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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.
Thu 21 Jan
Fri 22 Jan
Sat 23 Jan
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Mon 25 Jan
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Wed 27 Jan
2spaces priced from:
- Adult$35.00
- Child$28.00
2spaces priced from:
- Adult$35.00
- Child$28.00
2spaces priced from:
- Adult$57.00
- Child$28.00
4spaces priced from:
- Adult$57.00
- Child$28.00
2spaces priced from:
- Adult$32.00
- Child$28.00
2spaces priced from:
- Adult$35.00
- Child$28.00
4spaces priced from:
- Adult$57.00
- Child$28.00
2spaces priced from:
- Adult$35.00
- Child$28.00
6spaces priced from:
- Adult$57.00
- Child$28.00
2spaces priced from:
- Adult$35.00
- Child$28.00
2spaces priced from:
- Adult$35.00
- Child$28.00
6spaces 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
Amazing experience
Melanie from NZ
Very educational!
louisem16 from United Kingdom
Very educational!
louisem16 from United Kingdom
Very educational!
louisem16 from United Kingdom
Great Staff
kelvinh1 from NZ
Great Staff
kelvinh1 from NZ
Great Staff
kelvinh1 from NZ
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 112 authenticated Bookme reviews
Melanie from New Zealand wrote on 07 December 2020
Amazing experience
We had a great time at the Wildlife Centre. We did the 10am tour and saw the kiwi chicks awake. Our tour guide was very friendly and had a lot of knowledge about the kiwis and the tuataras. I would highly recommend going there!
angelap15 from New Zealand wrote on 06 December 2020
Great place to visit
Friendly staff, great tour and cute wildlife to view!
louisem16 from United Kingdom wrote on 04 December 2020
Very educational!
With the backstage pass I got to see the incubation rooms and learn all about the rowi, the kiwi bird local to this area. One had just hatched the night before my tour and I got to see it on the camera. The lady who gave me the tour was very knowledgeable about the birds, the local area and efforts to increase rowi populations around Franz Josef. She then took me to the Tuatara enclosure where I got up close with a female tuatara and learned about their feeding, basking and breeding habits. You don’t get to touch any of the animals for health and safety reasons but you do get to see them up close and learn an awful lot about them. The centre is very educational from start to finish. There were two rowi on display that were only 2 months old and it was fascinating to see them interacting with each other, searching for food and having a wee nana nap! The display on the glaciers was very informative and there is even some history on the gold mining, timber trade and hunting, which was pretty interesting! Well worth a visit!
kelvinh1 from New Zealand wrote on 01 December 2020
Great Staff
Very enjoyable and I'm formative tour. Great to learn so much.
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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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Derryn from New Zealand wrote on 29 December 2020
Fantastic experience
Thoroughly enjoyed our visit especially the behind the scene tour. Thorougjly recommend it as an activity.
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