Was warmly greated and brief by Darren. He was very knowledgeable! Exterior the place look very small, but it wasn't at all. The kids had a blast time learn about kiwi and the other animals there. No photos were allows in the kiwi area but we definitelt got to see them. Darren shared with us about these kiwi gender. Will not be a spoiler, be there to ask him!!!!. There was engaging animal interaction, from catching crawlies and feeding the eels. Event our infant had a small area where he could play and have some fun. Highly recommend!!!
This would be by far the best place I have been to to view a Kiwi. An added bonus is being able to feed and pat the longfin eels, this was done at 12.00pm when we went. They also have a catch and release pool with fresh water crayfish great for kids. We also had our best view of Tuatara while we were there.
We went to the wildlife center in franz and my child wanted to see kiwis again, so gave this one a go. Tbh I was shocked. The place is very dated and battered. The chairs upstairs are broken and my son got a massive scratch from the metal frame off of one chair as the seat was lose. It feels more like an old sad dingy zoo tbf. Not sure why everyone is raving about it. save your $ and go to Franz Josef. The kiwis there are being looked after properly and prepared to be released into the wild. The enclosure is nice and everyone is respectful and quiet. Here people lean over the barrier and chat. The feeding after the eel feeding didn't happen. Hokitika also has tiny aquariums for Axolotl and some fish are crammed into small tanks. Really not nice to see. The cray fish sit in a lake like enclosure but all around it is a construction site.
Lauren and Darren were both very warm and welcoming on our arrival, super helpful and easy to chat to! We came to see the kiwi and feed the eels! The lady hosting the feeding forgot to get her name was super informative and lovely at her job, she answered whatever question we had. Overall amazing experience we will be remembering the people and time we spent here.
Stumbled upon this place after getting lunch in Hokitika. We were able to see a lot of cool different animals like large eel, axolotl and of course the famous kiwi! They have two kiwis you can see and they are very cute. Was definitely an unforgettable experience seeing them so up close.
Glow Worm Dell
1 km
Visited during the day to check out the place and then at night to see the worms. It ...
Great War Memorial
1 km
