Te Wao Nui is the new New Zealand precinct at Auckland Zoo, which cost NZ$16 million, and opened on Sunday 11 September. I visited today (16 September), here is my review: The Coast This is the first habitat, and one of two pre-existing (if modified) exhibits in Te Wao Nui. The entry now includes a large whale skeleton, the rib cage of which visitors pass through on their way up to an excellent exhibit for New Zealand Fur Seals, Subantarctic Fur Seals & Californian Sea Lions. From this, visitors enter a DOC research hut, with various educational displays before entering a walk-through aviary. This holds Little Blue Penguins, Spotted Shags & New Zealand Dotteral, all of which put on a great show. From this, a path leads down, past a life-size model of a Wandering Albatross, to an underwater viewing window, through which the seals can be seen. This area is very, very good, although a little more species-related signage in the aviary would be helpful. The path then leads on to... The Islands This habitat has been built on top of the old Hippo exhibit, and retains a few features, most notably the old viewing platform (possibly heritage-listed?). It starts with an 'Island Sanctuary' hut, which has a large exhibit for Tuatara on one side, and five exhibits for Chevron Skink (x2), Forest Gecko, Falla's Skink & Northland Green Gecko. Unsurprisingly there was no sign of the skinks, but all the other reptiles were readily visible. Exiting the hut, visitors enter a small walk-through aviary, which contains Campbell Island Teal & Antipodes Island Parakeets. This aviary is very nice, and both species were readily visible and unperturbed by people. From here, a bridge/Kauri Dam leads out to the old hippo platform, which has two other bridges across the creek (one of which is a fun swing bridge). A new boardwalk leads under the Old Stone Bridge to... The Wetlands This habitat is built on the old Sea Lion and Alligator/Otter exhibit, and is the largest new aviary. It is also the most disappointing. Basically a huge aviary with a huge pond and a huge rock wall + waterfall and a whole pile of concrete paths. The pond had six ducks on it. SIX! And not exciting ducks, just Grey Teal & New Zealand Scaup. There was a sign for White-faced Heron, but we saw none (and I really think there were none in there as it was a ridiculously bare aviary). There was a large tank for Long-finned Eels as well, and this was well done (although it looked empty). This aviary could be improved by adding more vegetation, maybe some bulrushes or similar, and some more birds (Pukeko, Shovellers, Kingfishers, etc.). A tank for introduced frogs would also fit well in here. Exiting this area, visitors enter... The Night Forest This nocturnal house was built on the site of the old Aquarium, and you start in a cave-like cavern with fake glow-worms on the roof. Next is an empty exhibit which says Archey's Frogs coming soon. All along one wall is a big exhibit for North Island Brown Kiwi & New Zealand Lesser Short-tailed Bats. I think this is divided by a low wall to give two kiwi exhibits. The Kiwi were very active and visible, while I only saw the bats in flight, but it was great to see them, especially when they flew past the backlit moon in the centre of the exhibit. On the other side of the building are small glass-fronted exhibits for Cave Weta, Robust Skink, Duvaucel's Gecko & Kauri Snail. Past this area are three tanks holding native freshwater fish, one has Black Mudfish, the next has a sign for seven fish species (bullies, galaxiias and torrent fish - can't confirm all were present) and Freshwater Crayfish, while the third has Giant Kokopu I think, but was completely unlabelled. I think this was the best habitat in Te Wao Nui. From the nocturnal part, you enter a DOC hut which focuses on Kiwi conservation, before exiting and heading back under the Old Stone Bridge to... The Forest This is the other pre-existing part of Te Wao Nui, although it has been closed for a number of years. This is the largest aviary in the zoo and has not changed largely from its previous incarnation, although it appears a bit more open. It contains North Island Kaka, Yellow-crowned Parakeets, Red-crowned Parakeets, New Zealand Wood Pigeon, Bellbird, Silvereye, Tui & North Island Saddleback! Didn't see all of these sadly, and it seems