Okarito Kiwi Tours

Okarito Kiwi Tours

198 Rankers Reviews

11 Face-to-Face

3 Bird Watching

2 Okarito

Maps

Photos

In Kiwi Environment
Okarito Kiwi ( Rowi )
Ian - at work
House/Office HQ

Information

Okarito Kiwi Tours

Come see a kiwi in it's natural habitat

Okarito Kiwi Tours gives you a realistic chance of seeing a kiwi in it's natural habitat and environment.
Our success rate in seeing the rarest kiwi in New Zealand is a staggering 98%.
This is only possible with professional guides and responsible attitudes.
Utmost care is taken in ensuring minimal disturbance while eavesdropping on the lives of such iconic and mysterious birds.
99% of New Zealanders have never seen a kiwi in the wild !

Details

Feature Value Info

Organisation

Okarito Kiwi Tours

Commercial organisation

Location

South IslandWest CoastOkarito

Categories

  • Activity__bird_watchingBird Watching

Directions

To Coordinates

Coordinates

-43.2231911767893

170.165863037109

Latitude
-43.2231911767893
Longitude
170.165863037109

Reviews

    • That was one awesome experience !
    • Such an excellent tour!
    • If you like to see a kiwi, go to a birdhouse.
    • Unbelievable experience.
    • Better late than never!
    Rating Count Percentage
    10/10 184
    93%
    9/10 10
    5%
    8/10 2
    1%
    7/10 0
    0%
    6/10 0
    0%
    5/10 1
    1%
    4/10 0
    0%
    3/10 0
    0%
    2/10 1
    1%
    1/10 0
    0%
  • 5.0/5

    Ian is a kiwi expert and a fantastic story teller.

    His insights and enthusiasm about kiwis makes the experience special - whether you are lucky enough to see a kiwi in nature or not, it is worthwhile spending a few memorable hours with Ian. One of our favourite NZ highlights!

    Reviewed 10 months ago

  • 5.0/5

    The Kiwi tour was an unexpected highlight of our NZ trip.

    Be aware that this tour doesn't cater to the tourist masses but requires patience and stamina as you have to stay absolutely still and alert for several hours at night. However, seeing a Kiwi in its natural habitat was an incredibly powerful experience and well worth the wait. Mike was a great guide, friendly and knowledgeable and clearly loves what he's doing.

    Reviewed almost 6 years ago

    Raphaele's avatar

    Raphaele

    Customer

  • 5.0/5

    What a fantastic experience!

    We were part of a group of 9, which I thought would be too large to have a chance to see a kiwi. After being issued with torches, dayglo safety vests and head-nets, our instructions were given -- quiet, no movement, stay in a line, no sound or gesturing. Mike was adamant that we followed instructions, and we practiced several times. Once he was convinced we were prepared, off we went. We walked on the road that led to Okarito while Mike used the antenna to pick up signals. Several times, he thought one of the males was close, only to have a car pass by and the kiwi stopped. After nearly 2 hours, a male called loudly, maybe 5 meters in front of us. We stood silently and without moving, in the dark. Then Mike pointed his red-filtered light onto the edge of the road, indicating where the kiwi would emerge. The bird emerged and ran across the road, near the one end of the line of us, giving us a look of less than 10 seconds. 'Run' is used loosely -- it looked more like it was off balance or needed a hip replacement. We only heard and saw the one male, but it was a wonderful experience. Mike clearly knew his stuff and his insistence that we comply with appropriate behavior paid off. Other than South Island Robin, no other birds were seen or heard. As long as anyone participating understands and is prepared to follow the 'rules', I would highly recommend this activity to see one of the world's very rare bird species!

    Reviewed almost 7 years ago

    UNITED STATES
    Rob Wiedenmann's avatar

    Rob Wiedenmann

    Customer

  • 5.0/5

    We had an amazing and very interesting evening with Ian who is so passionate about the Kiwi, he knows them very well, and we were so lucky to see the Kiwi very well!!

