Okarito Kiwi Tours

The absolute highlight of our five-week NZ South Island trip. Before this we knew close to nothing about birds but this turned us into birders, we're so happy that we had this tour during the first week of our trip. It inspired us to look for birds and we really have. We've now seen the penguins, seals and sea lions, swam with the Hector's dolphins, hiked for hundreds of kilometers up and down, climbed via ferrata, visited the glaciers, kayaked in Golden Bay and Milford Sound, done horseback trekking etc. but it was this kiwi experience that we will cherish in our memories the most. Funnily enough this was also the least pleasant experience (for my wife at least, I personally found it super interesting and actually calming) – standing for hours while sleepy and having a serious need to pee surrounded by mosquitoes, listening, waiting... But as our guide Ian said, the bigger the effort the bigger the reward. It was fantastic to see Fancy in the absolute darkness finally in the middle of the night. Thank you. PLEASE NOTE: You don't need to know anything about birds to enjoy this! We didn't!

Fantastic tour with Ian! His passion, knowledge, and dedication to conservation of the Okarito kiwis, one of the rarest birds in the world, is truly contagious. We were so fortunate to be able to see a kiwi in its natural habitat, emerging from his burrow at dusk and then foraging along the side of the road. There are fewer than 500 okarito kiwis left in the wild and seeing one was such a memorable experience, definitely a highlight of our trip! The tour was worth every penny and more, but remember to bring lots of warm clothes and patience. Wholeheartedly recommend!!!

I would have give 6 stars if I could!Meet Ian, he is so soooooo good in what he is doing! He loves the kiwis, he knows the kiwis, and I really respect all the effort that he has done, all for the kiwis! I couldn’t imagine anyone can do as good as him! As much as he can do!When you meet him, you will know ! It is all about your passion, with his passion for the kiwi, all work together, put out the hard effort to strike for one chance, to see one kiwi in one night! There is no guarantee to see one. We almost miss it too but :)Sincere advise : Please don’t come mess up if you are not keen of seeing one, you would definitely find yourself in a wrong place, it is not fun standing in the bush with mosquitoes for hours.Otherwise, you have to come for sure!!!

An incredible experience. Not only did we see a male kiwi up close, we also got to listen to him and his mate vocalising with each other. Ian was fantastic and knew how to wrangle us tour-goers to maximise our chance of having a successful trip. If you want to see kiwi outside of an enclosure, this is your best bet.

Experience of a lifetime - we still can't believe that we saw a kiwi in the wild. Thank you so much Ian!PS: If you are thinking about booking a Kiwi Tour please bear in mind that you have to be very patient and be able to stand completely still and listen for a while.

Still can’t believe that we saw a kiwi in the wild last night - the very handsome Fancy! Absolutely incredible experience.Ian is a phenomenal guide - the experience and passion just oozes out of him! So friendly and informative, and excellent at tracking kiwis! The night was a whole team effort and required a lot of patience and listening - which in itself is a brilliant experience. To be out in the NZ bush in the dark is an orchestra of wildlife!Absolutely awestruck when we heard Fancy calling from afar, and then to see him 3-4m in front of us and crossing the track. An experience we will NEVER forget.Once in a lifetime trip - thank you so much, Ian ❤️

Tour on 26th of December 2022What a fantastic experience! Ian was a wonderful guide who prepared us well. We were really lucky, there was a lot of activity going on. You need to be patient for sure but in the end we could observe a kiwi at a distance of about 10-15 meters. A few minutes later the same kiwi popped out of the bush just in front of us! It was an amazing experience I will keep in mind forever!

It was a bit of a waiting game, but we had the very rarely seen Jim at our feet on the trail just after midnight. After having Fancy very close but called back by a call for mating activity. This trip is not for people not serious about seeing a kiwi and putting in a major effort. Sometimes it may be easy, other times not so much. Ian is strict with the rules and for good reason, and is very good at leading the tour. Highly recommended if you really want to see Okarito Kiwi.

Fantastic experience. Always wanted to see a kiwi in the bush, and we saw two! Ian is very passionate about what he does and makes for an amazing night out.Highly recommend.

We had a great time with Ian. He provided clear explanations of what to look out for (particularly the male & female sounds) and at the end we saw one kiwi bird superbly well (took some patience - the sighting was just before midnight, while we started looking for birds around 9.30pm). Very unique experience