Whether you want to meet some playful dolphins, listen to native birdsong or visit an underground galaxy, New Zealand’s wildlife is sure to impress.
Glow worms. The Waitomo Caves, three hours’ drive from Auckland, offer one of the best glow worm experiences in the country. Take a boat ride underground to experience the magic of thousands of these tiny creatures lighting up the cave roof above you like a star-studded sky.
Glow worms can be found throughout the country, and are often spotted in damp, overgrown places – the banks of lakes, rivers and forest undergrowth are prime places to spot their glowing blue-green lights. Guided night time kayaking, hiking or boating trips are great ways to get to the right places to see them.
Penguins. New Zealand has several places around the country to go on tours and penguin-spotting experiences. Keep the penguins and their colonies safe by giving them space when you encounter them. Avoid disturbing their natural behavior, especially when they’re nesting. Doing so helps contribute to their conservation.
Of New Zealand’s species, the korora, or little blue penguin, is the world’s smallest penguin. You’ll find these penguins when they come ashore at night in the Marlborough Sounds, Akaroa Harbour, Oamaru, Dunedin and Stewart Island.
The rare hoiho, or yellow-eyed penguin, is distinguished by its vivid yellow eye band. You’ll find them on the Otago Peninsula, just south of Dunedin and round the Catlins region. Dunedin offers the best wildlife tours, giving you an incredible close-up view of penguins, sea lions and fur seals in their natural habitat.
The rare Fiordland Crested Penguin (Tawaki), is a beautiful bird that lives in the rainforests of Haast, Lake Moeraki, Stewart Island and Fiordland in the South Island.
Bird-watching. Birds are still some of New Zeland’s most colourful inhabitants and this land is a bird-watchers’, or twitchers’, paradise. New Zealand’s most famous bird is, of course, the kiwi. About the size of a domestic hen, it has an extremely long beak and plumage that is more like hair than feathers. Though endangered, the nocturnal kiwi can still be seen in the wild in Northland and on Stewart Island. You can also see kiwi birds at wildlife enclosures throughout the country.
Seals. New Zealand’s seal population will provide you with plenty of photo opportunities. The fur seal is easy to recognize with its pointy nose, long whiskers and visible ears. Its other distinguishing feature, alas, was also nearly the cause of its extinction. In early days sealing was a big business and the fur seal was prized for its luxurious fur coat. Happily, seal hunting was banned in 1894.
In the North Island you can see the seals at Cape Palliser, near Wellington and at Castlepoint on the Wairarapa coast.
Take a kayaking trip around Tonga Island in the South Island’s Abel Tasman National Park and you’ll see seals, dolphins and penguins. Other places are Cape Foulwind near Westport, and Kaikoura where you can enjoy a guided seal-swimming experience and marvel at their grace in their natural element.
Tour the Catlins Coast and Gillespies Beach near Haast you can also hope to spy Hooker’s sea lions, southern elephant seals and leopard seals.