    Thanks for this exciting kiwi adventure.

    Reviewed about 7 years ago

    Leonie Aulbers's avatar

    Leonie Aulbers

    Customer

  • 4.5/5

    This was a great experience in a small group of 8.

    After being issued with torches, head-nets and extra clothes for those who needed them, we were thoroughly briefed and firmly marshalled by Mike; Ian was having a rare night off Despite twice being thwarted by unfortunately timed passing vehicles which caused the kiwis to stop their progress, Mike got us all in position to see 2 kiwis. The first one was a bit over 10 metres away, but the other was considerably closer. Despite the attentions of the advertised mosquitoes, this was a most enjoyable evening and an experience I would highly recommend

    Reviewed almost 7 years ago

    UNITED KINGDOM
    Terry Kirkhope's avatar

    Terry Kirkhope

    Customer

  • 5.0/5

    Very informative, very interesting and fun evening.

    Tobi was a very passionate guide. After four patient hours we finally got to see our Kiwi - which was amazing!

    Reviewed about 7 years ago and experienced in March 2017

    GERMANY
    Lars Grosse's avatar

    Lars Grosse

    Customer

  • 4.5/5

    I was very impressed by Ian who did really his best to show all of us a Kiwi.

    With success! Very professional, he used radio waves to detect them.

    Reviewed over 7 years ago and experienced in February 2017

  • 5.0/5

    Excellent evening with Ian who is knowledgeable and passionate about the local Okarito Brown Kiwis.

    Patience is required, but we were rewarded with an unforgettable encounter.

    Reviewed almost 8 years ago

    AUSTRALIA
    Ian Reid's avatar

    Ian Reid

    Customer

  • 5.0/5

    The Kiwi tour with Ian was one of our highlights during 6 weeks vacation in New Zealand and we will remember it forever.

    And yes, we saw a Kiwi - just for 10 seconds - but anyway it was more about the whole evening and night experience than only about this short moment of luck of seeing one of the rarest birds on our planet.

    Ian managed to make it an unforgettable and exciting night including a lot of fun. The whole but yet small group (8 persons) has to struggle to listen for some "crunch crunch" or rustling in the bush and then provide a quiet signal to the others if having the feel there could be Kiwi near by. This creates an exciting atmosphere while the forest is slowly getting darker and darker and the Morepork owl is crying through the night . Whispering voices: "Have you heard something?" "Not sure, could also be a leave falling down." Torches sparkling and Ian with his antenna searching for near "Beep" of one of the transmitters.

    So if you would like to join an exciting and funfull wildlife night adventure with very good chances of seeing a Kiwi then I clearly recommend to do a Kiwi tour with Ian and his colleagues.

    Reviewed almost 8 years ago

    GERMANY
    dkr's avatar

    dkr

    Customer

  • 5.0/5

    If you like to see a kiwi, go to a birdhouse.

    If you like to explore, search and hopefully find, hear and see a kiwi, do this tour, it was amazing!

    Ian, the tour guide, has now 16 years of experience with kiwis and he is a great guide that respects the birds.

    We saw a female kiwi, Baymond, coming out of her shelter, heard her going through the bushes, with their big feet they are quite noisy, then we saw a beak coming out of the bushes, followed by the kiwi, it crossed the road right in front of us, just about 30 centimeters away from us, stood still for a brief moment and contineud his way in the thick bushes. It was really something beautifull and amazing!

    Reviewed almost 10 years ago

    NETHERLANDS
    Dennis Seijts's avatar

    Dennis Seijts

    Customer

    Trip Date - 13 Nov 2014

    Dennis.......I loved your attitude from the moment you climbed off your bike ! You were a pleasure to take out into the bush and share a little snippet of my life with the kiwi's.

    This was day 27 of incubation.....we saw Beaumont emerge from her burrow and then appear on the track at 9.54......We saw her so well, that she had to deviate to go round us and continue her feeding journey.

