Ngā Manu Nature Reserve

Ngā Manu Nature Reserve

Ngā Manu Nature Reserve
4.5
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
Discover "A Real KIWI Nature Experience" on the Kapiti Coast, within easy reach of Wellington. A diverse range of native animals & over 700 plant species. Nga Manu Nature Reserve offers you a unique opportunity to have a hands-on experience with nature. It is a 'must see' attraction for all local families and tourists visiting the Wellington region. There are 13 hectares for you to explore, including the largest remnant of original lowland coastal swamp forest on the stunning Kapiti Coast. The animal life at Nga Manu is a mix of both wild and enclosed species. Get up close to the iconic New Zealand Kiwi in the Nocturnal house and discover New Zealand's unique prehistoric reptile- the Tuatara. Meet the friendly Kea, Tui, Fantail, Kereru and Kaka. Over 56 different bird species come and go around the wetlands, bush and surroundings. All pathways are easily walked and are wheelchair and pushchair friendly (a wheelchair is available on site - we recommend that those in a wheelchair come with a friend who can assist with the aviary double doors). There are seating and picnic spots throughout the reserve including a BBQ facility and area. Follow the staff on our 'Bird Feeding Tour' at 11 am daily or take part in our Eel Feeding at 2 pm daily. We have a free guided bush walk and talk on weekends over the summer period and public holidays. We are flexible with your requirements, catering for individuals and groups, as well as hosting educational programs for visiting school groups in our Conservation Education Centre. If you have a special request please ask and we will work with you to create the best experience. We are able to provide personalised guided tours, catered lectures and a unique celebration or wedding venue.
Duration: 1-2 hours
Meets animal welfare guidelines
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  • TWal1
    Canberra, Australia2,917 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Small but Impressive Sanctuary
    We enjoyed our visit to this eco-sanctuary. While it is not as grand as Zealandia in Wellington, it has a good collection of birds (in walk-in aviaries), tuataras and small lizards. It has an indoor Kiwi exhibit and the eel feeding show in the afternoon is entertaining. Walking along the parks and observing the different flora was delightful. Well worth visiting and you can easily spend a few hours here.
    Visited February 2024
    Traveled with friends
    Written March 25, 2024
  • Loulou0833
    Wellington, New Zealand193 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Gem of a place
    Absolutely fabulous couple of hours with my wee 4 year old Grand niece, we both loved our time here. She was interested, captivated and had fun. Loved you could take your own picnic in.
    Visited March 2024
    Traveled with family
    Written March 28, 2024
  • Happiness37586811675
    1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A cosy cottage win the grounds of Nga Manu Sanctuary makes for a wonderful getaway.
    We stayed at Theo's Cottage and had the whole reserve to ourselves overnight! We'd had a look around the reserve in the day and thoroughly enjoyed the nature walk, which had beautiful bush, a picturesque view from a view tower, full of birdlife and eellife(!), as well as enclosures of tuatara, kiwi, kea, kaka, ducks galore, geckos, and skinks. The staff were all very good but we'd highlight Mark for the welcome, thorough orientation to our cottage, and for arranging a night tour, to Diane for the kiwi night tour, where she went above and beyond, and Rhys for our day tour the next day. This was a highlight of our trip. This is a great reserve in itself but the accommodation made for a perfect getaway.
    Visited June 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written June 12, 2024
  • davidbV7844OL
    Gerringong, Australia11 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A great morning trip from Wellington
    We visited here when we had a spare day when touring from Wellington. We had been to Zealanda on a previous trip and decided to visit Naga Manu. We got the train from Wellington(0ne hour) and were kindly picked up from the station. The train trip had spectacular views along the coast to Kapati Island. We loved our visit here and paid extra to go with Robyn to feed the birds and did a circular walk after. This is a lovely place with friendly staff that is worthy of lots of visitors. This is a great project and we wish it continued success.
    Visited February 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written July 14, 2024
  • Soemaryn Maree
    Oudtshoorn, South Africa25 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Perfect for little nature lovers
    This has become one of our favourite spots to visit with our 3 year old. He loves feeding the eels and the talk is very interesting. There are a lot of interactive educational activities when you pick up a lil explorers bag. Great day out with family and friends. Love the addition of the feeding cycle by the lookout. Just a suggestion, if you are making a day out of it. Pack some picnic as the shop only sells snacks, but not food items like sandwiches.
    Visited December 2024
    Traveled with family
    Written December 7, 2024
  • Ruth HB
    Canberra, Australia17 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Hidden gem for seeing Kiwi and learning from passionate volunteers
    Our family of 5, with three teenage daughters loved the kiwi night encounter. Well worth the money. Hosted in a small group of 10, with excellent volunteer guides, Kevin and Jill. Our group was respectful and quiet. We had a lengthy chance to see two Kiwis and they didn’t disappoint. We learnt a lot and would recommend to those that can be respect and quiet.
    Visited January 2025
    Traveled with family
    Written January 12, 2025
  • Robyn_256
    Feilding, New Zealand127 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Good Fun
    Nga Manu was a really great place to visit. Mum, dad, two kids. We enjoyed feeding the ducks, climbing the steps to the tower and looking out over the tree-tops. The highlight was watching the eels and then having the option to feed them! My 4 year old was very interested in them! We bought our own lunch to eat at the picnic tables, but there were snacks to purchase in the office. We did not see the kiwi, but we still enjoyed whispering through the walkway in the dark. We weren't there for a long time, but we had a fun time.
    Visited December 2024
    Traveled with family
    Written January 27, 2025
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

