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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.
Sat 19 Sep
Sun 20 Sep
Mon 21 Sep
Tue 22 Sep
Wed 23 Sep
Thu 24 Sep
Fri 25 Sep
4spaces priced from:
- Adult$57.00
- Child$28.00
2spaces priced from:
- Adult$32.00
- Child$28.00
4spaces priced from:
- Adult$57.00
- Child$28.00
4spaces priced from:
- Adult$32.00
- Child$28.00
4spaces priced from:
- Adult$32.00
- Child$28.00
2spaces priced from:
- Adult$35.00
- Child$28.00
6spaces priced from:
- Adult$57.00
- Child$28.00
5spaces priced from:
- Adult$35.00
- Child$28.00
4spaces priced from:
- Adult$35.00
- Child$28.00
6spaces priced from:
- Adult$57.00
- Child$28.00
4spaces priced from:
- Adult$35.00
- Child$28.00
4spaces priced from:
- Adult$57.00
- Child$28.00
4spaces priced from:
- Adult$57.00
- Child$28.00
4spaces priced from:
- Adult$57.00
- Child$28.00
4spaces priced from:
- Adult$57.00
- Child$28.00
4spaces priced from:
- Adult$57.00
- Child$28.00
4spaces priced from:
- Adult$57.00
- Child$28.00
4spaces priced from:
- Adult$57.00
- Child$28.00
Authenticated Reviews & PhotosAll of our reviews are from people who have booked and paid for this activity thru Bookme
Great viewing of kiwis and tuataras
Megan from NZ
Great viewing of kiwis and tuataras
Megan from NZ
Disappointing
amandal1 from NZ
Disappointing
amandal1 from NZ
Authenticated Reviews & PhotosAll of our reviews are from people who have booked and paid for this activity thru Bookme
Showing all 102 authenticated Bookme reviews
From Franz Josef - West Coast Wildlife Centre VIP Guided Backstage Pass Tour
Thanks for the 5 Star review and delighted that you enjoyed your visit !
Kevin Kovalycsik from United States wrote on 22 February 2020
Visit
I thought that it was an excellent experience. Relatively short, but very informative. Unfortunately, the kiwis were asleep. I think it would be outstanding if it was possible to see the kiwis with the red light /or if you paired the tour with that in the wild of the neighboring town that I was unable to attend because there was no ride. Otherwise, great job.
null from Spain wrote on 26 December 2019
Buena excursión
Buena excursión para saber más sobre el kiwi
From Franz Josef - West Coast Wildlife Centre VIP Guided Backstage Pass Tour
Thanks for the 5 Star review and delight that you enjoyed visit - the team and i appreciate you taking the time to place a review. Richard Owner
amandal1 from New Zealand wrote on 31 October 2019
Disappointing
A very enjoyable tour however the amount of time allowed to see the baby chicks was disappointing. They allow you to take unlimited photos but with the kiwis in glass boxes with a red light on inside, the light reflecting on the glass and in a narrow corridor, it makes it impossible to get a good photo. I was particularly looking forward to this tour after following them online and seeing photos of the baby chicks, I was sadly disappointed. I wouldn’t recommend the backstage pass.
From Franz Josef - West Coast Wildlife Centre VIP Guided Backstage Pass Tour
Thanks Amanda for placing a review and sad that you did not enjoy our Backstage Pass Tour. Taking photography of kiwi chicks can be really challenging as you are visiting a real life working area where the team are actively hatching rowi and Has tokoeka chicks to release back into the wild. If you would like me to email you some really great photos i'd be really happy to do so - just drop me a line ( richard at" [email protected]" ) Hope this helps in some small way. Regards Richard
William from United Kingdom wrote on 23 December 2019
Pleasant and insightful
Great to spend some peaceful time with a couple of young kiwis in the nocturnal room. Very interesting to do the backstage tour and hear about the great work being carried out at the centre by a knowledgeable and passionate guide, and see another two recently hatched chicks sleeping. We subsequently visited Willowbank in Christchurch to see another stage in the kiwi journey, but found the West coast wildlife centre more intimate.
From Franz Josef - West Coast Wildlife Centre VIP Guided Backstage Pass Tour
Thanks William and appreciate the 5 Star review and your comments. To date we have hatched over 310 Rowi kiwi - in Partnership with the Department of Conservation - and with only 450 left alive in the wild today are doing our very best to help make a conservation difference.Your visit and entry ticket have really helped. Thanks again. Richard Owner
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10:00 a.m.Thursday 13 July
Spaces Left
Adult
Child 5 - 15 years
*Option must be made together with another price type.
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Megan from New Zealand wrote on 13 September 2020
Great viewing of kiwis and tuataras
Great to see behind the scenes of the newly born kiwis and their egg incubators. Great staff. Friendly tour guide. We were able to see the tuataras being fed aswell and go through the the experience. All in all a great way to spend an hour.
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