    Thanks for the positive review...Love it !

    Ian

    NEW ZEALAND
    Ian Cooper's avatar

    Ian Cooper

    Representative

  • 5.0/5

    Ian is a kiwi expert and a fantastic story teller.

    His insights and enthusiasm about kiwis makes the experience special - whether you are lucky enough to see a kiwi in nature or not, it is worthwhile spending a few memorable hours with Ian. One of our favourite NZ highlights!

    Reviewed 10 months ago

  • 1.0/5

    I recently went kiwi spotting with Okarito Kiwi Tours, it was 4.5 hours in the forest, standing very still and silent for most of the time, plus intermittently walking a total of 4 klms on an uneven wet

    /boggy and stony trail to find a bird. For most of this time we had no light, therefore we were attempting to place our feet safely in total darkness without an appropriate torch. Whilst Okarito Kiwi Tours do provide a torch for each customer, they are white light and not allowed to be used for most of the night so as not to scare the birds. The guide explained that kiwi do not see red light, and the guide had the only red torch.

    In my experience of the tour I did on a very black night, it is totally unacceptable and dangerous to expect people to safely navigate an unfamiliar forest trail in darkness. I hope that this tour operator considers providing each customer with a red torch to help prevent a fall, sprained ankle or worse.

    Reviewed over 4 years ago

    AUSTRALIA
    Amanda  Burns 's avatar

    Amanda Burns

    Customer

  • 5.0/5

    The Kiwi tour was an unexpected highlight of our NZ trip.

    Be aware that this tour doesn't cater to the tourist masses but requires patience and stamina as you have to stay absolutely still and alert for several hours at night. However, seeing a Kiwi in its natural habitat was an incredibly powerful experience and well worth the wait. Mike was a great guide, friendly and knowledgeable and clearly loves what he's doing.

    Reviewed almost 6 years ago

    Raphaele's avatar

    Raphaele

    Customer

  • 2.5/5

    This operator purports to have a more than 90% success rate "seeing" the elusive nocturnal kiwi bird, and I had high hopes of being among the lucky few.

    I was initially taken aback by the guide (we had Mike, not the owner Ian) since he was a little smarmy and patronizing and spoke contemptuously of a group he had guided a few days earlier who were not sufficiently quiet or patient and therefore "didn't deserve to see a kiwi bird". That certainly put us in our place! Our group was very obedient, quiet, responsive, incredibly patient, and yet..... Yes, technically, we actually "saw" a kiwi bird, so I'm guessing our experience contributed to Okarito Kiwi Tours' high success rate, BUT… our sighting consisted of a fleeting glimpse of an unidentifiable hopping creature caught momentarily in a red spotlight. Just as my brain registered that this was perhaps a rabbit, the creature vanished into the bush. Our guide (Mike) asked each of us in turn (7 paying customers in all) "Did you see the kiwi?" "Did you see the kiwi?" Did you see the kiwi?, Etc. In good conscience we each answered "yes". After all we had seen "something", and we had no reason to doubt that the something had been a kiwi since our guide was carrying an antenna tuned to a transmitter fastened to the kiwi. Apparently, these admissions were sufficient to satisfy Mike's professional conscience, as he called the evening a wrap. In fairness, we had "seen" a kiwi, but I would be misrepresenting the facts if I told anyone else I had "seen" a kiwi. This tour was a disappointing use of $150, the most disappointing that my husband and I spent on our otherwise fabulous 24 day trip through New Zealand's South Island. However, our stop in Okarito was more than compensated for the next morning, when we went for a 2-hour kayak excursion on Okarito Lagoon with Okarito Kayaks. Okarito Kiwi Tours is lucky there is another operator in town able to salvage Okarito's reputation.

    Reviewed over 6 years ago

    CANADA
    Erika Rosenfeld's avatar

    Erika Rosenfeld

    Customer

  • 5.0/5

    What a fantastic experience!

