Franz Josef Wildlife Center: Skip the Line Tickets with Optional Backstage Pass
4.4
77 Ratings
Franz Josef
Experience the Franz Josef Wildlife Center, the largest kiwi hatching facility in the South Island. Skip the line and get a backstage pass for an exclusive tour. Book now!
Duration: 2 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • West Coast Wildlife Centre - The centre is open every day from 8.30am.

A free takeaway learning booklet is provided at no extra charge.

All tickets purchased are valid for 48 hours. This means guests can come in and out of the attraction as often as they like.

During your visit, you’ll be able to see live kiwi during the day inside the nocturnal house, See live Tuatara, and discover the interactive glacier attraction and storytelling areas/films as well as films and information around NZ’s ambitious goal to become predator free by 2050.

You’ll also have the option to go behind the scenes on the VIP Backstage Pass Tour rated “highly recommended” by Lonely Planet and Tripadvisor Traveller’s Choice Award winner for 2022. A fully guided 40-minute tour behind the scenes to see our kiwi incubation and hatching and Tuatara programmes.

What's Included
  • Goods and Services Tax (GST) included
  • Local taxes covered
  • Complimentary car parking
What's Not Included
  • Souvenir photos (available to purchase)
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off
  • DVD (available to purchase)
Additional Information

Lonely Planet listed the West Coast Wildlife Centre as one of 12 must-visit attractions in New Zealand. Being the largest kiwi hatchery in the South Island, it’s the premier indoor all-weather visit in Franz Josef. Inside the nocturnal house, visitors are given the rare opportunity to see live kiwi during daylight hours, including some of the rarest species in the world. The centre offers an interactive glacier display and features local West Coast stories. Additionally, you can venture behind the scenes with the limited availability “Kiwi & Tuatara Backstage Pass Tour”, a 40-minute adventure for which early booking is suggested. Also, within this sheltered facility, take advantage of the best shopping in Franz Josef, together with free Wi-Fi at the café that TripAdvisor clients vouch for as the ‘best Coffee’ locale in Franz Josef. Purchasing a VIP Backstage Pass Tour also includes a general admission ticket to the centre.

  • Children must be accompanied by an adult
  • Main attraction is wheelchair friendly, but backstage pass tour is not wheelchair accessible
  • Photography is restricted inside the kiwi nocturnal house but available on the kiwi backstage pass tour
  • Proof of age require if purchasing a senior ticket (over 65 years of age)
  • Cafe with food and coffee available to purchase. All major credit cards accepted
Location
West Coast Wildlife Centre
Cnr Cowan & Cron Streets, Bright Green Building
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.4
(77 Ratings)
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Blondiesmp
Apr 26, 2024
Kiwis are beautiful - Kath was so wonderful. Friendly and informative. You can see she loves what she does. The kiwis are absolutely beautiful. Great experience. Diane & Sharon
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Travel24910826152
Apr 15, 2024
Beats the rain - After a long hike in the rain, I decided to stop in. Unlike my hike in the rain, this did not disappoint. Steve was the best, super informative and answered every question I had. I absolutely loved learning more about our native species and seeing all the work they do to help save them. Tino ataahua te mahi!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
T6015drtoms
Apr 9, 2024
Don't Miss It - Tom and Anne from Australia did the VIP Kiwi and Tuatara Backstage Tour. Amber was our guide. She gave us so much interesting information. We learned so much on this tour, well worth the time. We enjoyed looking at the tuatara, just amazing! Thanks Amber
Review provided by Tripadvisor
786desid
Apr 3, 2024
Saw Kiwis playing and learned so much about these feathered potatoes! - This was undoubtedly an unforgettable experience and a must-do when in Franz Josef. I purchased the earliest behind-the-scenes tour (10 AM) and arrived at the Wildlife Centre right when they opened. Before the tour started, I visited the Kiwi exhibit where the Kiwi birds were awake, energetic, running around, and enjoying their breakfast. During the tour, the guide explained that the Kiwi birds are exposed to bright white light at night to simulate the day, and they are exhibited under dim lights during our day, which is their 'night,' allowing visitors to observe them. The backstage behind-the-scenes tour provided a significant amount of information about how the Wildlife Centre is helping to increase the Kiwi population, as well as information about the little Kiwi bird itself. I learned much more than I expected, and I couldn't believe how close I was able to get to the Kiwi birds for such a long time! 10/10 I would highly recommend this experience. P.S. saw two Kiwis, but went through the exhibit 3 times, so pretty much saw 6 Kiwis :-)
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Q6438pimichelem
Apr 3, 2024
Fabulous - We had an amazing time at West Coast Wildlife Center! There were 2 couples and all four of us loved being there. The guide was informative and we had plenty of time to enjoy looking at the Tuatars and the Kiwis.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jody_c
Apr 2, 2024
Love it! - Learned so much about Kiwis, NZ native and invasive wildlife, and the amazing conservation efforts happening here. And got to see two busy little kiwis up close and personal! 🥰
Review provided by Viator
Carriem41743
Mar 31, 2024
Very educational tour - Very informative tour, and we learnt lots about Kiwi and Tuatara from Amber. We have never been so close to Kiwi before, so this was very special! Thank you for all the mahi you are doing for this endangered species.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Richardla8537dj
Mar 27, 2024
Wonderful Tour - Lots to Learn!!! - This was a spectacular tour and Steve who led our tour was just terrific - we got so much information on the Kiwi and the Tuotara and the amazing efforts that the center and so many volunteers are doing to preserve their wildlife. Thank you so much!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mf2007manchester
Mar 19, 2024
Ignore the naysayers!!! - Frankly puzzled by the number of negative reviews. This was one of our favourite experience in 3 weeks touring NZ. The time we had observing the two young kiwis in their individual habitats was value for money in itself. I get that the supporting material is low tech/a bit outdated but it addresses all that you’ll want to know about kiwis and their life challenges. They’re doing great work to help ensure survival of the Rowi kiwi and the ticket price helps support that worthy endeavour. Ticket validity of 48 hours meant that we were able to pop back before we left Franz Josef and spend some more time with the kiwis. And please note it is not pitch black in the room with the kiwis and they’re pretty easy to see unless they’re right at the back of their habitats - in which case wait a few minutes, they tend to roam a fair bit. We happily spent 1-2 hours there and our time was spent on the kiwis rather than the other exhibits which were of less interest to us. Added bonus is that the cafe has some good items for breakfast too.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Bridgetd559
Mar 26, 2024
Hope the kiwis are ok - I had forgotten how uncomfortable I am observing animals in captivity. One of the kiwis appeared quite distressed; perhaps it was simply moving rapidly up and down its enclosure looking for breakfast/dinner. 🤷‍♀️
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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up to 8 guests
1 Adult
June 2024
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