The last time I visited Nga Manu Nature Reserve was in 2008. I thought I'd written a review then but I can't find it so apparently I hadn't (EDIT: I did find it after all, see post #2). Anyway, I went back yesterday so now is as good a time as any for a review. There's no public transport to get directly there but its not too far outside Waikanae (about 3km to the entrance gate - and then another km to the actual entry!) so I just walked from the Waikanae train station.
The reserve covers about 13 hectares but most of it is bush-walks. Rather disappointingly there haven't been any upgrades to the captive collection at Nga Manu since my last visit and, indeed, it has actually gone backwards with the removal of two of the aviaries (leaving only eight, and three of those are basically one divided - trivided? - aviary). The aviaries are looking quite tired and old, and almost all the birds are very common species you can see easily around the Wellington suburbs such as tui and native pigeons, the only exceptions being western weka (although I didn't see them), Antipodes Island parakeet, kea, and also kaka I suppose (although thanks to the Karori Sanctuary kaka are now a common sight in some parts of Wellington). Surprisingly there's not even any red- or yellow-crowned kakariki on display.
The real highlight of Nga Manu is the nocturnal house which is now about 28 years old. Whereas most nocturnal houses in NZ just house kiwi and morepork, the one here has always had a range of other species on offer. As well as North Island brown kiwi and morepork, there are also little owls, koura (freshwater crayfish), inanga (Galaxias maculatus, a native freshwater fish), Wellington tree weta, tuatara, and kiore (Polynesian rats). I've never actually seen a live kiore before (they weren't here in 2008) so that was quite exciting. In 2008 there was also a weasel and a brush-tailed possum here, but the weasel exhibit now has a stuffed weasel (well, OK, almost certainly the same individual weasel!) and the possum exhibit has the little owls in it. There are also stuffed examples of stoat, ferret, possum, cat and hedgehog.
Nocturnal House notwithstanding, I honestly wouldn't recommend overseas visitors (or locals really) to visit Nga Manu, especially not over, say, Mt. Bruce, Karori, or the Wellington Zoo. The $15 entry fee is well overpriced for what is on offer, especially given that there are so few aviaries and so few birds. Its the school holidays at the moment but the place was almost deserted and I can't help but feel that they can't get much in the way of return visitors. The bush walks are nice but you can do that for free anywhere. A bit sad really because it could have a lot of potential.
Photos in the gallery, including a couple of the kiore.
Full bird list:
North Island brown kiwi
White-faced heron
Black swan
Mute swan
Paradise duck
NZ scaup
NZ shoveller
Grey teal
Brown teal
Pukeko
Western weka (did not see)
NZ pigeon
Antipodes Island parakeet
Kea
Kaka
Little owl
Morepork
Tui
and then:
Wellington tree weta
White-tailed spider
Tunnelweb spider
Koura
Inanga
Long-finned eel
Common tuatara
Whistling tree frog
Southern bell frog
Kiore
The reserve covers about 13 hectares but most of it is bush-walks. Rather disappointingly there haven't been any upgrades to the captive collection at Nga Manu since my last visit and, indeed, it has actually gone backwards with the removal of two of the aviaries (leaving only eight, and three of those are basically one divided - trivided? - aviary). The aviaries are looking quite tired and old, and almost all the birds are very common species you can see easily around the Wellington suburbs such as tui and native pigeons, the only exceptions being western weka (although I didn't see them), Antipodes Island parakeet, kea, and also kaka I suppose (although thanks to the Karori Sanctuary kaka are now a common sight in some parts of Wellington). Surprisingly there's not even any red- or yellow-crowned kakariki on display.
The real highlight of Nga Manu is the nocturnal house which is now about 28 years old. Whereas most nocturnal houses in NZ just house kiwi and morepork, the one here has always had a range of other species on offer. As well as North Island brown kiwi and morepork, there are also little owls, koura (freshwater crayfish), inanga (Galaxias maculatus, a native freshwater fish), Wellington tree weta, tuatara, and kiore (Polynesian rats). I've never actually seen a live kiore before (they weren't here in 2008) so that was quite exciting. In 2008 there was also a weasel and a brush-tailed possum here, but the weasel exhibit now has a stuffed weasel (well, OK, almost certainly the same individual weasel!) and the possum exhibit has the little owls in it. There are also stuffed examples of stoat, ferret, possum, cat and hedgehog.
Nocturnal House notwithstanding, I honestly wouldn't recommend overseas visitors (or locals really) to visit Nga Manu, especially not over, say, Mt. Bruce, Karori, or the Wellington Zoo. The $15 entry fee is well overpriced for what is on offer, especially given that there are so few aviaries and so few birds. Its the school holidays at the moment but the place was almost deserted and I can't help but feel that they can't get much in the way of return visitors. The bush walks are nice but you can do that for free anywhere. A bit sad really because it could have a lot of potential.
Photos in the gallery, including a couple of the kiore.
Full bird list:
North Island brown kiwi
White-faced heron
Black swan
Mute swan
Paradise duck
NZ scaup
NZ shoveller
Grey teal
Brown teal
Pukeko
Western weka (did not see)
NZ pigeon
Antipodes Island parakeet
Kea
Kaka
Little owl
Morepork
Tui
and then:
Wellington tree weta
White-tailed spider
Tunnelweb spider
Koura
Inanga
Long-finned eel
Common tuatara
Whistling tree frog
Southern bell frog
Kiore
