Tickets
We are strictly ‘not-for-profit’, dedicated to the breeding of New Zealand’s most precious wildlife.
Your entry ticket helps pay for the care of our animals and conservation work.
ADULT 16+
$26
CHILD 5-15
$10
CHILD
UNDER 5
FREE
Family Pass
$64
NZ Primary and Secondary Schools Programmes
$3
(Per child & accompanying adults)
Students must be participating in a LEOTC programme following the NZ Curriculum
KEEPER TALKS
For a very personal experience join our keepers to hear about the work they do with each species. They’ll share lots of information about the individual animals, their conservation, and answer your questions.
Keeper talks are all part of your entry ticket. Bring the whole family, take your time and wander around our native bird park. There are currently two specialised kiwi nocturnal houses, a huge dome aviary, walk-through wildlife enclosures, ponds, wetlands and tree-lined paths. No matter when you visit, you’ll find something interesting happening around the Park.
KIWI
10:30 AM
1:30 PM
3:30 PM
KEA / KĀKĀ
11:00 AM
KĀKĀRIKI
12:00 PM
LONG FIN EEL
2:30 PM
Kiwi at the Kiwi House
When our kiwi are younger, we display them in specially designed nocturnal enclosures where the day and night cycles have been reversed. Visitors to the park can see these young kiwi during the day carrying out their normal kiwi behaviour such as probing for insects and earthworms in the soil, bathing in the ponds, and digging burrows or climbing logs. The enclosures have native plants, leaf litter, soil and logs that host a wide range of invertebrates and fruits which make up the majority of the kiwi diet. We also offer kiwi a specially prepared artificial diet to supplement the live food which enables us to feed kiwi if they are in transit or for some reason needed to be cared for in another setting. This also helpds keep kiwi in excellent body condition during breeding.
Our breeding age kiwi are in large off-display enclosures nearby, where they are free to raise their chicks. Once kiwi have been bred to capture their genetic material in the breeding programme they are released into predator controlled habitats to increase the number and genetic diversity of kiwi in the wild.
We have been conserving and breeding Kiwi since 1971 and were the first Kiwi House in New Zealand to display and breed kiwi and artificially incubate kiwi in captivity for release back to the wild. We have bred three species of kiwi on site; Brown Kiwi, Great Spotted Kiwi and Little Spotted Kiwi. To date we have successfully hatched over 160 kiwi chicks and released these to the wild. We are also involved in carrying out research that will assist kiwi survival in the wild and best practice in kiwi husbandry.
Our kiwi have plenty of natural food sources inside their enclosures. They probe in the soil and leaf litter for insects, worms, spiders and native berries. New leaf litter is brought into enclosures from forested areas each fortnight containing seasonal insects and berries that help to create variety in the kiwi diet. Logs filled with insect life are also brought in for the kiwi to rip into and explore. Their favourite berries at present are Coprosma robusta berries which are high in caffeine - no wonder they are very active kiwi! We supplement the kiwi's daily diet with an artificial diet fed out to all kiwi in captivity. It is made with minced beef (steak and ox heart), peas and corn, apples, pears and bananas, currants, a specific design of cat biscuits, wheatgerm, insect powder, CaCo3, corn and canola oil and a supplement called the 'Kiwi PreMix'. Our kiwi certainly dine well!