Wildlife

Everyone knows the kiwi, our flightless nocturnal bird and national symbol, but less well known are the hundreds of others you will come across as you journey through New Zealand – the cheeky kea at Arthurs Pass or Milford Road, the Albatross at the Royal Albatross Centre on the Otago Peninsula or Kaikoura, Penguins in the South Island, (children love watching kororā, little blue penguins at Oarmaru), gannet colonies, migrating godwits, fantails, robins, pukeko, kaka, bell birds, tuis and more – too many to list. You will learn of the intensity of the conservation efforts and methods to protect the more vulnerable of these species and ensure their future. A swim with the dolphins or a whale-watching trip is often the high light of many peoples’ holiday. There are several seal colonies along the coast, some as easy access as the side of the road! All of these seen in their natural surroundings.