very weird that there are no ground-dwelling birds (ie. Banded Rails) or waterfowl (ie. Brown Teal) in here, especially given the large pond just inside. No gecko exhibits either, which used to be part of the aviary. The back of the aviary is still separated-off, and although there were no signs saying that this part was for breeding North Island Kokako, I think it probably will be used for this purpose. Exiting this aviary, the path leads down to the old 'Frog Research Hut', which appears to be devoid of native frogs and anyhting else surprisingly. From here, the path leads around to... The High Country This habitat starts off with a Southern Alp-themed walk-through aviary with Kea & Weka. Nice aviary, although the Kea were a bit shy I thought. Exiting this, a covered pathway leads past a set of four glass-fronted exhibits, presumably for Otago Skinks and Rough Gecko (according to the zoo's website), although they had no signs and appeared empty. To get to the last exhibit, visitors enter a beautifully-recreated schist hut (however this is not obviously enter-able, and I think many visitors wouldn't know they could actually go in), which has a Gecko exhibit with no signage (but definitely occupied). Another door leads out to a verandah, from which you can look into the final aviary, which contains Blue Duck & Orange-fronted Parakeets. So that is Te Wao Nui, a very beautiful precinct, with largely perfect signage and exhibits. The Night Forest and Coast are the stand-out areas, and the Islands are also excellent. The High Country will be as good when the reptile exhibits are occupied and signage is improved, while the Forest needs more ducks and rails IMHO. The Wetlands needs the most work, as it is currently nothing but a 'glorified duck pond'. The precinct as a whole works very well from all visitors perpectives I would think, and displays almost all of New Zealand's fauna and flora (as well as heaps of our culture and heritage - Maori carvings and artwork abound). The main species missing are predators, but there is space for a New Zealand Falcon aviary in the High Country habitat, and Morepork could be added to the Night Forest if the Bats were confined to just one of the Kiwi exhibits (cos I don't think they would mix so good?). Overall easily the best NZ exhibit in the world (with 45+ species) and highly recommended. Photos to come.
For 99.99% of the world's population this will be the best place to get an overview of NZ's wildlife. How are the Blue Duck doing in Auckland?
Thanks for such a detailed review - it sounds fantastic. From a European's perspective that's an incredibly tantalising species line-up!
Absolutely true, and I (and the zoo itself probably) will be hoping a decent amount of people do come here to see it. I don't really know anything about the zoo's Blue Ducks, except that Auckland have only had a pair for a few years now (unless this has changed recently) and I can't remember hearing about any breeding success. Hopefully this will change in their new, much larger, home.
Even from a New Zealander's perspective there are some pretty exciting species: the short-tailed bats have never been displayed anywhere before, and birds like the Saddleback and Campbell Island Teal are very rarely displayed. Having all the aviaries walk-through (except the walk-in blue duck one) really improves the experience as well.
Thanks for the review. This area sounds really fantastic and even from an Australian's point of view the species list is almost worth the airfare.
it does sound most excellent (although no giant centipedes or tusked weta which is a shame! - not even any giant weta?). Its good they have got saddleback again, and the orange-fronted kakariki must be the first ones they've had. Short-tailed bats would be good to see (previously held at Mt.Bruce as well, and off-show I think at Wellington many years ago)
I didn't realise the bats had been displayed before, do youi know how they were displayed? I suspect they haven't quite finished populating all the exhibits, as one said Archey's Frogs 'coming soon', several were empty looking, and I couldn't see all the species indicated by signage. Further, I know the zoo holds Brown Teal but there was no sign of (or for) these, so hopefully these, and a few others like the ones you have listed, will be added over time.
