Reviews of Okarito Kiwi Tours. (Travel Agency) in Greymouth (West Coast).
Okarito Kiwi Tours
53 The Strand, Ōkārito 7886, New Zealand
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Information of Okarito Kiwi Tours, Travel Agency in Greymouth (West Coast)
Here you can see the location, open hours, popular times, contact, photos and real reviews done by the users.
This place has good reviews, this means that they treat their customers well and you’ll feel great with their services, recommended 100%!
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Reviews of Okarito Kiwi Tours
J.Experience of a lifetime - we still can't believe that we saw a kiwi in the wild. Thank you so much Ian!
PS: If you are thinking about booking a Kiwi Tour please bear in mind that you have to be very patient and be able to stand completely still and listen for a while.
S.We came within 2 feet of a beautiful male kiwi. We could hear him sniffing. Experience of a lifetime and Ian is an excellent guide. Thanks so much, loved the whole evening.
L.Okarito Kiwi Tours is a not to be missed experience and great value - Ian is a passionate host and the tour was immersive. Seeing a Kiwi was the icing icing on the cake
T.Fantastic tour with Ian! His passion, knowledge, and dedication to conservation of the Okarito kiwis, one of the rarest birds in the world, is truly contagious. We were so fortunate to be able to see a kiwi in its natural habitat, emerging from his burrow at dusk and then foraging along the side of the road. There are fewer than 500 okarito kiwis left in the wild and seeing one was such a memorable experience, definitely a highlight of our trip! The tour was worth every penny and more, but remember to bring lots of warm clothes and patience. Wholeheartedly recommend!!!
C.Ian was absolutely fantastic from start to finish. He knows these birds so well, and couldn't be a better guide. What an exciting experience, listening to kiwi call to each other in the dark, and catching them right on the path in front of us. If you love birds this is an absolute must, and we will never forget it! Chris and Alice (28th December)
I.Brilliant tour out in the bush at night. We saw a Rowi, the Okarito brown kiwi going about its business. Wonderful experience and best of all we didn't impact the bird at all.
R.Ian is a fabulous tour guide with a huge amount of knowledge. We had such an amazing time, Ben and I are so thankful!!
S.Highly recommend this tour. Ian is informative, professional but also humorous. You are entering the kiwi world without disturbing it so you have to be patient and let the kiwi do what it wants to do. You may not realize how long you can stand still listening and waiting in the dark but there other birds, sandlies and the night sky to enjoy. It ìs all worth it when Ian somehow works out where the kiwi is likely to emerge and there it is! We followed it along the road-they can move surprisingly fast- and then it went into the bush. But it reappeared and was feeding just 2m in front of us. What a buzz. Like all tourism businesses he has been affected by covid so great time to do the tour with only 3 of us. Go do it.
S.We did the tour with Ian and it was everything we hoped it would be. A true experience and guided walk to spot a kiwi in the wild. Highly recommend taking this tour for those who love bird spotting. You will require PATIENCE to be rewarded with a unique encounter.
M.Great experience to see a kiwi in its natural environment. It took us a few hours before we finally saw one, so you will need patience, warm enough cloths and mosquito protection. The whole experience was amazing and Ian was a great guide.
A.What an AMAZING tour! Ian is a wonderful guide, the experience of waiting, listening and finding kiwi was super exciting (and we were lucky to hear them moving, hear them calling each other, and spot the lovely couple of White Eyes and Husky!). Incredible!
J.Ian was an amazing guide. So enthusiastic and engaging but most of all the kiwi's well-fair was paramount. You do have to be patient but Ian made it clear why, we really were entering their habitat. We loved it. Thank you so much.
K.This was one of the highlights of my visit to New Zealand! The Okarito kiwi, the Rowi is the rarest kiwi of New Zealand. It is a special treat to observe this wild animal. Ian is a top notch guide whose passion shows, and he leads others in the best methods for seeing kiwi without disturbing them. He has been at Okarito since 1988 and with his years of experience in kiwi conservation, he knows how to observe kiwi and even more, share the special living stories of the birds in his backyard.
We were able to watch a kiwi forage on the trail! Patience is the ingredient that makes this experience a success. Waiting under the stars until finally hearing the crunch crunch of kiwi feet to seeing the birds beek emerge from the bush was magic! If you are patient and respectful, this is a wonderful opportunity to glimpse a kiwi in its wild home.
j.Amazing experience and a must do if you are in Franz Joseph or Fox Glacier. Fairly easy drive over although dark and will need to watch for possum in the road. The aim of the night is for Iain to line you up on a forest path at the correct time to see a Kiwi cross the path on it's night time foraging. We had a kiwi within 2 feet of us before running off down the path (the kiwi not us). You'll then vacate the Forrest and leave them to their activities. Iain is very eccentric so be warned if you're a little uptight. For me the most perfect experience.
