Evening Kiwi Walk North Auckland
Matakana, New ZealandPart of the Airbnb Animals collection
Check local COVID-19 restrictions before booking
Animal experience hosted by Vanessa
3 hours
Includes drinks, transportation
Up to 8 people
Hosted in English
What you'll do
Tawharanui Open Sanctuary Guided Kiwi Walk (EVENING)
5.00pm - 8.30pm (3.5hrs) Please note: Summer Hours are different (7.30pm-11pm).
Pick up/Drop off: Matakana I-Site. (Just outside the Cinema Complex in Matakana Village. (1hr North of Auckland).
This is an exclusive Airbnb tour into an amazing bird sanctuary that just so happens to have one of Auckland's favourite surf beach's, campgrounds and walking trails! Come with me as I show you my 'back yard'. No really, I literally grew up here. My father was the Park Ranger here for over 30years, and lucky us got to live and breath Tawharanui as much as we wanted!
This evening tour is a chance to hear and maybe even see the elusive nocturnal bird of New Zealand.... The Northern Brown Kiwi!!
Bring:
Your lovely selves and a quiet night time voice as to not scare these beautiful birds away. If you have one; a red lighted torch / head torch. If not, no worries as I have spare.
Decent walking shoes - trainers or hiking shoes.
Other things to note
There are public buses to Matakana from Auckland. Check out the Metro timetable here: https://at.govt.nz/bus-train-ferry/
5.00pm - 8.30pm (3.5hrs) Please note: Summer Hours are different (7.30pm-11pm).
Pick up/Drop off: Matakana I-Site. (Just outside the Cinema Complex in Matakana Village. (1hr North of Auckland).
This is an exclusive Airbnb tour into an amazing bird sanctuary that just so happens to have one of Auckland's favourite surf beach's, campgrounds and walking trails! Come with me as I show you my 'back yard'. No really, I literally grew up here. My father was the Park Ranger here for over 30years, and lucky us got to live and breath Tawharanui as much as we wanted!
This evening tour is a chance to hear and maybe even see the elusive nocturnal bird of New Zealand.... The Northern Brown Kiwi!!
Bring:
Your lovely selves and a quiet night time voice as to not scare these beautiful birds away. If you have one; a red lighted torch / head torch. If not, no worries as I have spare.
Decent walking shoes - trainers or hiking shoes.
Other things to note
There are public buses to Matakana from Auckland. Check out the Metro timetable here: https://at.govt.nz/bus-train-ferry/
Tawharanui Open Sanctuary Guided Kiwi Walk (EVENING)
5.00pm - 8.30pm (3.5hrs) Please note: Summer Hours are different (7.30pm-11pm).
Pick up/Drop off: Matakana I-Site. (Just outside the Cinema Complex in Matakana Village. (1hr North of Auckland).
This is an exclusive Airbnb tour into an amazing bird sanctuary that just so happens to have one of Auckland's favourite surf beach's, campgrounds and walking trails! Come with me as I sho…
5.00pm - 8.30pm (3.5hrs) Please note: Summer Hours are different (7.30pm-11pm).
Pick up/Drop off: Matakana I-Site. (Just outside the Cinema Complex in Matakana Village. (1hr North of Auckland).
This is an exclusive Airbnb tour into an amazing bird sanctuary that just so happens to have one of Auckland's favourite surf beach's, campgrounds and walking trails! Come with me as I sho…
Vanessa's commitment to safety
This host committed to Airbnb’s COVID-19-related safety and cleaning guidelines—including adhering to social distancing guidelines, practicing good hygiene, and ensuring that all participants wear a mask.
Guidelines created with World Animal ProtectionLearn more
What's included
- DrinksHot chocolate & home made cookies while learning about the area and awaitin...
- TransportationModern minivan transport to and from our destination.
From $49
/ person
- 59 Reviews
- Identity verified
Hi, my name is Ness and I am a born and bred kiwi lass from Tawharanui, North Auckland! I've travelled the world and am yet to find a beach and coastal area that beats Tawharanui! I want to share this amazing area with people and host people from anywhere and everywhere as tour guiding is my forte and profession! For the past 5 years I have worked as an outdoor hiking guide around various parts of New Zealand and also just started a small wine and craft beer tour business here in the Matakana Region. My passion is people and creating a genuine Kiwi experience!! (literally)
Hi, my name is Ness and I am a born and bred kiwi lass from Tawharanui, North Auckland! I've travelled the world and am yet to find a beach and coastal area that beats Tawharanui! I want to share this amazing area with people and host people from anywhere and everywhere as tour guiding is my forte and profession! For the past 5 years I have worked as an outdoor hiking guide around various parts of New Zealand and also just started a small wine and craft beer tour business here in the Matakana Re…
AIRBNB EXPERIENCES
Responsible interactions
All hosts must follow guidelines created with World Animal Protection.
