To round up our Top of the South Island road trip, we did the dinner and night tour combo at Willowbank Wildlife Reserves. It is just five minutes from the airport, near where we were staying in Christchurch. We arrived early enough to walk through the farm and park and listened to a talk on birds. Willowbank focuses on conservation and education, including a nocturnal house for seeing the Kiwi. That was our after-dinner treat.
Fun facts about the famous Kiwi:
– Kiwis are part of an ancient group of flightless birds (How did they get to New Zealand?)
– They are like a mammal, including habits, their fur-like feathers, and those nostrils on the tip of their beak they use to locate food underneath the soil through smell and sensing the vibrations from their prey’s movements. You can even hear them snorting to clear out all that soil from their nostrils.
– Their eggs are ginormous. They may not be the largest in size; they are in proportion, even as much as 20% of the bird’s body weight. All that yolk can sustain the baby chick who arrives fully feathered. Also, could the kiwi’s ancestors have been big birds?
Visitors can also see other New Zealand natives such as the Tuatara and the Brown Teal. Whether you have kids or not, Willowbank Wildlife Reserves is a great way to visit with animals and learn about them.
