Experience the amazing West Coast Wildlife Centre, home of the rare kiwi, complete with a guided backstage tour and fascinating Tuatara Encounter!
The VIP Guided Backstage Pass Tour is a combo ticket including West Coast Wildlife Centre entry PLUS a guided 30-45 minute informative tour with one of our Kiwi Rangers through the incubation and chick rearing facility. You'll also enjoy a fascinating Tuatara encounter where you can view up-close the prehistoric tuatara that is endemic only to New Zealand.
The Backstage Pass is hugely popular – especially during the summer months - and is classed as a ‘Top Pick’ by Lonely Planet Travel Guides.
Visitors will see where and how eggs are processed when they first arrive at the West Coast Wildlife Centre. They will learn about incubation procedures and take a look at the room where the eggs are cared for. Finally, visitors will get a chance to view the Brooder Room where the kiwi chicks are housed and reared during their time with us.
The West Coast Wildlife Centre is an all-weather visitor attraction located in Franz Josef. The centre is the sole provider of the BNZ Operation Nest Egg TM incubation and captive rearing programme for New Zealand's rarest Kiwi, the Rowi and Haast tokoeka. Since opening in 2010 the West Coast Wildlife Centre has successfully raised and released over 240 Kiwi Chicks.
West Coast Wildlife Centre entry gives visitors the very special chance to view juvenile Rowi in a natural walk through Nocturnal House setting. This self-guided attraction also includes educational and interactive displays and wildlife films offering an opportunity to learn about the Glacier and the unique West Coast region.
Fantastic. I loved every second. Lovely warm friendly people. Loved the tuataras!
Friendly and helpful staff. Let me do my Backstage Pass tour a day early (because my original plans got changed because of the weather). Really interesting tour with the guide (sorry, I can't remember your name).
Awesome learnt a few facts we didn’t know love yo take the grandkids , took pics of kiwi facts in Area egg was hatching just would have loved to buy books of the tour all the info/facts she spoke to us about ( best tour guide ) & photos just photo copied fine made in to ring binder etc not a expensive book just so it’s all remembered and can look back ( please let me know if you’d put a book out thsnks Cheryl
Getting to learn more about the conservation behind kiwi and tuatara was fascinating, and getting to see Moonlight (a 30 day old rowe chick) up close was really special. I also loved getting to see tuatara without any glass or anything in the way was amazing. Our tour guide was enthusiastic and knowledgeable and I would recommend this backstage pass highly <3
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Angela from New Zealand wrote on 18 April 2021
Such a cool Experience. Up close and personal
This place is one of the reasons we wanted to go to Franz. It is a great experience to see the kiwi's and tuatara's up close, and to learn so much about them. The staff are very knowledgeable, friendly and helpful. Recommend this tour to everyone.
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