Otorohanga Kiwi House

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Reviews

1. Wei L. ★★★★★

   We came on the Christmas Eve, on our way back to Auckland airport. Having read the review, we didn’t expect much, thinking we would just donate to support the conservation effort. We actually left with pleasant surprises, with a few highlights. We spotted one (out of two?) kiwi, a big fat fluffy kiwi! We finally could check off the list. We also spotted variety of geckos, in yellow, lime, green and brown, one mating scene. Right before we exited, a staff showed us talking to a pleakley (a talking parakeet). The bird would pick up some random person’s words, which was quite hilarious. Glad we made the stop.

   almost 2 months ago
2. Jennifer Smith ★★★★★

   A hidden surprise! A friend convinced me to come to see the birds and try to find a kiwi. Lovely little place, helpful staff and some cool birds. I saw a kiwi!! Well worth coming at the right time for their talk (there are 3 talks a day for the kiwi) because they throw out some snacks and the kiwi was active and easy to see. Way better than the enclosure at Auckland Zoo. Well worth stopping by if youre in the area or passing through!

   almost 2 months ago
3. Klaudya Charlton ★★★★★

   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.

   almost 4 months ago

1. Nidhal ★★★★★

   We've had a great experience here today and got lucky to see one of the 2 kiwi's they have and we have listened to a very informative talk about kiwi's. The tickets are valid for 2 days and allow multiple entries. If you really want to see kiwi's and other interesting birds and reptiles, I do recommend this place.

   almost 4 months ago
2. Simon Kent ★★★★★

   We had a very enjoyable 4 hours here. The main highlight being the two kiwis in the nocturnal houses. They are so cute. Managed to see both several times - for all the people complaining about not seeing them, maybe just spend longer adjusting your eyes to the dark and have some patience! Lots of other cool native birds in different sections , and good to see geckos, skinks, eels and tuatara. The staff were super friendly and passionate and I would recommend going to the hourly talks in the different areas to learn more about what you are seeing.

   almost 4 months ago
3. Sara Pianavilla ★★★★★

   Very neat place to see kiwis and learn more about the birds of New Zealand! One of the keepers gave us an impromptu lesson as we arrived since he happened to be at the desk, then an excellent staff member inside chased us down to let us know the kiwis had come closer to the glass. The eels were shockingly fun to see too, the biggest one still has me wide eyed!

   almost 2 years ago

1. Michelle Feng ★★★★★

   The staff were incredibly friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful. The kiwi keeper talk was very informative and amusing. We felt very lucky to spot 3 kiwi on our visit - with a lot of staring in the dark, checking the live-cam monitors, and LOTS of patience. Kiwi are only awake 4-6 hours a day so it's a bit of luck whether you see them. Watch the camera monitors and as soon as you see them leaving the burrow, run into the nocturnal house to spot them coming out! Check the logs too because apparently kiwi like sleeping in there. The keepers are really helpful, and if you ask, they'll point out the location of the burrows and help you try to spot them. The live-cams are great - even if you don't see the kiwi in person, they might be digging and hopping around inside the burrows. I believe the ticket allows entry the next day as well so you could try again if you don't initially see one. We enjoyed exploring the rest of the park in between stints of kiwi-searching. Some parts were closed for construction when we went, but there was still lots to see. What really stood out to me about this experience (aside from how incredibly cute the kiwi are) was how amazing the keepers are. You can tell they really care about the animals there and want to share that with visitors :)

   almost 2 years ago
2. Daisy Lin ★★★★★

   A lovely home to many of NZ's native animals - birds and reptiles. There are 2 kiwi enclosures; it is dark inside so allow your eyes to adjust to darkness before attempting to spot them - they might be hiding in their nesting boxes (there's a screen which shows live footage so you can still see them!) Ps. There is a also a mini foodtruck cafe before entry with coffee and homemade savouries and sweets!

   almost 2 years ago
3. Tara Johnson ★★★☆☆

   Cool place, but only 5 kiwis on display in the whole park, so if they are sleeping, you can't actually see any Kiwi. Kiwi are only active around 4-6 hours/day. The lady working told us they are most active around 1-2pm there. I was told they have about 20 more in the breeding house, but you can't see them. They do have an open aviary you can see some birds up close and several geckos. They are doing construction so several areas were closed.

   almost 3 years ago

1. Christine Becker (Chris) ★★★★☆

   It was nice to be able to see all of the local birds in New Zealand. Getting to see the kiwi in their dark room felt a little bit like playing Where's Waldo. They made us wait a bit, but they were worth the anticipation. The guide at the front was ridiculously funny and super friendly. Only downside is that multiple areas of the park were closed for construction, which limited us to far fewer exhibits

   almost 3 years ago

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