Things To Do In Montague Island – The Largest Little Penguin Colony Of Australia

Montague Island is an amazing place; it’s well known for its scenic beauty, great fishing and historic significance. Montague Island is located close to the historic town of Narooma, which adds to its tourist appeal. Most of all, Montague Island is famous as the largest little penguin colony of Australia, which draws visitors in droves.

Explore Montague Island’s Historic Lighthouse

The old lighthouse has been in operation since 1881. A visit to the lighthouse offers a fascinating insight into the lives of its keepers and their families. They lived a life of isolation, which is evident from the photos, stories and documents at the lighthouse. The lighthouse comes with a keeper’s cottage, and visitors can stay here if they want.

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Take An Eco-Tour Of Montague Island

Pay a visit to the National Parks and Wildlife Service for information on island tours. There are tours to explore the island’s native flora and fauna, its Aboriginal heritage, and the scenic walks of the island’s unique landscape.  There are several wonderful nature walks to be had here in nature reserves, parks and secluded beaches rich with marine life.

Also Read : The Ultimate Guide to Kangaroo Island

Explore The Island’s Coastline

Take a charter boat tour to explore the island’s coastline and surrounding waters. Watch the dolphins, seals and turtles in action. During springtime, keep an eye out for humpback whales as they migrate south from the warm waters to their cold feeding grounds in the Antarctic. Watch out for sunfish basking on warm rocks, Manta Rays dotting the beach and acres of pelagic fish drifting by on shallow waters.

Visit The Little Penguins Colony

Montague Island is home to 10,000 pairs of Little Penguins, which use the island as a migratory resting place and breeding group. It’s great fun to watch these adorable little penguins waddling along in rows into the warm waters for a swim. Set up a quiet vigil in the evening to watch these little birds return to their burrows after fishing for their meal in the waters during the entire day. You can even sign up for tours which take you around the island to watch this nightly migration from various vantage points.

Go Bird Watching!

Several kinds of seabirds provide company to the little penguins in the penguin colony. Plenty of sea birds rest and breed here through spring and summer, such as Crested Terns, Gulls and Shearwaters. Be sure to grab your binoculars and camera for some serious bird-watching. More than 90 bird species visit Montague Island, and 15 bird species make the island their home over summer.

Romp With The Seals

Close by is also NSW’s largest Fur Seal colony, where you can see hundreds of seals romping about in the sands and water from late winter to early December. It’s best not to get too close to the seals, even if they seem friendly. Adult seals can be very protective of their young. Don’t forget to take your camera to capture their sheer numbers for your Montague Island tour album!

Take A Nature Escape Tour

At Montague Island, you can sign up for a number of guided day tours which offer you complete programs including accommodation. These guided, fully-hosted 2 night Nature Escape tours are ideal for individuals and groups. Apart from enjoying guided nature walks and trips, you can also participate in the Little Penguin Colony survey, looking over 120 Penguin Nest Boxes, and helping to conserve and protect them.

Go Game Fishing!

You can either charter a boat and head out to game fishing spots, or sign up for a game fishing trip. Such trips combine game fishing with whale watching, and watching the spectacular wildlife on Montague Island. Talk to experienced local fisherman to find out the best game fishing spots. Have a great time fishing for shark, marlin, yellow fin tuna, and kingfish and so on. Head out to the deep waters to dig for bottom fish such as blue eye cod, hapuka and gemfish. If game fishing is not your thing, you can go reef fishing for morwong and snapper any time of the year.