Monro Beach Track

Monro Beach is probably your best chance to spot an elusive Fiordland Crested Penguin, as well as taking a peaceful jungle walk to a sandy beach cove. Numerous signs at the beach and trailhead describe the rare and poorly-understood penguins. Unlike the Yellow-Eyed penguins, the FC penguins go to sea for months at a time without returning to their nests. The best time to see the FCPs is July-December when they come ashore to breed, and then again in Jan-Feb when they come ashore again to moult. (I’ve seen one, and feel lucky. On Jan 30, 2010 at 3:30pm it popped ashore and waddled up the beach and then quickly hopped up the brushy slope to its nest.)

Regardless of whether you’ll see a penguin, the easy 30-minute walk to the beach cove is very pleasant. It’s a nearly-flat walking tour through a dense Westland jungle of fern, moss, Rata and Kahikatea with birdsong and stream gurgle accompanying your steps. A very nice easy walk!

A low-tide is the best time to visit Monro Beach. First, because a lower tide gives the penguins farther to walk up the sand to get to the bush (and thus more chance to see them). Second, about two hours either side of low tide you can sneak around the headland cliffs to explore longer beaches either north or south. Head north on the wild beach for 20 minutes (1.3km) and you may find a clear-water lagoon where the next stream enters the beach. Head south for 10 minutes to see the stream that empties Lake Moeraki.