    We were part of a group of 9, which I thought would be too large to have a chance to see a kiwi. After being issued with torches, dayglo safety vests and head-nets, our instructions were given -- quiet, no movement, stay in a line, no sound or gesturing. Mike was adamant that we followed instructions, and we practiced several times. Once he was convinced we were prepared, off we went. We walked on the road that led to Okarito while Mike used the antenna to pick up signals. Several times, he thought one of the males was close, only to have a car pass by and the kiwi stopped. After nearly 2 hours, a male called loudly, maybe 5 meters in front of us. We stood silently and without moving, in the dark. Then Mike pointed his red-filtered light onto the edge of the road, indicating where the kiwi would emerge. The bird emerged and ran across the road, near the one end of the line of us, giving us a look of less than 10 seconds. 'Run' is used loosely -- it looked more like it was off balance or needed a hip replacement. We only heard and saw the one male, but it was a wonderful experience. Mike clearly knew his stuff and his insistence that we comply with appropriate behavior paid off. Other than South Island Robin, no other birds were seen or heard. As long as anyone participating understands and is prepared to follow the 'rules', I would highly recommend this activity to see one of the world's very rare bird species!

    Reviewed almost 7 years ago

    UNITED STATES
    Rob Wiedenmann's avatar

    Rob Wiedenmann

    Customer

  • 4.5/5

    This was a great experience in a small group of 8.

    After being issued with torches, head-nets and extra clothes for those who needed them, we were thoroughly briefed and firmly marshalled by Mike; Ian was having a rare night off Despite twice being thwarted by unfortunately timed passing vehicles which caused the kiwis to stop their progress, Mike got us all in position to see 2 kiwis. The first one was a bit over 10 metres away, but the other was considerably closer. Despite the attentions of the advertised mosquitoes, this was a most enjoyable evening and an experience I would highly recommend

    Reviewed almost 7 years ago

    UNITED KINGDOM
    Terry Kirkhope's avatar

    Terry Kirkhope

    Customer

  • 5.0/5

    Very informative, very interesting and fun evening.

    Tobi was a very passionate guide. After four patient hours we finally got to see our Kiwi - which was amazing!

    Reviewed about 7 years ago and experienced in March 2017

    GERMANY
    Lars Grosse's avatar

    Lars Grosse

    Customer

  • 5.0/5

    We had an amazing and very interesting evening with Ian who is so passionate about the Kiwi, he knows them very well, and we were so lucky to see the Kiwi very well!!

    Thanks for this exciting kiwi adventure.

    Reviewed about 7 years ago

    Leonie Aulbers's avatar

    Leonie Aulbers

    Customer

  • 4.5/5

    I was very impressed by Ian who did really his best to show all of us a Kiwi.

    With success! Very professional, he used radio waves to detect them.

    Reviewed over 7 years ago and experienced in February 2017

  • 5.0/5

    Excellent evening with Ian who is knowledgeable and passionate about the local Okarito Brown Kiwis.

    Patience is required, but we were rewarded with an unforgettable encounter.

    Reviewed almost 8 years ago

    AUSTRALIA
    Ian Reid's avatar

    Ian Reid

    Customer

  • 5.0/5

    The Kiwi tour with Ian was one of our highlights during 6 weeks vacation in New Zealand and we will remember it forever.

    And yes, we saw a Kiwi - just for 10 seconds - but anyway it was more about the whole evening and night experience than only about this short moment of luck of seeing one of the rarest birds on our planet.

    Ian managed to make it an unforgettable and exciting night including a lot of fun. The whole but yet small group (8 persons) has to struggle to listen for some "crunch crunch" or rustling in the bush and then provide a quiet signal to the others if having the feel there could be Kiwi near by. This creates an exciting atmosphere while the forest is slowly getting darker and darker and the Morepork owl is crying through the night . Whispering voices: "Have you heard something?" "Not sure, could also be a leave falling down." Torches sparkling and Ian with his antenna searching for near "Beep" of one of the transmitters.