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Learn from biologists, conservationists, farmers, and more.
Diverse animals
Meet over 300 kinds of animals, from alpacas to zebras.
Where you'll be
You'll be transported in my modern minivan out to Tawharanui Park. We will then walk along side the beach at Anchor Bay, and up to the start of the Ecology Trail. From there we will quietly carry on our short walk, though well maintained track in search of Kiwi and listen out for their beautiful yet shrill call. The chance to not only hear but potentially see our national bird is the best chance you'll get in such close proximity to Auckland.
Rated 4.98 out of 5 from 59 reviews.
The tour and information alone would have been worth it even if we never saw a kiwi, but Vanessa found 3 of them despite it being a little busy with the holiday traffic!
She is very kind and accommodating. I’d definitely recommend her company in general and this tour specifically.
The tour and information alone would have been worth it even if we never saw a kiwi, but Vanessa found 3 of them despite it being a little busy with the holiday traffic!
She is ve…
Touring with Vanessa was a joyful experience! I understand there is uncertainty in searching for wildlife in nature. Though both our guide and we tourists did really well, minimizing the effects of sound and light, we didn't see kiwi birds in our first half of the tour. After we turned back, fortunately, we met three! Since they alertly and quietly hid in the plants and kept moving, kind of like hedgehogs, finding them was not easy and I saw two clearly and the third one merely. Without flash, I couldn't photograph them, but such encountering was fantastic for me. Vanessa was a experienced, thoughtful and friendly tour guide. She could find kiwis and other local animals through any tiny sign, making the tour relaxing and educational, and treated us like friends. (I like her cookie!) This kind of experiences is exactly what I look for in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Touring with Vanessa was a joyful experience! I understand there is uncertainty in searching for wildlife in nature. Though both our guide and we tourists did really well, minimizi…
Absolutely lovely experience. Beautiful Tawharanui Regional Park evening walk through nature. You will just happen to learn and hear multiple native birds, and if youre lucky spot a kiwi or two.
We even heard two kiwis fighting close by! Vanessa made us GF and Dairy Free cookies which were of course delicious. Trickiest thing about this walk is walking quietly on gravel. Heh. Just relax, be patient with yourself and the birds and youll enjoy yourself.
Absolutely lovely experience. Beautiful Tawharanui Regional Park evening walk through nature. You will just happen to learn and hear multiple native birds, and if youre lucky spot…
This is an exciting MUST-DO experience! You can spot kiwi and other native New Zealand Bird in their natural habitat so close to Auckland. We spotted 6 kiwi on our hike, and they all had different personalities! One ran across the trail, one froze in place, two just kept eating away, and two were more skittish. We also saw the ruru (morepork) owl and the New Zealand pigeon! We had to contain ourselves as we needed to keep quiet during the hike, but we felt an overwhelming rush of excitement after the hike! The limo van was very pleasant, and she made delicious sweet treats for us as well. Vanessa is a very friendly, personable, and knowledgeable tour guide, and she has a VERY keen ear when it comes to listening out for kiwi. We enjoyed our night hike thoroughly, and we can't say enough good things about it. Thank you Ness!
This is an exciting MUST-DO experience! You can spot kiwi and other native New Zealand Bird in their natural habitat so close to Auckland. We spotted 6 kiwi on our hike, and they a…
This was an unforgettable experience and Vanessa was an excellent host. She shared her knowledge and passion for the area and its wildlife from the moment we were collected to the moment we returned. We not only saw a number of kiwi but we were extremely lucky to spend time watching two graze undisturbed by our presence. Great biscuits too! A must do activity.
This was an unforgettable experience and Vanessa was an excellent host. She shared her knowledge and passion for the area and its wildlife from the moment we were collected to…
Vanessa goes out of her way to share as much knowledge as possible about the kiwis, other birdlife in the park and the history of the local area. Special personal touches such as homemade cookies , hot chocolate and recollections of her childhood growing up in the area all add to this special night.
Vanessa goes out of her way to share as much knowledge as possible about the kiwis, other birdlife in the park and the history of the local area. Special personal touches such as h…
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Things to know
Cancellation policy
Any experience can be canceled and fully refunded within 24 hours of purchase, or at least 7 days before the experience starts.
Guest requirements
Up to 8 guests ages 2 and up can attend.
What to bring
Shoes (trainers) or if have none, then enclosed sandals are fine.
Rain Jacket and a warm layer (just in case).
Rain Jacket and a warm layer (just in case).