Cape Kidnappers & Gannet Safari
Duration: 5 hours
Tour Code: npe-001
Price:
$149.00 per person
Free
Your tour begins at the pier where you will board a safari vehicle at the ship's side. From here, sit back and enjoy a scenic drive along the coast as you make your way to Te Awanga and Cape Kidnappers Station.
Arriving at Cape Kidnappers Station, a privately owned country farm, you will be driven over the rich farmland to within a few feet of the gannet sanctuary at Cape Kidnappers. As you traverse river beds, broad rolling pastures, steep gullies and breathtaking inclines, your guide will provide you with commentary about the area and life on this 4,500 acre farm which stocks over 8,000 sheep and breeding cattle, as well as encompassing an 18-hole international golf course.
Cape Kidnappers itself is a dramatic promontory at the southern end of the sweep of Hawke's Bay and is the largest and most accessible mainland nesting place of gannets in the world. The 15,000 gannets who make their home here are members of the Booby family, with distinctive black eye markings and a pale gold crown. This is an excellent opportunity to view the gannets in their natural habitat, swooping and diving as they bring back fish from the sea, or in pairs preening and performing the dance of the gannets recognition ritual. While you are here, enjoy a spectacular view of the rugged coastline from Hawke's Bay all the way north to Mahia Peninsula, from the brink of a cliff that rises 328 feet above the beach. For your enjoyment, an afternoon tea will also be served.
Re-boarding your vehicle, you'll once more cross the countryside as you retrace your path back to Napier. Approaching the city, your route will take you along the Marine Parade, seeing the stately Norfolk Pines and traveling past such sites as the bronze statue of Pania of the Reef, the Tom Parker Fountain, Floral Clock, Soundshell and Marineland. At the conclusion of your tour, your safari vehicle will return you to the pier.
Please note: The sites on this tour are not wheelchair accessible and therefore, it is not available to wheelchair guests. Comfortable walking shoes, sun hat, sun glasses and sun screen are recommended. The order of sites may vary. This tour does not operate with a separate guide, but rather with a driver/guide.