Photos have now been added to the Auckland Zoo Gallery (Auckland Zoo Gallery). I do have more, so if you want to see something specific let me know. I will also be heading back for a repeat visit in the next week or so, so if you want more info/photos let me know
Are you sure it was Orange-fronted Parakeet? Its rarer than Kakapo. Light Purple = Orange-fronted Parakeet Dark Purple = Red Crowned Parakeet Red = Yellow Crowned Parakeet SEE ATTACHMENT
Yes, I am sure they were supposed to be Orange-fronted Parakeet in the Blue Duck aviary (SEE ATTACHMENT), although I haven't seen them yet (not sure if they have arrived). Te Wao Nui is to have all four species of native parakeets, with the Red and Yellow on display in the Forest, and Antipodes in the Islands aviaries. Are you sure that they are rarer than kakapo? Do you have any idea of the exact population size currently? The sign at Auckland just says there are just more than 200 total (captive and wild), which is obviously more than the 129 kakapo.
Te Wao Nui Update I visited again yesterday, two weeks after my first visit and I have some more information and comments to share: Firstly, the Coast is still looks great, hopefully they will add some oystercatchers and shore skinks in the future. The Islands were also all good, saw both the Falla's and Chevron skinks, very lively and photogenic. There have been a number of additions to the Wetlands habitat, possibly as a direct result of my review (or more likely a happy coincidence). Added to the NZ Scaup & Grey Teal (although I did not see the teal this visit), there are now White-faced Heron, Brown Teal, New Zealand Shoveller & Paradise Shelduck, which I saw, and Sacred Kingfisher, Pied Stilt & Banded Rail, which were MIA, as was the Long-finned Eel, which I was assured were definitely in the tank but their nocturnal habits meant visitors rarely saw them. Apparently the four rails disappeared as soon as they were released in the aviary and haven't been seen since (surprise, surprise). So this does really improve the aviary, making it look much fuller and more interesting. At the present time there is only a male paradise duck, but the zoo is hoping to source a mate in the near future. Some Pukeko would brighten up the aviary further. The Night Forest was still good, although still no sign of the Archey's Frog. Found out that the two kiwi exhibits are completely separated, with the first (with the illuminated moon) holding Moreporks, which (I really do have bad eyesight) I thought were the bats. The second kiwi exhibit has the bats, and apparently these don't actually ever fly in the exhibit, just crawl around on the ground and the tree trunks. We didn't see any sign of these, which is unsurprising if the volunteer I spoke to was correct (I have my doubts) who said there was only one in there. If so, I do wonder what happened to the 5.7 they used to have??? The Kauri Snail terrarium also contains Flax Snails (unlabelled), and I was assured that all shells (4 I saw) were inhabited. They have also now labelled the third freshwater fish tank as having Giant Kokopu, confirming my initial thoughts. The Forest still has no ground-dwelling birds or waterfowl, and no-one I spoke to knew of any plans to introduce these. There are however plans to install Kokako in the separated back part of the aviary in the future. I saw all the other species supposed to be in here, including some cool interaction between a wood pigeon and a red-crowned parakeet. However, there are actually no North Island Saddleback yet in the aviary (contrary to signage), although these are "on their way". The High Country has improved, with signage and occupants now accompanying the reptile exhibits. The four enclosures just past the kea have quite a number of Otago Skink in them; while the gecko exhibit in the schist cottage has Rough Gecko. There was no sign of Orange-fronted parakeet in the blue duck aviary, and I suspect they have not yet been introduced. So overall, the species present now number 52, with signage up for another four (Archey's frog, kokako, saddleback, orange-fronted parakeets). If all goes to plan there will also be another major species arriving in the future! Few more photos to come.
This sound excellent, I don't usually visit zoos whilst on holiday although I did go to Auckland and particularly enjoyed seeing native fauna so would have loved to see them displayed like this. It would have been a great introduction as I was completely ignorant of NZs special history when I went.
It might be obvious to mention but the zoo's very nice map has been updated to show Te Wao Nui and I found it helpful to see the positioning of the new exhibits: Auckland Zoo - Auckland Zoo map There is also more information on the exhibits in general: Auckland Zoo - Te Wao Nui By the way, the BNZ Kiwi and Tuatara House is still listed on the website.
