Mar 29, 2025
very dedicated and knowledgeable guides - The two guides and the skipper were very dedicated and knowledgeable. We were allowed to watch albatrosses, sea lions, penguins and two kiwis on the night walk from the boat. The clear starry sky on the beach completed the experience. We would definitely book this tour again.
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Feb 21, 2025
The highlight of our trip - We did the wild Kiwi walk and also the Island explorer. Karen and Natasha were the guides on both and we were in Karen’s group each time. The boat captains, Mac and Nick were great, and Karen was just awesome, as was Natasha
These trips were the highlight of our amazing visit to New Zealand. The experience was outstanding, due to what we saw but also the passion for birds and animals that Karen and the others displayed. It really was excellent
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Feb 11, 2025
Highlight of our NZ tour - Highlight of our NZ holiday. Enjoyed seeing other wildlife on the way and our guides were so knowledgeable and enthusiastic. We saw about 6 wild kiwis and really appreciated how well organised and prepared our group was for tramp in silence. Wonderful evening
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Jan 30, 2025
Wonderfull experience - The excursion was slightly different than we had anticipated because we spent the first 1.5 hours sailing by boat along some islands and beaches to admire the maritime life. The guides were very knowledgeable and brought it in a nice way. We have seen seals, albatrosses and a penguin. Then we got half an hour of explanation about the kiwifruit and how we work as a group and how we can increase the chance of seeing a kiwifruit. The operator provides binoculars and (white and red) flashlights. The area we went looking for is in a private reserve that this operator has sole access to. You can therefore not visit this area yourself like the surroundings of Oban.
Our group of 20 was split into two and followed each other the same route a few meters away. In the end we spotted three kiwifruit (separately no group) where one came very close and posed for about 30 minutes. We were very lucky to spot the number and duration of the kiwifruit. Even if we had not seen kiwifruit, this trip would have been worth it. Definitely recommended to all visitors to Stewart Island.
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Jan 21, 2025
Unique tour with dedicated team - The tour starts with a longer trip on a comfortable catamaran. Various points for animal observation were approached. We saw penguins, albatrosses and sea lions. After dark - and a brief briefing - we then went in search of the kiwis. We had 3 very dedicated and knowledgeable guides (Sarah, India, Jac) for our group of 12 people. We actually saw two Kiwis. A sensational experience, as is the entire tour itself. Our skipper Nic led us safely through the water and night at all times. Absolutely recommend!
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Jan 16, 2025
The Best Possible Kiwi Experience! - The best experience ever! We spotted sea lions, (which came to play next to our boat), albatrosses (who thought that we are a fishing boat) and in the end also kiwi! Everything was underlined with a great tour guides India and Natasha, who were sooo patient with spotting the kiwi! They stayed with us longer than was scheduled, just to let us enjoy the kiwi. They knew answer to each of our questions and you could really feel the personal approach from them to you. Before spotting the kiwi we also enjoyed the orange moon on the beach all together. If I knew it is those two girls having the Ulva tour the day after, I would even go for that one instead of doing it by myself.
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Jan 14, 2025
The highlight in our Rakiura Stewart Island holiday - Spent an unforgettable evening and night on the Wild Kiwi encounter, made special by our guides Karen and Natasha. A quick change of schedule to an alternative boat and skipper was no trouble for this crew, who wowed us with their knowledge, professionalism and care for their customers. We set off to cruise til sunset, learning about the bird life and environment of the region. We saw mollymawks, titi, the rare hoiho, Northern royal albatross, seals, sea lions, shags and little blue penguins. When we landed at The Neck, we were expertly prepared for a silent trek to observe the elusive tokoeka kiwi. I can’t fault these guides. They managed our expectations, they kept us safe from sea lion surprises on the beach, they searched relentlessly and kept our spirits up with breakout sessions when it seemed the kiwi might remain unseen. Finally, when we accepted our loss and the crew were on unpaid overtime (though you wouldn’t know it) we saw one on the beach, with an ongoing view of it feeding in the bush. And on our way back to the boat, another beauty strode across the path and showed itself, while we held our collective breath. How fortunate we were to have 2 sightings. To celebrate our endeavours, hot chocolate, tea and bikkies on the boat hit the spot and the late hour of arrival approx 1 am did not dampen the experience one bit. It was truly special. I can’t recommend it enough.
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Jan 28, 2025
Wild kiwi spotting - Quite hard work with a lot of walking through the bush but we saw 3 wild kiwis so it was worth it. Guides were professional and courteous
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Dec 10, 2024
Well organised but no kiwi spotted - Meet at 7.45 at pontoon where you can often see penguins. The boat is a stable catermeran and although it was lumpy at times, I felt quite safe. As per previous reviews we visited various spots and saw seals, brief glimpse of a penguin and various birds.
For the kiwi spotting, we split into 2 groups and set off after a briefing. Unfortunately, we didn't see any kiwi on our tour but heard them very close by. On the beach, we saw a sea lion emerge briefly and left the area quickly.
Returned to dock about 0100 Hrs.
It was a well organised trip but would have been nice to see a kiwi in it's natural environment.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Dec 7, 2024
Disappointed - We did this tour in December 2024. Whilst we enjoyed the experience, we did not see any kiwis, which was a huge disappointment given that was the key reason we travelled to Stewart Island. We were a group of 14 with two tour guides. We were all on our group for the tour. As there were two tour guides I'm not sure why we didn't split into two groups to personalise the experience and maximise chances of seeing one. The tour guides were knowledgeable and engaging, but unfortunately I think the size of the group impacted on our chances of seeing a kiwi. We managed to see other wildlife (including the penguin trifecta) at the start of the tour which was great. I would encourage RealNZ to look into your group sizes in the future.
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