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This exclusive backstage penguin tour takes you to areas of the International Antarctic Centre not accessible to other visitors. Hosted by Penguin and Guides who are passionate about penguins, you will go behind the scenes to see the Antarctic Centre’s vet room, get up close to one of our penguins,
This exclusive backstage penguin tour takes you to areas of the International Antarctic Centre not accessible to other visitors. Hosted by Penguin Keepers and Guides who are passionate about penguins, you will go behind the scenes to see the Antarctic Centre’s vet room, get up close to one of our penguins, learn about penguin feeding and husbandry, and take your penguin knowledge to the next level!
General admission to the Antarctic Centre is included, with access to the Antarctic Storm Room, Hagglund Ride, 4D Theatre, Husky Zone and HD Theatre.
Antarctic Storm Room:
Shelter in an ice cave while you brave an Antarctic Storm with a wind chill of -18 degrees Celsius. After the Antarctic Storm you can also choose to take the Polar Plunge Challenge and experience icy cold Antarctic water. Warm jackets and overshoes are provided, but it is advisable not to wear jandals or open-toed shoes.
Penguin Encounter:
The Penguin Encounter is New Zealand's first combined indoor/outdoor Penguin viewing area with capacity to hold up to 26 Little Blue Penguins and allows visitors to view Little Blue Penguins in a Banks Peninsula natural-themed environment that can be accessed on two levels. The Penguins held here are birds that have been rescued and cared for, some since they were chicks. Due to physical disabilities that have left them defenceless, many of them would not have survived on their own back in the wild. Feeding times are at approximately 10.30am and 3.30pm daily.
4D Theatre:
Experience a simulated cruise to Antarctica with spectacularly stunning scenery and realistic animal close ups, together with the excitement of the special 4D effects that will excite your senses and enhance your experience! Filmed by Emmy award-winning cinematographer Mike Single, this is a high definition movie that is the first 3D sequence filmed in Antarctica and around the Antarctic Peninsula and South Georgia. These shows include realistic 3D imagery, and 4D special effects of seat movement, water spray, air bursts and bubbles. Viewer discretion is advised for those suffering neck or back pain, epilepsy or heart conditions. The show is considered suitable for all ages, but parental discretion is recommended for children under 5 with regard to the realistic wildlife images and 4D effects.
Husky Zone:
Huskies used to be the main form of transport in Antarctica with teams of them pulling sleds for the historic explorers, and were used right up until the late 1990’s. Get up close and personal with some of these beautiful dogs in the Husky Zone, enjoy fluffy Husky pats and get some cool selfies!
HD Theatre:
‘The Climate Canary’ plays on the massive HD screen and features breathtaking scenery, while looking at climate change, how New Zealand and Antarctica are connected, and what we can do about it.
Hagglund Ride:
Climb aboard a Hagglund for a fun-filled ride on this incredible all terrain amphibious Antarctic vehicle. The ride is highly authentic and simulates the conditions scientists will experience riding in a Hagglund across the ice and over mounds, up and down hills, across crevasses and through water! The Hagglund ride is around 20 minutes in duration.
This tour runs with a maximum of 8 people.
Tours are in English only.
This experience takes place near Christchurch Airport.
RedBalloon is your one-stop shop for experiences and curated gifts. We’re so confident you’ll love what you get from us, we’re offering this promise to you…
We want you to have the most enriching experience possible, so if this means swapping your jet boat experience for wine tasting then we’ve got you covered. Simply exchange online or contact our Customer Experience Team and we’ll do the work for you.
Not only do we handpick the best experiences for you, we also guarantee you’ll pay the same as you would buying direct from the experience provider. If you find the same experience advertised at a lower standard price on the same day by the same provider, simply take a screenshot of the experience advertised at the lower price and tell us within 30 days of your purchase and we’ll match it.
We understand life gets busy, which is why all vouchers and gift cards purchased have a 5-year expiry. The only exception to our expiry terms is if the experience has already been booked in. We honour the purchase price of our experiences for 18 months. If you book your experience after this time and the price of the experience increases you can either pay the difference or exchange it for another experience free of charge.
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