally seen at Boulder Beach are endangered Hoiho, or Yellow Eyed Penguins. They are incredibly shy and prone to human disturbance. It is not recommended to look for penguins in the bush as these are sensitive nesting areas and human presence can disrupt breeding behaviour. The recommended way to view hoiho with minimal impact is to stay at least 100m away. Stay low and concealed; you may be rewarded by penguins returning from sea and waddling up the beach. If hoiho can see people they will not return home - but stay at sea where they are very hard to spot.