    So if you would like to join an exciting and funfull wildlife night adventure with very good chances of seeing a Kiwi then I clearly recommend to do a Kiwi tour with Ian and his colleagues.

    Reviewed almost 8 years ago

    GERMANY
    dkr's avatar

    dkr

    Customer

  • 5.0/5

    Just really great - Ian is great, and I got to see a Kiwi.

    Probably my favourite thing from a 6 week holiday in NZ. Thanks a lot!

    Ben

    Reviewed almost 8 years ago

    UNITED KINGDOM
    Ben Jackson's avatar

    Ben Jackson

    Customer

  • 5.0/5

    Jan and I have since returned to the UK following an amazing evening's visit to Okarito, we vividly remember both seeing and hearing Rowi under the guidance of Ian's expert knowledge and field craft.

    A highly recommended trip which is bound to be a highlight of any NZ tour. Thanks Ian for a memorable evening, please keep up the excellent work.

    Peter Russell

    Reviewed almost 9 years ago

    UNITED KINGDOM
    Pete Russell's avatar

    Pete Russell

    Customer

  • 5.0/5

    My partner and I were lucky enough to do a kiwi tour with Ian.

    He was extremely knowledgeable and very engaging. He made seeing the Kiwi bird our mission and we not only saw 1 but 3!!!! It was absolutely amazing, one of the highlights of our NZ trip :). Highly recommended!

    Reviewed about 9 years ago

    AUSTRALIA
    Bryce Hain's avatar

    Bryce Hain

    Customer

  • 5.0/5

    Even though we returned back home from NZ couple of weeks ago - we are still keep talking about the amazing night out with Ian Cooper!

    It was definitely one of our NZ highlights!!! Ian just loves what he does, and so it's a pleasure to spend time with him. It is not a tour about tourist, it's a tour about Kiwis. If you are into nature and wildlife, you have to join Ian on his tours! He taught us a lot about Kiwis and how they live. And he explained that we would be very lucky if we could see ONE Kiwi during our tour. But what we experienced on hour tour nobody would have expected! We actually saw TWO Kiwis - really close - in their native habitat without them noticing that we are around. As if this would not be enough - they met to make Kiwi love! :D

    It was extraordinary to experience nature as it should be.

    Dear Ian, thank you so much for bringing us so close to the Okarito Kiwis Beaumont & BZ!

    Best

    Michaela & Thorsten

    Reviewed over 9 years ago and experienced in March 2015

    GERMANY
    Mica&Inspector's avatar

    Mica&Inspector

    Customer

  • 5.0/5

    Fabulous experience with Ian Cooper's tour last night.

    Ian is a true professional - informative, engaging and passionate. He quickly had us all involved in the magic of seeing Okarito Brown Kiwis in their native habitat, mosquitoes and all! He ensured we were well prepared and did everything to optimize the chances of success. Seeing two kiwis in this manner was a highlight of our NZ journey - thank you!

    Reviewed almost 10 years ago

    UNITED STATES
    Lois Harter's avatar

    Lois Harter

    Customer

  • 5.0/5

    I'm not sure how best to put down in a few words how fantastic our recent experience with Ian and the Okarito Kiwi Tours was, but it was amazing.

    We've recently returned from 3 weeks holiday down south and this was a definite highlight. My wife and two kids met other members of the group, had our briefing and travelled the short journey to the local kiwi habitat. Ian prepped us well and kept us engaged with the whole experience as he tracked the birds and we waited for them to emerge. It was soon after 10 that not one, but two kiwi exited the bush directly in front of us, we stood there amazed as we had this close up encounter of such a unique bird. Even as NZrs ourselves, this was our first encounter of kiwi in the wild and it was outstanding. Can't recommend this enough!

    Reviewed almost 10 years ago

    NEW ZEALAND
    Craig Steed's avatar

    Craig Steed

    Customer

  • 5.0/5

    One of my fondest memories of New Zealand is sneaking through the forest in Okarito and having the most amazing Kiwi encounter.

