West Coast Wildlife Centre
West Coast Wildlife Centre, Franz Josef: Hours, Address, West Coast Wildlife Centre Reviews: 4/5
West Coast Wildlife Centre
West Coast Wildlife Centre
4
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
Lonely Planet voted the West Coast Wildlife Centre in the heart of Franz Josef as one of the 12 must see things to visit in New Zealand. This is the largest kiwi hatching facility in the South Island and the "must see" indoor all weather attraction in Franz Josef – home to the official hatching facility for the world's 2 rarest kiwis – the Rowi and Haast Tokoeka. See live kiwi during the day inside our nocturnal house, discover the interactive glacier attraction and West Coast storytelling areas or go behind the scenes on the “Backstage Pass Tour” and see live kiwi chicks and meet the friendly kiwi ranger staff. Numbers are very limited on the 30 minute Backstage Pass Tour so booking are highly recommended to avoid disappointment. The best shopping in Franz Josef can be found here inside the all weather facility -and enjoy free Wi-Fi in the cafe to keep connected to family and friends. Enjoy a coffee or a snack in the cafe – or pick up a pack lunch for your day of adventure. Open from 8.30am daily – 365 days. Set aside 1-2 hours for your visit. All tickets purchased are valid for 24 hours so you can come back and see the kiwi as many times as you like within that period !.
Suggested duration
1-2 hours
Features animals
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from HK$156.38
All you need to step foot in the door.
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Popular mentions
4.0
988 reviews
Excellent
362
Very good
290
Average
163
Poor
94
Terrible
79
Kiwisflythecoop
Te Anau, New Zealand757 contributions
Jun 2022 • Couples
Great experience with great friendly staff. A real insight into the work they are doing to save the Kiwi especially the Rowi and Tuatara. A great place to take your time and explore. Also a chance to see how recent times are affecting the glaciers.
Great coffee and meals in the cafe as well.
Glad we stayed in Franz Josef a bit longer to visit.
Great coffee and meals in the cafe as well.
Glad we stayed in Franz Josef a bit longer to visit.
Written 24 June 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Marg J
Rosa Glen, Australia33 contributions
Jun 2022 • Couples
We went first thing in the morning due to the weather being a bit wet. What a great experience seeing the kiwi and tuatara plus all the other informative displays. We then finished off having a coffee and some beautiful home made goodies - Donna in the Cafe is your typical friendly "kiwi" who makes you feel at home and also will make you laugh. Highly recommend.
Written 1 June 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Gadabout
4 contributions
Apr 2022
If it's wet, this is a great way to spend the afternoon. Did the self-guided tour & took our time to look at all the static displays and a few interactive ones. Not cheap entry but a proportion goes to DOC who do excellent work. Also learnt heaps about Glaciers, Rock Flour, Neves etc.
Written 4 May 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
David G
Auckland, New Zealand140 contributions
Apr 2022 • Couples
Amazing food and coffee
Best ever date scone and delicious home made bacon and egg pie
Fantastic
After a tour of the other brunch options we were so pleased we choose here
Best ever date scone and delicious home made bacon and egg pie
Fantastic
After a tour of the other brunch options we were so pleased we choose here
Written 21 April 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Josie Tear
32 contributions
Feb 2022
I love this place very informative- staff very friendly and helpful. I couldn't see the Kiwis so the staff showed them to me so cute. Well done keep up the good work !
Written 20 February 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Thanks for the great review and delighted that you enjoyed your experience and our team ensured that you saw the worlds rarest kiwi 🙏👍
Written 21 February 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Noelene G
7 contributions
Feb 2022
It's a great place to watch kiwi and tuatara up close. Also, we got lots of information from 1 of the keepers.
Written 17 February 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Thanks for the great review but I’m wondering if you can kindly adjust your star rating from 1 to 5 please as this may have been entered in error.
Written 21 February 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
DupZa
Invercargill, New Zealand5 contributions
Jan 2022
A must do when visiting Franz Josef. Extremely friendly, helpful and knowledgeable staff, very interesting tour and a great insight into Kiwi and Tuatara. Seeing Kiwi for real was a highlight.
Written 19 January 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Thanks for the five star ⭐️-delighted that you enjoyed your visit 🙏
Written 21 February 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Ed R
Blenheim, New Zealand735 contributions
Jan 2022
The centre is excellent with the kiwi easy to see and a fantastic tuatara exhibit. LOTS of information about those and also glaciers and the west coast in general.
It is a wee bit pricey so shell out the extra dollars and do the VIP tour. Our guide was extremely well-spoken and friendly. I learned a lot about kiwi and tuatara and I thought I was quite well-informed!
A great example of a government-private partnership working really well. They do amazing work to protect our precious wildlife.
It is a wee bit pricey so shell out the extra dollars and do the VIP tour. Our guide was extremely well-spoken and friendly. I learned a lot about kiwi and tuatara and I thought I was quite well-informed!
