Wildlife refuge

Very neat place to see kiwis and learn more about the birds of New Zealand! One of the keepers gave us an impromptu lesson as we arrived since he happened to be at the desk, then an excellent staff member inside chased us down to let us know the kiwis had come closer to the glass. The eels were shockingly fun to see too, the biggest one still has me wide eyed!

If you are on the South Island, this is an absolute must see. From the beginning, the hosts provided a very accurate, and sometimes funny, description of what you will encounter on the shoreline. Once you make the walk down, you will first see a raft of apprehensive penguins, who, after much deliberation, will finally make their way up the path directly in front of you. The first raft will soon be followed by raft after raft of penguins who make wakes on their way inbound. If you are as lucky as us, you may also see an amazing amount of stars and the Southern Cross. Finally, we were amazed to have a little blue penguin walk up the stairs with us, but please be careful to not shine lights on them.Enjoy an amazing night with the penguins. Highly recommended!

Definitely a must visit. Best tour we've done in New Zealand so far! It's so much fun to see all those cute penguins. The guides are also very enthusiastic and have a lot of knowledge. A nice initiative.

Phone number on website isnt valid. Good recommendation though.

We had a great tour. Their guides are so informative about the bird life and everything to do with nature. They do a amazing job.

Such an amazing experience. Seeing the penguins in such a natural state running up the beach is incredible. The team running the tours are terrific, teaching you all about the Polynesian natives of the area, the significance of the area to the Maori. They even brought home baked cookies! Had such an amazing time, learned a ton and frankly loved it. Thanks guys!Make sure you bring a warm coat!

They have put a lot of effort into developing ways to get up close to the penguins without being intrusive. It was a great way to spend an afternoon.

Love this zoo, location is very private and safe for kids to play around. We enjoyed the walking track within the forest, very peaceful and quiet.

Took our 11yr old granddaughter, was a great experience for all of us

This place is well worth a visit! An extremely affordable family day out - half the price of the zoo, Staglands, Zealandia... Bring a packed lunch and have a picnic! The kids absolutely loved it when a bird landed on my shoulder! The staff are friendly and helpful too!