    We saw the male and female of a pair and it was amazing. I always recommend the Okarito Kiwi Tour to people travelling down the West Coast. A wonderful experience, from a very knowledgeable and experienced guide. Okarito is also a lovely little place to stay, much nicer than Franz Joseph. We saw Kiwi at the West Coast Wildlife Centre in Franz Joseph also and although it was nice and I applaud the work they do, it didn't compare to seeing wild Kiwi in their natural habitat. A must do for West Coast travellers

    Reviewed almost 10 years ago and experienced in January 2014

    UNITED KINGDOM
    John Gray's avatar

    John Gray

    Customer

    Trip Date 4 Jan 2014

    Thanks John for the positive review. From my diary I remember that this was a trip in a very tough location ? Fancy and Joeline were along a very very hairy track.....Ben...my co-guide did a fantastic job.

    Thanks again for being part of a great team.

    Ian

    NEW ZEALAND
    Ian Cooper's avatar

    Ian Cooper

    Representative

  • 5.0/5

    If you like to see a kiwi, go to a birdhouse.

    If you like to explore, search and hopefully find, hear and see a kiwi, do this tour, it was amazing!

    Ian, the tour guide, has now 16 years of experience with kiwis and he is a great guide that respects the birds.

    We saw a female kiwi, Baymond, coming out of her shelter, heard her going through the bushes, with their big feet they are quite noisy, then we saw a beak coming out of the bushes, followed by the kiwi, it crossed the road right in front of us, just about 30 centimeters away from us, stood still for a brief moment and contineud his way in the thick bushes. It was really something beautifull and amazing!

    Reviewed almost 10 years ago

    NETHERLANDS
    Dennis Seijts's avatar

    Dennis Seijts

    Customer

    Trip Date - 13 Nov 2014

    Dennis.......I loved your attitude from the moment you climbed off your bike ! You were a pleasure to take out into the bush and share a little snippet of my life with the kiwi's.

    This was day 27 of incubation.....we saw Beaumont emerge from her burrow and then appear on the track at 9.54......We saw her so well, that she had to deviate to go round us and continue her feeding journey.

    Thanks for the positive review...Love it !

    Ian

    NEW ZEALAND
    Ian Cooper's avatar

    Ian Cooper

    Representative

  • 5.0/5

    This tour was just amazing.

    We recommend it to everyone who wants to see a Kiwi in his natural environment. Ian is an enthusiastic guide and his knowledge has really impressed us. We have never expected to see a kiwi that near as we did. Thanks Ian for this unforgettable experience.

    Reviewed about 10 years ago

    SWITZERLAND
    Patrick_Mirta's avatar

    Patrick_Mirta

    Customer

    Trip Date - 22 Nov 2014

    What an unusual trip....only 2 people in November !......but, what a great night....This was Day 5 of the birds incubating an egg in a breeding burrow next to the track. It meant we were able to see Beaumont very early......and what a view.....By 9.23pm we had seen her twice.

    Thanks for the review

    Ian

    NEW ZEALAND
    Ian Cooper's avatar

    Ian Cooper

    Representative

  • 5.0/5

    That was one awesome experience !

    First of all Ian has a great way of sharing his knowledge with the whole group, making it very Interactive and fun. He really made a team out of 4 strangers. After a short while of trying to hear a kiwi, we eventually saw a beautiful kiwi lady very, very close to us and as Ian had told us before, she had a very nice little butt :). The whole evening was such a great experience and even without seeing a bird it would have been fun. If my boyfriend and I had more time in the area we would have done it again ! Thanks Ian, you' re always welcome in Bremen! Cheers !

    Reviewed about 10 years ago

    GERMANY
    Jana Ahrens's avatar

    Jana Ahrens

    Customer

    Trip Date 22 Oct 2014

    Thanks Jana and Jan....What Jana failed to mention...was the huge contribution they made towards seeing Beaumont.

