Te Anau Bird Sanctuary, Te Anau

Really easy way to see and learn about all the local birds, especially for those who are not patient or physically motivated enough (me) to find them in the wild. Nice afternoon trip for anyone who’s interested – it’s free and there aren’t even any stairs or anything so probably suitable for everyone. The birds were also very friendly; I got bitten by the duck but I think that one was on me. Definitely worth a visit

Te Anau Bird Sanctuary is a free (Donation welcome) park to visit to see the rare Takahe birds. There are also other birds to see, but sadly it seems the Morepork owl has sadly passed away today. The kids found the bush camp play area out the back really fun, so make sure you check it out too

A bird sanctuary located on the shores of serene lake Te Anau. It was a lovely short visit to this place and lucky enough to be able to see the Takahe! Te Anau is the only place to see Takahe, New Zealand native land birds. It is a special big bird with beautiful colors. Overall experience was lovely although the place is small. There are also other birds in the cage.

Free/by donation place to see takahē up close! Even if you don't come at feeding time, they're pretty easy to spot - and they don't seem wary of visitors at all, so they'll come right up to the fence. There are a few other birds as well, but of course the takahē enclosure is the highlight. We came mid-afternoon and were the only ones there, which may have helped with the birds' boldness. If you have a choice, I recommend visiting before the borders fully reopen and it gets super busy!

I liked this and rated this high given this was free, DoC run (on I expect a small budget) and close to town. Otherwise as a paid exhibit it would probably have scored lower. Was good to see some Takahe reasonably close up and to read and see the work being done to extend the population numbers of this bird and some of the duck species where they appear to have been breeding well. The Kaka were difficult to spot, but the Antipodes Island Parakeets were more interactive/engaging. The Blue Duck display was closed unfortunately. Worth a look on a nice day and for probably about an hour duration.