New Zealand Animals
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Anonymous
| We’re traveling to NZ in July (Rotorua, Wellington, Christchurch, and Queenstown). Looking for recommendations for animals to see in the wild nearby. Thank you! |
Anonymous
| We saw some penguins down by Dunedin. |
Anonymous
Not animals, but the Waitomo glow worm caves are 2 hours from Rotorua. |
Anonymous
| We did not see many wild ones except Kia up on Arthur’s pass - basically giant parrots acting like city pigeons but on top of mountains. Also saw the blue penguin colony at Oamaru- they live at the colony but spend days fishing, get the deluxe tickets not the cheap seats. Not in the wild but make time to see a kiwi. We visited a place outside the glow worm caves that was very educational in a good way, but the kiwis were being difficult so barely saw them. We also went to the zoo in Christchurch that we loved, saw a few kiwis there. You can feed many of the animals there which is fun for all ages. Youare not supposed to feed the Kia at the zoo, but those birds don’t care, they will land on you and search your pockets (still super cute) |
Anonymous
| You can see Yellow Eyed Penguins near Dunedin (https://www.chicagotribune.com/1997/09/14/the-yellow-eyes-of-new-zealand/) . If you go down to Stewart Island there are some places that will take you into the bush to see kiwis at night. If you go to the Milford Sound you'll probably see keas -- they're really obnoxious parrots. You probably won't see weta or tuatara unless you get to some of the islands off the main islands. |
Anonymous
|
There are no native mammals besides a bat I've never seen.
There are many sheep and cows. They are imports. There are sheep shearing shows in Rotorua and Queenstown, and farm visits other places. The most interesting native animals are the birds. Many are flightless because there were no other animals to harm them for thousands and millions of years, so they took to walking. If in Wellington, visit Zealandia, which is a bird reserve - they've managed to keep out rats. https://www.visitzealandia.com/ To see a kiwi, you'll have to go to a zoo or special bird place. Other possible birds to go see include penguins in Oamaru, albatrosses in Dunedin and white herons on the West Coast on the South Island. In Akaroa, you could try a boat trip to see the Hectors dolphins, which are tiny porpoises. You could try to some short hikes. The bird song you hear in the native bush is quite different than here, particularly with the glorious bell birds and the tui. The morning news on public radio in the morning always starts with a different bird song. |
Anonymous
| DS' dream in life is to see a kiwi in the wild. I have no recommendations, but following! |
Anonymous
I grew up in NZ and never saw one in the wild. They're nocturnal. Here's an article about the return of native birds to Wellington. A kiwi turned up on some guy's door step there, but that is highly unusual. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/apr/18/penguins-in-the-pond-kiwis-in-back-yard-how-a-city-brought-back-its-birds-aoe If you're down in Wanaka you could try spotting a puteketeke https://www.npr.org/2023/11/15/1213228757/john-oliver-new-zealand-bird-century-contest-puteketeke |
Anonymous
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There are seals in Kaikoura
https://www.travelchook.com/kaikoura-the-best-place-to-see-wild-seals/ |
Anonymous
| The sheep! We participated on a great demo at Arthur's Pass - I still remember the differences in the wool between the "Walmart sweater" and the "Italian Suit." |
Anonymous
| Swim with dolphins in Kaikoura. |
Anonymous
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The penguins are the most accessible wild animals on the South Island. Various places have viewing areas to watch the penguins.
I wouldn't go to NZ specifically to see wild animals. It's not Costa Rica for birding or African savannahs for the animals. Wonderful country, however. |
Anonymous
PP - He's prepared to hang out in the woods all night, lol. Also he's 11, let's see if this sticks. |
Anonymous
That's a bit like a foreign tourist to the US going to the National Mall to look for a grizzly bear. The closest I had was being left in the bush for three nights alone during an Outward Bound. Some weka birds ran over me in my sleeping bag. Weka are much more common than kiwi. Just take your son to Zealandia in Wellington. |
Anonymous
The weka are hilarious birds. They are goofy, |