A Social Tourist’s Review of Whangarei Museum, Kiwi House & Heritage Park
Nestled in the heart of Whangārei, in New Zealand’s North Island, Kiwi North, (Whangarei Museum, Kiwi House & Heritage Park) offers a unique blend of natural beauty, rich history, and vibrant culture, making it a gem for social tourism enthusiasts. On my recent visit, I discovered that Kiwi North is more than just a wildlife sanctuary—it's a place where community, education, and conservation come together harmoniously. From the captivating Kiwi House, where these iconic birds can be observed up close, to the model village Heritage Park that brings local history to life, Kiwi North provides a multifaceted experience that engages visitors of all ages.
In this blog I use our BBStars Social Tourism rating system - S.T.A.R.S standing for Social Good, Trea$ury, Accessibility, Relationships and Sustainability. I’ll talk you through my review Kiwi North in terms of each of these key points. So read on to see how well they score - or if you’d like a look at the sites as well, click on the youtube link below for a full vlog of our trips to both Kiwi North and the Kauri Museum.
I was super excited to visit Kiwi North as I was really looking forward to seeing my favourite animals in the world (okay I’m a little biassed) the unique flightless bird that brings together all the ethnicities that make up New Zealand’s population by giving us our unifying nickname: Kiwis.
In case you haven’t guessed yet, I am talking about the bird not the fruit. Travellers should know that in New Zealand we reverse the names - for us a ‘kiwi’ refers to the bird and we call the fruit just that - ‘kiwi fruit’. That’s just a quick tip that might save some confusion.
According to Maori legend, the Kiwi is blessed by Tane Mahuta - God of the Forest. Kiwi once flew on beautiful coloured wings like our other native birds. But the forest was becoming endangered and needed protection from the ground. The gods asked all the birds to volunteer to come down to earth to guard and protect the trees, but none of them accepted the challenge except the Kiwi. There was a sacrifice - the Kiwi lost its wings and grew short strong legs. This selfless action didn't go unnoticed, it was greatly rewarded by the gods. Tane Mahoka promised the Kiwi would become the most well known and most loved bird of all. And so it is, you’ll find kiwis on our currency, postage stamps, sports uniforms and in every souvenir shop.
Entering the kiwi house we were greeted with a friendly welcome and an explanation of what we would find within. We were sad to learn the Tuatara had passed away, but delighted to learn there were two male kiwi in the nocturnal house, although they had to be separated from each other due to their aggressive natures.
Kiwis are only active at night, so in captivity they are kept in as much darkness as possible during the day in a carefully monitored environment that matches their life in the wild. The enclosure has day and night on a reversed cycle, with a dusk and dawn, day and night temperatures adjusted to match natural seasons, and it even rains inside the enclosure twice a week. It’s built to suit the bird, not the humans so you need time for your eyes to adjust when you first walk in and cameras can’t be used inside.
Mostly what you’ll see at first is darkness, but slowly as your eyes adjust you’ll start to scan the enclosure for movement. Look for something flickering through the leaves and soon enough you’ll get to see the magnificent kiwi foraging for food just as they would in the wild. We stood for a long time watching one of the males dig around for live bugs that were burrowed in the ground. When the kiwi are inside their homes preening, napping or doing the housework, you can spy on them through the cameras planted in their burrows.
Social Good
Learning and connecting with Kiwi is vital to New Zealand’s social good, as this icon of our country still suffers from a steadily declining population. Without ongoing support, experts estimate the brown kiwi will be extinct in the wild within two generations. So the educational programmes Kiwi North offer are vital in helping the next generation appreciate and care for these precious birds.
Kiwi North are funded by the Ministry of Education and often focus their programmes for schools around issues of conservation. They also have twice daily kiwi-feeding sessions where the keepers share their knowledge with visitors and offer personal insights into the personalities of the Kiwi. You can also join weekly Creature Encounters to meet one of their reptiles or invertebrates and learn about how you can contribute to their sustainability.
Kiwi North has a lot to share, and it's not all about the kiwi. Apart from the live animals, there is also a museum upstairs showcasing the now extinct moa and giving insight into the history of the region. Out the back of the museum, down the hill is a little colonial village, complete with a model train, a prison, a schoolhouse, a workshop and the smallest octagonal chapel in New Zealand. This tiny church is made from a single kauri log! The focus here are the European families of the time, and the information is limited to that specific part of history.
Along with their hands-on learning activities, they also make their collections open to the community through research, displays, special exhibitions and events which change regularly.
Kiwi North are always looking for volunteers and offer them chances to contribute and to learn and develop. While most of their volunteer activities are probably not suitable to transient travellers, they do often need help maintaining the grounds, so if you’re interested in a day of gardening or weed-whacking I’m sure they’d be interested in hearing from you. You might also want to support their work by adopting an animal. You’ll help them provide the best care and in return you’ll get updates, behind-the-scenes peeks, and learn more about the animals they look after.
Treasury
Kiwi House are a not-for-profit organisation owned and administered by the Whangarei Museum and Heritage Trust and run by a small team of staff and volunteers.
Accessibility
Some of the areas did look a bit difficult to access via wheelchair. I didn’t notice accommodations for hearing or sight impairments. The videos in the museums had captions in English. Toilets were gender divisive.
Relationships
Not only did we get a cheery welcome, but as we wandered through the grounds staff and volunteers said hello and pointed out bits and pieces we might otherwise have missed. But I have to say, my favourite new friend was a curious Pukeko, who was very keen to engage with me. He spontaneously pecked at my shoelaces, and then tried to investigate inside my purse! He wasn’t camera shy either, so I got some great footage of him for the video and instagram.
A quick look on their Facebook page shows the fabulous connection they have with their community. I particularly loved the Free entry to Kiwi North for Mums this Mothers Day, along with a storytelling competition for kids and their regular updates on bugs, fungus and other treasures locals can find in their gardens and bush.
Sustainability
The museum is not reachable via public transport.
Kiwi North is committed to Sustainable Tourism. They are within a ‘green-belt’ space’ which means they can not be further built on.
The native animals they use for display and education have been captive born to avoid the stress wild-born animals feel in captivity. Kiwi North is part of the national captive kiwi management programme and looks after young kiwi until they reach an age where they are either selected for breeding or are released into safe environments.
They advocate for many native animals and their ecosystems. Out the back of the Kiwi House is the ‘bird hospital’ - The Whangarei Native Bird Recovery Centre, which takes care of wild birds, from Sparrows right through to Albatrosses. This completely volunteer non-profit operation provides treatment and rehabilitation for injured and ill native birds so that they can be returned to the wild.
BB STARS for Kiwi North
So there you have it- our Social Tourism review of the delights of Kiwi North. I for one have had a fabulous time here, and I loved telling the tale of the purse-picking-Pukeko to everyone at home. I hope you get a chance to experience it one day too - until then, happy travels everyone!
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