While we were in Bicheno, we thought we might do the Bicheno Penguin Tour and attempted to book on our first night here. No vacancies for any of our 4 nights. We added our names to the waiting list but heard nothing back. Guess the message is, if you want to do a penguin tour in Bicheno, book early. On our forshore walk on Thursday, we saw plenty of burrows but no sign of penguins. We thought about going out at night with a "red" torch but didn't get around to doing that either. Consequently, no penguins this trip.
As a second best, we booked the 45-minute glass-bottom boat trip at the harbour. Naturally, the sea life doesn't match that of the barrier reef, but it was pretty interesting all the same and soon after setting off, we had a school of fish follow us around. We spent time in the shallows, then moved out into the protected marine area beyond the rocks. Big stingrays, little sharks, starfish, and an array of fish life amongst lush seaweed and kelp. We went out as far as Alligator Rock, which has become a haul-out for fur seals - quite a few there at the moment. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and had grown up in Bicheno, so was able to tell us how things had changed over the years. Great to see people involved in these activities, passionate about the sea and the environment.
