Kiwi Attraction
The West Coast is the home of New Zealand’s rarest kiwi
Kiwi are a flightless, nocturnal bird, found only in New Zealand. There are five different species of kiwi, all of which are endangered due to the introduction of predators and habitat loss. The Haast tokoeka and the rowi are the two most endangered kiwi in the world, with fewer than 650 of each bird remaining. Rowi are restricted to the Okarito Forest, north of Franz Josef Glacier, and the Haast tokoeka are limited to a small area of forest near Haast, South Westland.
Incredible Viewing Experience
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A very natural kiwi viewing experience.
The West Coast Wildlife Centre is where you can see kiwi in an open, nocturnal walkthrough area (NO Glass) or go behind the scenes to see the rowi and Haast tokoeka hatching programme. This is a fascinating South Island, New Zealand tour not to be missed.
Meet New Zealand’s rare kiwi and discover our Haast tokoeka & rowi stories.
The kiwi is one of the world’s most unique and beloved birds, found exclusively in Aotearoa New Zealand. It is a nocturnal, flightless bird with many strange characteristics that often earn it the nickname of an "honorary mammal." There are five recognised species: the Great Spotted, Little Spotted, North Island Brown, Rowi, and Tokoeka.
For more info, download our guide booklet PDF now
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A Self-Guided 48-Hour General Pass
Time Required: From 30 minutes to up to 2 hours -some guests spend all day with us.
Tip 1 - The more you put into the attraction, the more you will get out of it. Our facility best suits the inquisitive guest who is prepared to invest time to look, listen and enjoy seeing highly endangered NZ wildlife.
Tip 2 - It takes most of our guests up to five minutes to see kiwi in the dark. Stand still and listen, and smell quietly (there is no glass!). Slowly, your vision will improve.
Tip 3 - Still struggling to see the kiwi? Don't panic or be embarrassed. When you exit the attraction, please stop by our friendly ticketing staff, who will personally escort you back into the open enclosure to spot the kiwi using a special infrared torch - no issue!
In addition to our unique indoor attraction, we also operate a terrific shopping experience in the largest gift store in Franz Josef. Looking for the very best coffee in Franz Josef ?!. Our guest tells us that our Café delivers just that and is a relaxing place to grab a drink and a snack, use our free Wi-Fi (a purchase is necessary ), and use us as your base before heading out to explore!
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