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Donovan
Marina Bay, Singapore41 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2023 • Family
We visited during the day to see the birds and feed the eels which was such an awesome experience for the kids!
We went back at night for a kiwi encounter at dusk and this was a once in a life time experience to see kiwi up close in their habitat and to have the talk for Robyn & Brian. We are all still buzzing about this - it’s a must do!
The cost of the visit during the day is cheap - they could charge more but you pay more for the kiwi encounter but it was worth it - it really is an incredible experience
Written September 19, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jane L
Waikanae, New Zealand13 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2021
I can highly recommend this experience. Very interesting talk beforehand then about 30 minutes spent in the kiwi house where there is just a knee high barrier between yourself and the kiwi. It is timed for nightfall when the kiwi are active and you are able to kneel right down near the barrier - the kiwi popped her head up right by me and her beak came right over the barrier- I couldn’t believe it. So interesting to hear them sniffing for bugs- who knew birds make little snuffly noises. Such a great experience and has made me want to head to Stewart island and see them in the wild. A great way to develop even more respect and care for our NZ environment. Thank you Ngamanu!
Written April 3, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

cpcog
Sydney, Australia1,337 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2021
We went there twice in 2 days due to different activities. The first time was joining the kiwi night encounter that was amazing. The starting time would be varied according to the sunset and you will be informed beforehand. It is only available from Thursday to Sunday and must make a booking.
Phone must be switched off and no photos would be taken for this night encounter. It is good because you will focus on looking at the lovely kiwi only then.
In the first 30 minutes, the ranger told us interesting facts of kiwi, such as the egg size and its body structure.
Then, we followed the ranger and go to the nocturnal house. For the tourists of this encounter, we could go to a special area where you can see the kiwis without any glass wall! there was just a short fence/barrier between the kiwi and us. Once the kiwis get used to having us around, they will walk out and work "busily" . Sooooooo cute! WE can hear their sound too.
We were invited to have some tea after the experience.
The next morning, we went to Nga Manu Nature reserve again for the feed out tour. It is worth as well! I also made a booking before coming although walk-in was accepted during public holiday. WE were the only group on that day anyway.
The ranger is very nice as the other staffs there. She showed us different birds and of course the kiwi too! It was so interesting to see "jimmy" looking at himself in the mirror. He loves his outlook sooooo much! This feed out tour was about 1 hour.
After that, we went to the bush walk and saw some birds again. I love the bush walk because it is very easy. You can see different kind of plants. While we went there during Easter holiday, there was a Easter stone hunt for children. My daughter got a chocolate after finding one Easter stone. Happy girl!
At last we went to see the eel feed. We didn't pay for the feeding but it was great enough to see the other feeding them. In fact there is a free bush walk tour after the eel feed but we didn't join that.
I think it is easy to spend at least half day in the Reserve. Bring pack lunch while there is no cafe inside.
It was just a pity that we can't stay at the cottage there while it was booked already. It must be nice to stay there for a night!
Written April 7, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