    Her transmitter failed and BZ had drifted off, deep into the bush....I was just about to walk into a different territory, when Jan came on the radio to tell me he could hear a noise in the bush. We all rushed to Jan.......and in the bush was Beaumont. She came out within seconds of us reaching her.....

    Without the direct input......we would not have seen Beaumont.....So...a huge thanks and well done to all..most of all..Jan.. !!!

    Ian

    NEW ZEALAND
    Ian Cooper's avatar

    Ian Cooper

    Representative

  • 5.0/5

    Best thing about this tour are the Kiwi's we saw, and Ian as a close runner up!This tour was/is fun, educational, and epic.

    11th of Feb 2014 - Barbara and Joyce

    Ian makes everyone participate and feel welcome in the group.

    Our group had a stunning meeting with Kiwi "Jolene"

    she was incredibly close to us. Foraging for food in the shrubbery, next to the path we where standing.

    While we remained quiet and still to not scare off the bird she came out of the shrubs to check us out.

    only 3-4- ft away from our group. Later we saw another Kiwi while leaving , not shure if it was BZ or Beaumont anymore.. we where still in awe :-)

    Also camo out on the path and later took a run down it showing us their speed.

    Anyway. We where delighted. A fair price for an awesome tour which we will never forget.

    CRUNCH!

    Reviewed about 10 years ago and experienced in January 2014

    NETHERLANDS
    Joyce Davidse's avatar

    Joyce Davidse

    Customer

    Trip Date 11 Feb 2014

    An amazing group of people sharing another amazing night. Without the participation everybody would not have seen Joeline so well.......that's a big well done to the whole group.

    We saw Joeline feeding for ages, and I was able to turn the torch off and let our hearing sense take over, hearing her 'trot' down the track was amazing.

    Thanks for your words and keep up the great wildlife work you also undertake...

    Ian

    NEW ZEALAND
    Ian Cooper's avatar

    Ian Cooper

    Representative

  • 5.0/5

    Really good tour!

    Good guide and a reasonable price!

    Reviewed over 10 years ago and experienced in January 2014

    SWEDEN
    Johanna Bak's avatar

    Johanna Bak

    Customer

    Trip Date 4 Jan 2014

    Thanks for the nice review....Prices....that's good to hear....I have stayed static for 5 years now !

    NEW ZEALAND
    Ian Cooper's avatar

    Ian Cooper

    Representative

  • 5.0/5

    Ian Cooper gave us a fabulous adventure on finding kiwi in the wild.

    He was very knowledgeable about the birds and followed procedures that all allowed his tour group to view the birds with the least disruption to the birds and the best viewing for us. He keeps the group size small (8), told us what to wear to be comfortable, informative orientation before tour, and money back guarantee of seeing birds. We had up close encounters with 2 kiwi. I highly recommend his tour to see these endangered birds.

    Reviewed over 10 years ago and experienced in February 2014

    UNITED STATES
    Marilyn Cossey's avatar

    Marilyn Cossey

    Customer

    Trip Date 19 Feb 2014

    Thanks Marilyn for the detailed review. We all had a great night seeing BZ four times, then seeing Beaumont 15 mins later. They then got together and we all heard the unique snuffling communication.

    One Note....I do not offer a money back guarantee, however, I do guarantee that the effort you put into a trip is directly translated to the reward you receive. This trip is all about input, ownership and responsibility.

    NEW ZEALAND
    Ian Cooper's avatar

    Ian Cooper

    Representative

  • 5.0/5

    It was a fantastic tour.

    The Kiwi has really impressed me. Ian thanks for the interesting insight into the lives of Kiwis.

    Goetz and family

    Reviewed over 10 years ago and experienced in December 2013

    GERMANY
    Götz Winguth's avatar

    Götz Winguth

    Customer

    Trip Date 28 Dec 2013

    Thanks Goetz for your review....This was a German dominated trip...We all worked hard and were rewarded with a nice sighting of Fancy, then, to top our night off we saw BZ on the way home.

