Otorohanga Kiwi House

“This is a great sanctuary for many of Aotearoa's taonga species. Not only do you get to see the elusive and precious kiwi here, but there are several other birds and reptiles that are exclusive to New Zealand, and not easy to see in the wild; the kea and kaka, the amazing tuatara, several species of gecko and skink, plus of course the star of the show, the kiwi. They keep their resident kiwi in quiet, dark enclosures which are set to GMT/UTC time in order to allow visitors to see these nocturnal birds during the day, when they would normally be asleep in their burrows. As with other kiwi sanctuaries around Aotearoa, they are helping to preserve the five species of kiwi through education and conservation measures, and this alone is reason enough to want to visit. But the ability to see the kea, kaka and other native fauna, and hear the experts talk about them rounds this awesome experience out beautifully.”

“We visited on Friday 14/11 for about 4 hours. We really enjoyed our experience here - there’s lots of native birds and other animals to see as well as the kiwis. We particularly enjoyed the eel talk and feeding as well as seeing the various geckos and tuataras. We also went to the parakeet and kiwi talks which we found interesting and informative. We were able to see both kiwis in the nocturnal houses over the course of the day, we spent a while in there each time we visited and if you’re patient you can spot them. It’s was really special to see the kiwi and watch them foraging. The entry price was reasonable as it covers two days’ entry. Sadly we were only here for today but it’s a great stop to make if you want to see some native species and learn more about them. The staff were also very friendly and helpful! We were made to feel welcome and had the opportunity to ask questions during the talks.”

“Very reasonably priced. Highly recommended. We went as a group of 4 adults on 10 Sept. Best kiwi experience ever. Afternoon guide was so informative and genuinely passionate about working at Otorohanga Kiwi House. He was amazing. We were so lucky to see the young female kiwi for over 30 mins ducking and weaving through her incredible enclosure. There is an older female kiwi still in residence which has laid 60 kiwi eggs in her lifetime. Each kiwi egg size when laid would be the equivalent to a human female giving birth to a 5 year old. Amazing Aviary Atrium with heaps of birdlife. Many reptiles also. Sadly many of these amazing creatures are on the brink of extinction. A must do in order to better educate ourselves.”