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See a Kiwi ...
at Queenstown Kiwi Sanctuary
Kiwis are nocturnal and live in the forest, so there really is no easy way to view them without visiting a sanctuary. We visited the Kiwi Sanctuary in Queenstown today. It is a great place to see these fascinating creatures.
They are much bigger than I had anticipated – about the size of a rugby ball. You get really good close up views once your eyes adjust to the darkness, No photo, unfortunately, as the conditions in the bird sanctuary are very carefully controlled: no cameras; no ‘phones; no talking (as the kiwis are very easily scared)!
Flora and Fauna - Kiwis
Kiwis mate for life – they live for 60 years or more and have around 100 chicks in their lifetime.
They have nostrils at the end of their long beaks which they use to sniff out bugs and grubs to eat – their sense of smell is one of the keenest of all birds.
Queenstown
We used the afternoon to stroll around Queenstown gardens and watch people playing frisky golf – very hard on a windy day! What a great idea for making a park more fun – we could do this at home.
We ate at Public Kitchen and Bar on the Waterfront last night – they have a really good selection of local NZ dishes – much more inventive than the fish & chips/steak & chips that dominate so many menus here.
