Media Release: 19 February 2017

Bulldozer works on colony with chick foreground.

Time warp at the Albatross Centre.

Flares, Flower Children and happy hippies will be greeting visitors at the Royal Albatross Centre on February 23rd as staff head back to 1972 to celebrate the anniversary of the first albatross tour as part of the Otago Peninsula Trust 50thbirthday celebrations.

CEO, Otago Peninsula Trust, Robyn McDonald says “Our team chose to dress up in 70s fashion as a way to commemorate the first albatross tour in 1972. We’ve photos of the opening and we thought a time warp day was a fun way to celebrate the start of visitor access to the albatross. 2017 is a very special year for the Trust as we celebrate 50 years of milestones.

Manager of Operations Taiaroa Head Hoani Langsbury says “As part of this celebratory day anyone dressed up in a 70s outfit will be offered 50% discount on albatross tours. However, they do need to book as a large cruise ship is in town and we’ll be very busy”

On February 23rd 1972 Minister of Tourism the Hon D Highet officially opened the Albatross Colony lookout for tours saying “Thanks to collaboration between the Otago Peninsula Trust, the Otago Harbour Board, the local branch of the Royal Society, the Department of Lands and Survey and the Department of Internal Affairs, agreement has been reached so that all members of the public who wish to see the birds may now do so from this very fine observatory. At the same time this unique natural resource is preserved for future generations”.

The colony had been closed to the public because of some cases of vandalism and some unintentional interference with breeding birds, including eggs being smashed and the giant birds being shot at.

Lance Richdale, the revered ‘seabird genius’ who camped in a tent to ensure the first fledging of an albatross at Taiaroa Head in 1938 was the Guest of Honour that day. The Royal Albatross Centre has the film Lance took of the first albatross chick growing up showing in a dedicated display to this environmental champion.

Longtime supporters of the albatross colony, the five Rotary Clubs of Dunedin undertook to provide the observatory building as a combined Rotary Golden Jubilee Project. $2763 was raised, followed by an Evening Star led appeal for the remaining $1500, printing a list of donors each day. In 1951 the Rotary Club of Dunedin had raised $1250 to support the appointment of a Wildlife Ranger.

240 people took a tour in 1972 with the Albatross Colony reaching its one millionth visitor in 2011. Each year the Royal Albatross Centre hosts well over 100,000 visitors with 30-40% of those visitors taking a tour. Operating an iconic visitor attraction on the headland can be challenging as Robyn notes “As a charitable trust it costs a huge amount to fund the free visitor centre with over $100,000 annually just to provide visitors with water and toilet facilities as we have to truck water in and sewage out. Otago Peninsula Trust is dedicated to ensuring that we preserve and enhance Otago Peninsula for all to enjoy and we appreciate the help of all our supporters over 50 years, including the huge contribution from service clubs like Rotary and Jaycee to projects including the opening of the Royal Albatross Centre.”

“During the year we also plan to commemorate other milestones and pay tribute to work the Trust has achieved over its 50 years; the purchase and enhancement of Glenfalloch Garden, the Royal Albatross centre rebuild, Fort Taiaroa and the Armstrong Disappearing Gun restoration, the Blue Penguins Pukekura joint partnership, amenity projects, education and peninsula promotion. People can listen to our weekly radio show “Peninsula People” on Otago Access Radio which shares these stories, interviewing people who’ve been part of the Trust’s history.”

Otago Peninsula Trust, Dunedin’s pioneering ecotourism operator, was formed in 1967 by the Dunedin Jaycee Chapter who wanted to see Dunedin flourish and had identified Otago Peninsula as the major asset for the city. The Trust’s purpose is to protect and enhance Otago Peninsula, allowing visitors to enjoy the peninsula wildlife, with a very strong emphasis on conservation. The Trust was unique at the time - New Zealand’s first private charitable conservation trust.

FAST FACTS otagopeninsulatrust.co.nz

Otago Peninsula Trust was formed in 1967 and was New Zealand’s first private charitable conservation Trust. Trust objectives are:

· The stimulation of public interest in and care of the beauty, history and character of the Otago Peninsula.

· The preservation of the natural attractions of the area and the protection of the flora and fauna of the area.

· The development of tourist attractions, public and recreational services so that the public may obtain maximum use and enjoyment of the area in a way that will not detract from or destroy its beauty or character.

· The promotion of knowledge of and interest in the objects of the Trust by meetings, exhibitions, educational courses and all other forms of instruction and publicity.

To achieve its objectives the Trust oversees the business operations and marketing of:

• The Royal Albatross Centre at Taiaroa Head which hosts over 100,000 visitors annually

• Historic Fort Taiaroa, hidden underground fort with restored 1889 disappearing gun

• Fletcher House, Edwardian villa built in 1909 by Sir James Fletcher (management contract)

• Pukekura Blue Penguins, offering evening penguin viewing tours at Taiaroa Head (joint venture)

• Glenfalloch Woodland Gardens including Green Bike hire.

* Glenfalloch Restaurants Weddings, functions and conferences. Daytime casual dining

* Education Programmes: Interactive student focussed LEOTC in natural environments.

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