    Ian

    NEW ZEALAND
    Ian Cooper's avatar

    Ian Cooper

    Representative

  • 5.0/5

    Ian took us on an amazing trip into the bush in Okarito on March 11th, 2014.

    After a short introduction of how to behave during the tour, we sneeked through the night for a couple of hours. During that time we experienced probably the most remarkable event of our whole New Zealand trip, that was catching sight (even three times) of a kiwi in its natural habitat. The kiwi (it's been Joline, right?) stood directly in front of us, what we never had expected to see!!

    Many thanks Ian, for that unforgetable experience, it was really awesome!

    Reviewed over 10 years ago

    Joerg_and_Susan's avatar

    Joerg_and_Susan

    Customer

    Trip Date 11 March 2014

    What an amazing trip....thanks Joerg and Susan...

    A big European night.....6 Germans, Swiss, French and English.....

    Joeline was the star of the show.....we heard her in the bush, then, heard her call, then saw her really well.....

    We also had a bonus on the way home, with Beaumont.

    Thanks for the great review

  • 5.0/5

    We wanted a genuine experience of seeing wild kiwi in their natural habitat and we got it.

    Ian conducts his tours in a responsible manner that minimizes conditioning or impact on the rare, resident Okarito kiwi. The adventure of the tour includes the very animated Ian sharing kiwi facts and quietly walking through the dark bush in search of the elusive bird. We were very fortunate to come across three birds, one of which hung around the trail for a while and put on quite a show.

    Viewing kiwi birds at the zoos and nature centers is interesting, but watching wild kiwi in their natural habitat is truly amazing.

    Okarito Kiwi Tour is a must-do activity for anyone with an appreciation for nature and wildlife.

    Reviewed over 10 years ago

    UNITED STATES
    Terry Seaman's avatar

    Terry Seaman

    Customer

    Trip Date 27 Feb 2014

    Thanks for the description.....Fancy, Joeline, then Beaumont.....quite an adventure.

    Ian

  • 5.0/5

    This trip was brilliant on many levels.

    Ian is obviously knowledgeable regarding Kiwis. He is also very talented at getting the best from a group of people. Spending the evening in a fabulous part of the world with Ian leading us on the quest to view a rare breed of Kiwi was truly enjoyable. Spending some time at the end of the tour gazing at the brilliant star lit sky was fantastic. Actually observing a Kiwi going about its business in the wild was 'the icing on the cake' and an experience money alone cannot buy. A real high point of our holiday.

    Reviewed over 10 years ago

    UNITED KINGDOM
    Paul I's avatar

    Paul I

    Customer

    Trip Date 25 Feb 2014

    This was a nice trip...We didn't have to walk too far and it was an early night.

    After hearing BZ and Beaumont....we saw Beaumont 3 times....A great view, a great night.

    Ian

  • 5.0/5

    Amazing experience!

    We had to search and show how patient we can be for a long time but in the end we saw 2 wild kiwis. So worth it. Ian was a great guide.

    Definitley my west coast highlight!

    Reviewed over 10 years ago and experienced in January 2014

    Trip Date 13 Jan 2013

    Thanks Stephan.....You are right......we had to show sh#t loads of patience that night...

    Finally at 12.08 you were rewarded with a sighting of BZ....Well done for hanging in there !

    Ian

  • 5.0/5

    Really nice tour and guide.

    He will do his absolute best to find a kiwi to spot. Extra fun is that you have to be active and help find this amazing bird. Bring lots of patience!

    Reviewed over 10 years ago

    Trip Date - 26 Dec 2013

    Thanks Ludvig....Deep in the territory of Fancy and Joeline......After hearing Whire Eyes and Husky call at 10.15, we were rewarded with a sighting of both Fancy and Joeline at 10.47, then had another good view of Fancy at 11.14....well done on your patience.

    Ian