Otorohanga Kiwi House & Native Bird Park

Waikato & the Coromandel Peninsula


This bird barn has a nocturnal enclosure where you can see active kiwi energetically digging with their long beaks, searching for food. This is one of the only places where you can see a great spotted kiwi, the biggest of the three kiwi species. Brown kiwi are also on display, and there's a breeding program for these birds here. Other native birds on show include kākā, kea, morepork and weka, and there's also tuatara, NZ's prehistoric reptiles.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Waikato & the Coromandel Peninsula attractions

1. Ed Hillary Walkway

0.47 MILES

As well as the Kiwiana decorating the main street, the Ed Hillary Walkway (running off Maniapoto St) has information panels on the All Blacks, Marmite and…

2. Opapake Pa

7.7 MILES

Near Waitomo Adventures, a steep 20-minute walk leads through bush then along farmland to the abandoned Opapake Pa, where terraces and kumara pits are…

4. Waitomo Caves Visitor Centre

8.19 MILES

The big-three Waitomo Caves are all operated by the same company, based at the spectacular Waitomo Caves Visitor Centre (near the Glowworm Cave). Various…

5. Glowworm Cave

8.29 MILES

The guided tour of the Glowworm Cave, which is behind the visitor centre, leads past impressive stalactites and stalagmites into a large cavern known as…

6. Aranui Cave

9.24 MILES

Three kilometres west from the Glowworm Cave is Aranui Cave. This cave is dry (hence no glowworms) but compensates with an incredible array of limestone…

7. Ruakuri Cave

9.55 MILES

Ruakuri Cave has an impressive 15m-high spiral staircase, bypassing a Māori burial site at the cave entrance. Tours lead through 1.6km of the 7.5km system…

8. Te Kuititanga-O-Nga-Whakaaro

10.98 MILES

Te Kuititanga-O-Nga-Whakaaro is a beautiful pavilion of etched-glass, tukutuku (woven flax panels) and wooden carvings that celebrates the town’s history.