Oamaru Harbour Tourist Park — Attraction in South Island

A holiday park so near the sea that a blue penguin colony lives on the site. We didn't know there were penguins until we heard some noisy calls while taking our shower.

But it's hard to see the penguins after night fall as the camp is almost pitch black. And shining lights at penguins is the wrong thing to do. So we decided to ambush them instead. We hid in our motorhome and sure enough they began to come out of their nest. But these are wild penguins not pets. We felt it's best to leave them to their thing while we went about ours.

We drove almost the whole day to get to Oamaru and it was quite late when we arrived. So rather than cook, we had KFC takeouts in the kitchen. The facilities are what I'd describe as functional. Cleanliness could be better in some areas. But what matters most to my wife is the hot showers here do not run on a timer.

Next morning after we had checked out, we left the motorhome on the kerbside parking outside the camp and went for breakfast and a stroll around the area. This may not be a flashy camp but the charm of the seaside and the tiny birds made our experience...

We had the pleasure of staying at Harbour Tourist Park for two nights and it was amazing! Zina, who runs the park, is an angel in disguise! This woman cares so deeply for the penguins in the area. While it's not part of her job description, shes out at the boat dock every single night to make sure the penguins crossing into the park are protected from the swarms of people trying to get that perfect photo. She is the most patient person I have ever met because This was absolutely frustrating for us to watch. Very simple rules when it comes to viewing the Penguins (which appeared to be impossible to follow for some)

KEEP YOUR DISTANCE LISTEN TO HER WHEN SHE TELLS YOU TO STAND OUT OF THEIR WAY NO FLASH WHEN TAKING PHOTOS BE QUIET

I can't stress this enough. PLEASE be respectful of these beautiful creature if you are visiting this park and listen to the direction of the staff.

Great work Zena! You are...

We made a last minute booking for a powered site here while traveling the South Island. The office is not always manned but there is self check in available. The park itself is rather small but it has 2 kitchen spaces with gas hobs, cooking utensils and dishwashing facilities. There are 2 showers and 2-3 toilets in each bathroom. Prices are $60 p/night (2people) for their front sites or $55 p/night (2people) for any other site. You can pay this in cash or internet banking. There is no EFTPOS facility or WiFi available. We found these prices slightly higher than what we'd encountered in other places with more to offer, but really I think you are paying for the penguin experience! The penguins are quite loud so recommend ear plugs if you're a light sleeper. *This place is open to all i.e. does not...