B.Had the best tour with Ian. Took the full time to spot a kiwi but was so worth it. A once in a lifetime experience that you must do if in the area!
C.This was the best experience out of all the beautiful and stunning experiences New Zealand has to offer. It’s raw and real and requires great patience and stamina but so worth it when the rarest of kiwis pops out of the undergrowth. Ian and Mike only take a maximum of 8 people out a night and you must be prepared to stand still for up to 45 mins at a time. The tour can last up to 4 hrs dep on the weather. You won’t be able to take pictures or wear noisy clothing as this is the bush and is nothing like a zoo. Your group has to work as a team. No loos on site. Parking not a problem and free and there is a great local campsite for a few dollars within 5 mins walk. You will be given high vis clothing a mosquito net for your head but do wear protection against flying insects you will get bitten and you won’t be able to move to bat them off. Mike drove 6 of us out into the bush so you don’t necessarily need a car to go but check with these knowledgeable great guys who made my holiday and do such a fabulous job in protecting these wonderful creatures
R.We got to see the worlds rarest kiwi in the wild, the Rowi. We listened to their calls clear and loud and got lucky hearing their mating ritual. The guide managed our group through the arduous task of sneaking through the bush as silently as possible and patiently waiting silently for "Jolene" to emerge from the underbrush. We all left happy and satisfied.
P.Ian was a great guide. It is awesome what he is doing to help protect the Rowi. A memorable experience we will treasure.
B.Probably my favourite thing from a 6-week holiday in NZ. Ian is great, and the experience is magical.
b.Very cold but fantastic kiwi tour
G.(Translated) Incredible experience in the company of Ian, far from the usual mass tourism activities. The search for kiwis is done with the greatest respect for animals. We are silent spectators and as discreet as possible of the life of these free birds. It was finally after 4 hours of nocturnal research and 8km in the bush that we had the chance to see two kiwis in the middle of a territory fight.
(Original)
Incroyable expérience en compagnie de Ian, très loin des activités touristiques de masse habituelles. La recherche des kiwis se fait dans le plus grand respect des animaux. Nous sommes des spectateurs silencieux et le plus discret possible de la vie de ces oiseaux en liberté. C'est finalement après 4h de recherche nocturne et 8km dans le bush que nous avons eu la chance de voir deux kiwis en plein combat de territoire.
A.(Translated) Tour on 05.02.19, Definitely think of silent clothes and shoes, technology ban
Yes, we have seen a KIWI, more precisely the local Art Rowi!
It was a great experience to see this little brown bundle with a long beak, which of course had a lot of patience.
We were a bit surprised to stand in the street, as we had expected a hike through the bush.
Protected by hat-nets and gloves well from the mosquitoes, you could realize the standing well.
I also understand that a certain severity and consistency in dealing with sometimes stubborn tourists is required, but I would wish that the guides do not forget that they participate voluntarily in the tour and has not booked a parenting camp. Our group consisted of 6 motivated cultured and intelligent nature lovers, so that further instruction was unnecessary.
I wish the team that the special atmosphere, which the founder Ian apparently was able to convey so far, is also decisive in the future.
(Original)
Tour am 05.02.19, Unbedingt an lautlose Kleidung und Schuhe denken, Technikverbot
Ja, wir haben einen KIWI, genauer die lokale Art Rowi, gesehen!
Es war eine tolle Erfahrung, dieses kleine braune Bündel mit langem Schnabel zu sehen, die natürlich mit viel Geduld verbunden war.
Wir waren etwas verwundert, auf der Straße zu stehen, da wir mit einer Wanderung durch den Busch gerechnet hatten.
Durch Hut-Netze und Handschuhe gut vor den Moskitos geschützt, konnte man das Strammstehen gut realisieren.
Ich verstehe auch, dass eine gewisse Strenge und Konsequenz im Umgang mit manchmal sicher eigensinnigen Touristen erforderlich ist, würde mir aber wünschen, dass die Guides nicht vergessen, dass man freiwillig an der Tour teilnimmt und kein Erziehungs-Camp gebucht hat. Unsere Gruppe bestand aus 6 motivierten kultivierten und intelligenten Naturliebhabern, sodass eine weitergehende Unterweisung unnötig war.
Ich wünsche dem Team, dass die spezielle Stimmung, die der Gründer Ian offenbar bisher vermitteln konnte, auch zukünftig bestimmend ist.
П.(Translated) The experience is interesting, but be prepared, there are a lot of mosquitoes, the tour lasts 3-4 hours, basically you should silently stand and wait. Most likely only 1 kiwi will be able to see. But wild, shouting and awkward
(Original)
Опыт интересный, но будьте готовы, очень много комаров, экскурсия длится 3-4 часа, в основном вы должны молча стоять и ждать. Увидеть скорее всего удастся только 1 киви. Но зато дикого, покрикивающего и неуклюжего
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