Kiwi Spotting: Night Walk on Ocean Beach
4.7
62 Ratings
Visitor Terminal - Stewart Island Experience

Embark on a guided night walk on Stewart Island to encounter the elusive Southern brown kiwi. Explore the coastal forest and spot wildlife in the darkness. Book now!

Duration: 5 hours, 20 minutes
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • RealNZ - Check in at the Ferry Terminal
  • Stewart Island - Stewart Island Wild Kiwi Encounters
    Join an unforgettable evening adventure exploring the wildlife and culture of Rakiura/Stewart Island. Start with a picturesque cruise where you can spot rare seabirds and marine life before reaching your kiwi-spotting destination. During the Wild Kiwi…
What's Included
  • Tea and coffee
Additional Information

Stewart Island Wild Kiwi Encounters
Embark on a magical evening adventure on Rakiura/Stewart Island. Start with a picturesque cruise around nearby islands (weather permitting), where you can observe rare seabirds and marine life such as albatross, penguins, and fur seals. As night approaches, reach your kiwi-spotting location for a guided walk…

Location
Visitor Terminal - Stewart Island Experience
Please arrive 15 minutes before your scheduled departure time.
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
4.7
(62 Ratings)
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Susan_t
Apr 29, 2025
Wonderful experience! - This was a great experience - the guides (Jan and Natasha) were super knowledgeable and experienced. There was lots if education done about the kiwis and other animals which made the experience even more enjoyable. We saw lots of animals from the boat, had a walk through the forest at night (which was a cool experience in and of itself). Then saw a kiwi on the beach and it just went about its business (eating) for about 30 minutes while we watched it - it didn’t even realize we were there. Then hot chocolate on the boat for the return to harbour
Review provided by Viator
Christine_k
Apr 18, 2025
Wonderful Experience - The excursion fulfilled every promise on delivering wildlife sightings and was well worth the cost charged. Guides were personable, knowledgeable and very efficient. My sister and I enjoyed this same excursion a year ago and it was because of the excellence that we repeated the tour again this year.
Review provided by Viator
Q2937aarobertw
Apr 16, 2025
As an Aussie, seeing a kiwi was a unique and memorable experience. - The trip consisted of great seabird watching (I'm a serious birder) and 1.5hrs of kiwi spotting. Our guides, Sarah and Natasha, were excellent and found a kiwi, not all trips do, which wandered no more than 2m from us. Natasha videoed it and transferred the video to my phone for a wonderful record of a unique experience. I was one of only three trippers, a group of 20 might struggle to get the same close views. We were also fortunate to have calm, dry weather as rain would have dampened the experience in more ways than one. I thoroughly recommend the Wild Kiwi Encounter.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kenr310
Apr 11, 2025
An absolute delight - What a fantastic adventure. We were lucky enough to see yellow eyed penguins in the water and two kiwis apart from many other bird and seal encounters. One kiwi stayed around for 20 minutes. An absolute delight.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Compass17032434016
Mar 29, 2025
very dedicated and knowledgeable guides - The two guides and the skipper were very dedicated and knowledgeable. We were allowed to watch albatrosses, sea lions, penguins and two kiwis on the night walk from the boat. The clear starry sky on the beach completed the experience. We would definitely book this tour again.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
302janee
Feb 21, 2025
The highlight of our trip - We did the wild Kiwi walk and also the Island explorer. Karen and Natasha were the guides on both and we were in Karen’s group each time. The boat captains, Mac and Nick were great, and Karen was just awesome, as was Natasha These trips were the highlight of our amazing visit to New Zealand. The experience was outstanding, due to what we saw but also the passion for birds and animals that Karen and the others displayed. It really was excellent
Review provided by Tripadvisor
54maggie
Feb 11, 2025
Highlight of our NZ tour - Highlight of our NZ holiday. Enjoyed seeing other wildlife on the way and our guides were so knowledgeable and enthusiastic. We saw about 6 wild kiwis and really appreciated how well organised and prepared our group was for tramp in silence. Wonderful evening
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jeroen
Jan 30, 2025
Wonderfull experience - The excursion was slightly different than we had anticipated because we spent the first 1.5 hours sailing by boat along some islands and beaches to admire the maritime life. The guides were very knowledgeable and brought it in a nice way. We have seen seals, albatrosses and a penguin. Then we got half an hour of explanation about the kiwifruit and how we work as a group and how we can increase the chance of seeing a kiwifruit. The operator provides binoculars and (white and red) flashlights. The area we went looking for is in a private reserve that this operator has sole access to. You can therefore not visit this area yourself like the surroundings of Oban. Our group of 20 was split into two and followed each other the same route a few meters away. In the end we spotted three kiwifruit (separately no group) where one came very close and posed for about 30 minutes. We were very lucky to spot the number and duration of the kiwifruit. Even if we had not seen kiwifruit, this trip would have been worth it. Definitely recommended to all visitors to Stewart Island.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Liench_n
Jan 21, 2025
Unique tour with dedicated team - The tour starts with a longer trip on a comfortable catamaran. Various points for animal observation were approached. We saw penguins, albatrosses and sea lions. After dark - and a brief briefing - we then went in search of the kiwis. We had 3 very dedicated and knowledgeable guides (Sarah, India, Jac) for our group of 12 people. We actually saw two Kiwis. A sensational experience, as is the entire tour itself. Our skipper Nic led us safely through the water and night at all times. Absolutely recommend!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sarahs12345418
Jan 28, 2025
Wild kiwi spotting - Quite hard work with a lot of walking through the bush but we saw 3 wild kiwis so it was worth it. Guides were professional and courteous
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $154
up to 10 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).