A great example of a government-private partnership working really well. They do amazing work to protect our precious wildlife.
Written 2 January 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Rich651000
Thanks Ed for the 5 Star review and delighted that you enjoyed your visit .The VIP Backstage Pass Tour is really popular and to date we have incubated and hatched over 360 rowi kiwi inside our facility.With less than 600 left alive in the wild today the partnership with The Department of Conservation has proved very successful - helping to bring the worlds rarest kiwi back from the very edge of extinction.
Appreciate you taking the time to visit.
Written 3 January 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
disha
2 contributions
Dec 2021 • Family
the wildlife centre is a great place to visit if your in the west coast. it is extremely informative and interesting as there’s lot to learn and see
Written 31 December 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Rich651000
Thanks Disha for the 5 star review and really appreciate you taking the time to visit and share your experiences.Taking the time to share your review is very much appreciated.
Written 3 January 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Peter F
23 contributions
Nov 2021 • Couples
Part of package. Pouring with rain so decent option! Quiet, good info and walk through to see the kiwis in the dark....very strange litle things and we did see 2 of then, then a walk through glacier exhibition which was basic, simply explained and well enough presented. Probably better if you have youngsters but a nice way to spend an hour on a rainy day.
Written 13 November 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Rich651000
Thanks for the 5 star review and delighted that you enjoyed your visit 🙏👍
Written 15 November 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
A6338ICdavidw
4 contributions
Hi!
Just curious , which kind of kiwi
you guys conserve there?
And dose there allow take a picture
of the kiwi in really life?
Because the last kiwi project I went in Queenstown they don't allow to do that.
Rich651000
Christchurch, New Zealand3 contributions
Thanks for the questions.There are 5 types of kiwi in New Zealand and the rarest is only found near Franz Josef and is called the rowi kiwi with less than 450 left alive in the wild today.
At the West Coast Wildlife Centre we hatch the rowi kiwi in partnership with the Department of Conservation - and it is here that you are guaranteed to see the birds up close and personal.
All our rowi kiwi go back into the wild.
On the Kiwi Backstage Pass Tour you are allowed to take photos of our kiwi chicks.
Darren G
1 contribution
hi id like a refund due to spending $38 for 3 minutes at the 'wildlife center' and after the lady with a large build, around the age of 30, had an awful unprofessional attituded and was rude. very disappointed. please can you process a full refund for me and my partner, or guide me to where I can obtain this. thanks in advance. Darren
Katie P
18 contributions
A real shame you were disappointed with your visit. 3 minutes really isn't enough time to enjoy the experience, so really that's on you for not slowing down to take it all in. These kiwis are one of NZs rarest, so it really is a privilege to see them up close. Also, there is a fantastic display with info about the glaciers and history of the local area. Really is quite good if you take the time to read and enjoy the center and it's set up.The $ raised from this project goes toward the research and preservation of this species, a worthwhile cause if you ask me.
Darren G
1 contribution
hi, today I visited the center, and was out the exit within 3 minutes. this being much smaller than I thought, and a major disappointment, being that I barely saw a kiwi bird, I enquired about a refund as I felt $38 was very overpriced. The woman who answered was extremely abrupt and had an awful attitude, she was the lady with a larger build. I would like to enquire about a refund still, or if you could please direct me to a manager. thanks in advance, Darren
David M
Fareham, UK70 contributions
There were three Kiwis in the special enclosure, you had to allow your eyes to get used to the darkness. I had asked all these questions before I went in and my expectations were already set. I accepted that the fee went towards the work of the centre. There was plenty to keep us occupied for an hour or two. I had no problems with any of the staff. I do think that posting a member of staff in the enclosure to discuss kiwis would have been a good thing to do.
Diana S
3 contributions
What wildlife do you have
Rich651000
Christchurch, New Zealand3 contributions
We hatch the rowi kiwi and the Haast tokoeka kiwi and you are guaranteed to see kiwi in the open and very natural nocturnal house.
Frequently Asked Questions about West Coast Wildlife Centre
- West Coast Wildlife Centre is open:
- Sun - Sat 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
- West Coast Wildlife Centre can be crowded, so we recommend booking e-tickets ahead of time to secure your spot. If you book with Tripadvisor, you can cancel at least 24 hours before the start date of your tour for a full refund. See all 2 West Coast Wildlife Centre tickets and tours on Tripadvisor
- Hotels near West Coast Wildlife Centre:
- (0.04 km) Glow Worm Accommodation
- (0.06 km) Central Franz Josef Cabins And Flats
- (0.08 km) The Terrace, Franz Josef Glacier
- (0.15 km) 10 Cottages
- (0.14 km) Alpine Glacier Motor Lodge
- Restaurants near West Coast Wildlife Centre:
- (0.05 km) Alice May
- (0.07 km) Snake Bite Brewery
- (0.07 km) The Landing
- (0.12 km) Full Of Beans
- (0.21 km) Monsoon Bar & Restaurant