1 / 3West Coast Wildlife Centre
📍 Franz Josef/Waiau, West Coast
Best for a wet Franz Josef morning with animal-mad kids. An indoor centre where you walk quietly through a dark enclosure with rare rowi and Haast tokoeka kiwi, watch rescued little blue penguins being fed, and meet tuatara.
The West Coast Wildlife Centre is one of the best places in New Zealand to see Kiwi birds. They have two of the rarest rowi Kiwi in a nocturnal enclosure that you’re able to walk through and see the kiwi in a relatively “normal” environment in the dark. No photos or videos are allowed to be taken in the kiwi enclosure for their protection, and you must stay quiet, but stay a few minutes and you will definitely adjust to the dark room. The kiwi are so active and cute. It’s also a rehabilitation centre for the little blue penguins and it’s definitely worthwhile seeing one of their feedings where the staff give an excellent talk and share so much about the penguins and what they do at the centre for them. There’s also the tuatara you can see through a glass enclosure. Along with lots of graphics about the wildlife and glaciers, this makes for a great visit and you can easily spend 1-2 hours here. Perfect on a rainy day for all ages. Tickets are valid for 48 hour entry which was fantastic as on my second day, it was raining again, and I was able to pop in just to see the kiwi and penguins again. Did not need to purchase tickets in advance, visited at a quiet time of year. There’s a huge gift store there too!
🏆 Family Action Verdict
Worth it for a family who will not otherwise see a kiwi, and a genuine rainy-day option in a village short of them, if you time the visit for a penguin feed and give the dark room a few patient minutes. It is compact and not cheap, so treat it as an hour rather than a morning. The backstage hatchery tour suits older children who can stay quiet.
ℹ️ What to Know Before You Go
💬 What Families Are Saying
View all reviews →1,146 Google reviews
Erin
“The West Coast Wildlife Centre is one of the best places in New Zealand to see Kiwi birds. They have two of the rarest rowi Kiwi in a nocturnal enclosure that you’re able to walk through and see the kiwi in a relatively “normal” environment in the dark. No photos or videos are allowed to be taken in the kiwi enclosure for their protection, and you must stay quiet, but stay a few minutes and you will definitely adjust to the dark room. The kiwi are so active and cute. It’s also a rehabilitation centre for the little blue penguins and it’s definitely worthwhile seeing one of their feedings where the staff give an excellent talk and share so much about the penguins and what they do at the centre for them. There’s also the tuatara you can see through a glass enclosure. Along with lots of graphics about the wildlife and glaciers, this makes for a great visit and you can easily spend 1-2 hours here. Perfect on a rainy day for all ages. Tickets are valid for 48 hour entry which was fantastic as on my second day, it was raining again, and I was able to pop in just to see the kiwi and penguins again. Did not need to purchase tickets in advance, visited at a quiet time of year. There’s a huge gift store there too!”
Nicky Hardy
“This place was really great! I absolutely love the work they're doing for the animals in their care. Ive never seen a kiwi so close. I could have stayed there all day. The penguins are delight to watch swim around. They are rescues so they have sad backgrounds but I love that they have a safe place. Definitely worth the visit and the price when you walk through and read about the work being done. Thank you”
Riccardo Minisola
“The penguins were so cute that I almost cried 5 times in the 15 minutes of the feeding session. The kiwis were also cute and graced us with their song - I still can't hear from the left ear. Tuataras were majestic as usual. Super friendly staff. Amazing coffee. Great souvenirs. Keep it up!”
Helen v Walker
“Great, when you waited for a couple of hours in the rain to see the little blue penguins a week ago and they didn't show. This is a really good way to preserve the lives of those who wouldn't have survived in the wild. Spent ages watching the rowi kiwi too. A great place to visit.🤩”
Reviews from Google
Overview
The West Coast Wildlife Centre in Franz Josef village raises two of the rarest kiwi, the rowi and the Haast tokoeka, and you see them in a darkened walk-through enclosure where the birds forage close to the glass once your eyes adjust. Rescued little blue penguins live in a pool with twice-daily feeding sessions, tuatara sit in their own enclosure, and displays cover the glacier and the hatchery's work. A backstage tour visits the incubation rooms. Indoors, with a cafe and parking.
