Kiwiness Tours Matakana Coast Tours

Our tour guide Ed was funny and very knowledgeable about the region and the kiwis. We wouldn’t have found the kiwis on our own but he did a great job in spotting them and making sure everyone gets to see them. We saw 3 kiwis and especially the last one we could observe for 10min while he was eating as he was not bothered by us at all. Overall great tour and definitely recommend it!Cheers,Luca

I loved this tour! I have been camping at Tāwharanui many times but this tour with Ness was a such a unique and awesome experience. She has great knowledge of Tāwharanui and it’s wildlife. It was beautiful to be in the bush as night was falling and the bird chorus was really going off. Ness was great at explaining how the night sounds were transitioning. She has an excellent ear and eye for understanding the forrest. We were fortunate enough to see several kiwis, but I would have been just as happy if we had not seen any.

Excellent tour and our guide Ed was amazing. We saw so many kiwis that we lost count! (It was at least 9-10). My wife even had one run into her leg we were able to get that close (though that was apparently a first). Highly recommended

We had a fantastic night on the Kiwi tour with Ness - she was fun and informative, relating to all ages on our tour (7yrs-70yrs). Stopping for warm milo and homemade cookies in the middle of the forest was beautiful and we were able to encounter several kiwi - some just a few meters away. Would highly recommend this tour to anyone!

We had such a wonderful evening on the Kiwiness Tour on 18 January. Ness is passionate about Tāwharanui and shared this with us. We had a beautiful evening, viewing the bay at sunset, a magical walk through the forest, views of some ruru and roosting kereru in the trees as it got dark and we were later able to see several kiwis. What a very special evening with yummy hot chocolate and delicious cookies to cap off an incredible evening. My husband and I cannot recommend Ness and Kiwiness Tours highly enough. Ngā mihi for the magical memories. Sue and Philip.

Our tour guide, Ness, was absolutely amazing! She was very friendly and knowledgeable, and made sure that our experience was spectacular! We spotted 3 kiwis (one came within a few feet of us!) and several other birds and other wildlife with our red flashlights.The trails in the park are very well developed and easy to walk on for any level of fitness.To give you an overview, we were picked up in Matakana in a comfortable and clean van, then driven out to Tawharanui Park. (About 15 minutes) After arrival at the park we looked at and learned about the protective fence construction, walked up to a beautiful lookout point for some photos, then stopped off at an information station for some hot chocolate and snacks while our guide educated us about the park, it’s history, the flora and fauna, and, of course, the kiwis! When the sun started to set, we began our walk (about 2 hours of leisurely walking staying as quiet as possible). The woods were quiet, and we could hear all of the bird calls and other sounds of the forest, including the kiwis walking in the underbrush! We almost immediately came upon our first kiwi sighting, and watched it for about 10 minutes before moving along. While walking on the trail quietly, we heard a male and female kiwi calling to one another up ahead. We then saw two more kiwis! One of them (a female) seemed oblivious to us and walked within a few feet of us! I got some great photos and video! On the walk out, we came upon a rare sighting, a Morepork (Ruru) Owl (also known as the Tasmanian spotted owl). We also saw a Wood Pigeon resting in a tree, and some large Weta on logs. We were directly beneath the Ruru owl in a tree and watched it for a while. (Take a good camera for these sorts of sightings- my iPhone shots weren’t too great). We walked slowly out of the park, and since it was Summer time, we finished about 10:30 PM, and were driven back to our car. Such an amazing experience!!I would definitely recommend this tour! It is an excellent value, and “must do Kiwi experience” when you are in the Auckland area!!

So happy to see this company has great reviews, they absolutely deserve it! My wife and I had an amazing time going out to find kiwis. Our tour guide, Ed, was super knowledgeable of the area, funny, and approachable. We felt well taken care of the entire tour, and on top of the great experience with our guide, we also were lucky enough to spot five kiwis! Overall, highly recommend for a great tour.

Ed's knowledge and approach was amazing (and his and Ness' close connection to the area). The tour was well planned and respectful to the environment at every point. Can't recommend enough!

Had an absolute ball being on the wine tour guided by Ness! Was great to be guided throughout the lovely vineyards of Matakana and welcomed by the local wine makers/head of house. Ness was super lovely and educational, plus down to earth! Myself and my partner thoroughly enjoyed this tour and couldn’t thank Ness enough for the unforgettable experience! - Zoe x

I had never seen a kiwi in the wild before so it was exciting to be able to do so for the first time in my life. My family had given me a birthday present of 2x tickets to go on the kiwi expedition after hearing me talk about it a number of times. The only disappointment was not having Ness as our guide, but for good reason we were told. No photos as it's not an experience that lends itself to photography.