The National Kiwi Centre Hokitika

Get up and close and interactive with living icons of the West Coast. The Kiwi, Tuatara, Giant Eels, Crayfish and Whitebait.

The National Kiwi Centre is situated in the heart of Hokitika and provides the opportunity to get up close and personal with New Zealand’s national icons.  Have fun catching a Crawly and feeding the Eels. View the endangered Kiwi and check out the Tuatara.

Feeding times for Eels are 10.00am, 12.00pm and 3.00pm every day.

Kiwi Exhibition

At the Kiwi exhibition, you can engage directly with our wildlife keeper to learn more about New Zealand’s fascinating flightless birds.  See these endangered birds up close in their nocturnal home, which is a custom-built replica of their natural environment.

Kiwis are an endangered species found only in New Zealand. The National Kiwi Centre takes great pride in supporting conservation efforts to keep these wonderful birds alive and thriving.

New Zealand’s Longfin Eel – BIGGEST EELS IN THE WORLD!!

While in the centre, don’t miss out on seeing our huge Longfin freshwater Eels.  These Eels are endemic to New Zealand and some are over 80 years old.

Come and view these slippery giants throughout the day in their aquarium. Join the Keeper talk and feeding session at 10am, 12pm and 3pm daily.

The Tuatara

Check out New Zealand’s oldest “living dinosaur”, the Tuatara.  These reptiles were considered extinct, until they were found on local offshore islands. They were introduced back onto the mainland in 2005, when a breeding programme was launched.

The Tuatara have a lineage dating back 200 million years and at the National Kiwi Centre they are very privileged to be able to show these ancient creatures to you.

Koura

Koura/Freshwater Crayfish or Crawly, as the locals call them, are hard to spot as they like to hide among rocks and debris on the creek bed.

Crayfish are scavengers but don’t go searching for food as they prefer to stay in one spot and grab food as it floats by or sinks to the bottom.

The hook-less catch and release pond allow both kids and adults to interact and have fun while also feeding these lazy crustaceans.

Whitebait

Every year the West Coast river banks become lined with people and their various nets in search of that little fish known as ‘Whitebait’.

At the National Kiwi Centre, the Galaxiid don’t become fritters, instead you can see them at various life stages. Their home is a 2,000 litre aquarium, where the fish shoal and swim and have been doing so now for the past three seasons or Springtime’s.

As they are growing we are beginning to identify the various species of the Galaxiid family.

Bookings are essential during Summer Season Nov- March 

Contact the team at Greymouth isite

Email: info@westcoasttravel.co.nz

Phone: 0800 GREYMOUTH

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