What‘s Included

Meeting and Pickup

What To Expect

Reviews

• Kiwi tour

  W541GTsimonm,

  Nov 30, 2025

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  Excellent knowledge and a real one to one experience - this work needs to be supported - very friendly team indeed and a great cafe and shop

• 10/10

  SusanK3411,

  Nov 28, 2025

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  Fantastic experience! The guides were so knowledgeable and I learned so much about kiwis, tuatara, and penguins. You can tell that the center really cares about their animals and is passionate about their work.

• Excellent visit

  Martin B,

  Nov 25, 2025

  - Review from Viator

  5.00

  An excellent visit. Very interesting and informative with the chance to get up close to nature. It is well worth paying for the Backstage Pass - you get a a lot more detail and information plus a better understanding of the conservation work being undertaken. Thoroughly recommended.

• Brilliant and informative

  nbaines2,

  Nov 25, 2025

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  We had a fantastic time. Steve's VIP tour was incredibly informative - we loved it! The work the centre does seems vital in support of kiwi populations and looking after injured penguins - hats off to their team.

• Best visit for Kiwi, Tuatara & Little Blue Penguins

  Pamela1957,

  Nov 21, 2025

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  OMG, this was an incredible experience. The tour was lead by Steve, he explained about how they are helping with a breeding programme and the development of a Kiwi. We even got to see some chick's in the back stage area. Steve was knowledgeable and very engaging and I felt we have learned a great deal. We were on to see the Tuatara and again Steve was full of useful information, showing us how they were little changed from the time of the dinosaurs. From there on our own, we went into the Kiwi enclosure where we saw 2 Kiwis in their natural habitat, these will eventually be released and more brought in. We also went in to see the delightful Little Blue Penguins. This was in excellent visit the staff were charming and helpful and you really feel they are helping endangered species

• Don't skimp, buy the back stage pass. Totally worth it.

  takemetothefood,

  Nov 20, 2025

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  Wasn't expecting a lot from this visit as didn't seem to be much to it. Decided the best option was to go for the back stage pass to gain a better understanding of what was there. So glad we did. A very knowledgeable conservationist talked us through the centres involvement in incubating kiwi eggs collected from the wild where the young birds only have a 5% chance of survival to adult hood due to being eaten by stoats and possums (non native animals). Once these birds reach adult size, they are released back into a predator free environment. Next was the tuatara. Looked like a lizard to me but, thanks to the back stage access, we found out they are not lizards at all but a unique to New Zealand species going back to the time of the dinosaurs. I'm not saying any more. Go yourself. Get the back stage pass tickets. Here was me, the skeptic, leaving with a lovely kiwi mug from the gift shop 'cos you've just got to support these wee guys.

  

• Worth a Visit!

  dreamingofthegreen,

  Nov 14, 2025

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  If you long to see some of the wildlife on South Island and also talk to conservationists who are working hard to protect New Zealand's wildlife, this is the place for you. They have little blue penguins and kiwis and tuaturas (often mistaken for a lizard but it is actually a unique species from the time of dinosaurs). You can't take pictures of the kiwis but a backstage tour will give you more information about the conservation work they've done to preserve this most unique bird that was close to extinction.

• Amazing Nature Center-Take the Backstage Tour!

  cherylsY6176GM,

  Nov 11, 2025

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  The Backstage Tour at the West Coast Wildlife Center in Franz Josef is a must see! The admission was reasonable and the guests were limited which created a very personal tour of the facility with the ability to ask a lot of questions. Out guide, Devon, was passionate about the work and it translated into our experience. Seeing live Kiwi's and understanding the protective work they do was so amazing! They had a new hatchling the early morning hours of our tour! I can't recommend this place highly enough. Stop in!!!

  

  

  

• Worthwhile visit to learn about and see the endangered Kiwi.

  jenni bamford,

  Nov 5, 2025

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  Fantastic wildlife centre to learn about the endangered Rowa Kiwi, the Little Penguin and the Tuatara. Especially good on a rainy day. Very informative and encouraging to witness the amazing work the rangers are doing to care for these creatures. The Kiwi incubation and hatching facilities are a must. We saw two day old Carter being nursed. Great facility, good shop, toilets and small cafe - funded purely by sponsorship and visitors.

  

  

  

• Fascinating and informative

  brunagN9165AC,

  Oct 17, 2025

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  5.00

  Great time seeing and learning about native animals and seeing a kiwi Devon was passionate about the preservation of NZ native wildlife and was great listening to. So wonderful to see live kiwi birds. Highly recommend

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