AlexandBeth
Lymm, UK204 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020 • Friends
Great day out. For some reason Waekenae and Waekenae beach appear to be slightly off the tourist map. What a shame thousands drive past this place on State Highway 1 withou5 a visit here. W3 had a great 3 hour visit, only bad point was unable ti see the Kiwis as a visit must be arranged fir the evening. The ducks, eels, all the birds wer3 a deligh5 and the walk thru the bush boardwalk makes the original settlers work in New Zealand so prifound. I was so lucky to video pick up and record a TUI bird in full cry with feathers well puffed out.
Written February 11, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you Alex and Beth for your great review. It sounds like you had a good walk around our precious forest remnant. It's a shame you didn't get to see the kiiwi. A male and female are viewable during the day in our nocturnal house. They are most active in the morning around the time they are fed, but can be viewed in their nesting boxes when they are not out in their enclosure - you should be able to see them sleeping or preening. Our Kiwi Night Encounters run on Fridays and Saturdays (or by appointment for groups of 10 people). They happen in an outdoor enclosure where a male and female kiwi are on a real day and night cycle and so these encounters happen at dusk when the birds are most active. We hope you get to see a Kiwi on your future travels! Thank you for discovering Ngā Manu and Waikanae :)
Written February 12, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Judy Porter
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2020 • Couples
Our experience overall was excellent but the highlight was having the Kaka on my husnand's shoulder for about 10 minutes. He (the kaka) was preening himself and rubbing his head Ian's beard. Such amazing interaction with us. The staff are first rate, so friendly and knowledgable and very welcoming. We will definitely be returning and with our grandchildren this time.
Written October 20, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for taking the time to write us this lovely review. Our male kaka certainly sounds like he made a new friend! I shall pass on your kind comments about our staff to our Manager. We hope your grandchildren enjoy their visits too :)
Written October 21, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Janet J
19 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2023
Went there expecting maybe an hour or so of interest but ended up spending the whole afternoon there. Wonderful time from feeding the eels, walking the forest track, seeing NZ Pigeons, Pukekos, Faintails, Bell Birds, Keas and even a pair of Kiwis. Feeding the ducks was a hoot and it must be mentioned that the staff there are so so enthusiastic, knowledgeable and friendly that it was a pleasure to visit and spend time there. Thank you all so much.
Written March 15, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Tasman Travels
145 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2023
A great experience and stop off. We could spend hours here wondering around spotting birds, learning about the history and nature. Really beautiful. We highly recommend a visit. Thanks to Katherine and Jane for making our visit so easy.
Written July 7, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Fforde
Manchester, UK433 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2022
With a shiny lolly wrapper the kea was immediately attracted to visit us, and we spent 15 minutes being climbed over by the mountain parrot. An amazing experience that I would never have thought was possible.

The gecko enclosures are fun to view, and feeding the ducks is a good family activity.
Written November 12, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Christine K
Auckland Central, New Zealand9 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2020 • Couples
Visited Nga Manu Nature Reserve for the first time today after having lived in Wellington for 40 years - how had I not known what a treasure this place is?
A really lovely setting with great bird life and easy walking/paths for parents with small ones and prams and also for people with limited mobility who need to walk on the flat..

Recommend going on a weekday as with small visitor numbers the bird song was fabulous..

Recommend a visit for all😀
Written August 5, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for this fabulous review Christine...we're glad you discovered us!
Written October 8, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Katie M
Wellington, New Zealand41 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2023
We had a lovely day out at Nga Manu during the January school holidays. The staff are incredibly kind and helpful. They helped us decide where to go during our self-guided walk around the reserve and gave us information about the various native species that we would see. The amount of tuatara visible was great - we saw about 8 sunning themselves. They were really clear and easy to see. The eel talk was informative and enjoyable. We had a great time and enjoyed being up-close with so many native birds.
Written January 11, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Ngā Manu Nature Reserve - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2025)

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