Oh yes, I had forgotten to mention that. The BNZ Kiwi & Tuatara House is now closed off, and I guess it is a sign of the times that the zoo has secured no corporate sponsorship for any parts of Te Wao Nui. I was thinking a Toyota Landcruiser would look good in the Kea aviary...
Great exhibit with beautiful landscaping and theming, and an exquisite animal collection. A definite must-see. If only NZ wasn't such a long flight away!
Reports from the 1800s show that orange-fronted parakeets were found throughout the South Island, Stewart Island and on a few other offshore islands. However, their distribution has reduced dramatically over the last century and the orange-fronted parakeet is now the rarest parakeet in New Zealand. Classified as ‘nationally critical’, the species has a high risk of extinction with only 100 – 200 birds in the wild. The four known remaining populations are all within a 30 km radius in beech forests of upland valleys within Arthur’s Pass National Park and Lake Sumner Forest Park in the South Island. the Pop. must have gone up since the last time I checked.
Ugh. No scientific names on the label. Please tell me the skinks, snails, eels etc have scientific names in place? Common names for these groups are so variable as to be almost meaningless if you're not previously familiar with them, and call me picky but I like to know what animal I'm looking at! Could be a mark down for the exhibit for me if not. EDIT: to balance out with a positive, that's a really nice map - clear and attractive.
Yes, the species signage is definitely a negative, especially the complete lack of latin names (especially important for our lizard species which have recently undergone/still are undergoing extensive taxonomic review). A couple of species (flax snail and dotterals) do not even have species labels yet (although there are other signs which mention dotterals which is probably how visitors ID this species). However, the rest of the signage is very extensive and detailed, and focuses primarily on conservation efforts by various groups both in situ and ex situ. I think that the small species labels and other similarly-sized signage at viewing areas is to allow visitors to name what they can see and pick up a quick fact as well, whereas the more extensive billboard-style signage is located in non-viewing areas where visitors attention can be more focused. There are some signage examples in the gallery as well: http://www.zoochat.com/14/species-signage-te-wao-nui-auckland-237469/ http://www.zoochat.com/14/signage-te-wao-nui-auckland-zoo-237433/ http://www.zoochat.com/14/giant-penguin-te-wao-nui-auckland-239133/
Review 3 COAST When you are entering through a life-sized Whale Skeleton, you are greeted by NZ Fur Seals and Californian Sea Lions. Going into the Aviary to your right there is a 2 x 3 metre beach inhabited by 3 NZ Dotterels and over 10 Little Blue Penguins. They mainly hang out under the overturned Dinghy. On a nearby tin foil roof 2 Spotted Shags Incubate their nest. ISLANDS Inside the Islands Aviary are 4 Antipodes Island Kakariki and 2 Campbell island teal. This is the smallest Aviary in Te Wao Nui. In the Reptile cages are big cages for Tuatara, Forest Gecko and Chevron Skink. WETLANDS The Wetlands Aviary has a great lake and misty waterfall directly to the right. On the Lake are Brown Teal, NZ Scaup and a male Paradise Shelduck. Usually Resting around the Lake edge are NZ Shoveller and White-Faced Heron. The Banded Rails where seen by me perched next to the waterfall and at the top of the cliff. There is a tank for Long-finned Eel near the exit. Night Forest At the Night Forest you enter a long and very dark room where on one wall is a large glass panel separating you from a North Island Brown Kiwi, a Morepork and Short-Tailed Bats. near the end there is a tank for Whitebait and another for Banded Kokopu. There is also a space for Robust Skink FOREST When I entered the forest aviary I was dissapointed with the lack of Wildlife. the Wax-eyes, Tui and Kaka were easily spotted, but harder to find were the Yellow Crowned Parakeets, Red Crowned Parakeets, Bellbird and Kereru. There is only one of each bird with the exception of Kaka, Bellbird and Red Crowned Parakeet. HIGH COUNTRY The First Aviary was really interactive with 3 Kea coming right up to you, and in some cases, flying into the back of your head. There are also 4 Weka walking around. The Second Aviary is one you can't walk through, but you can go inside it. The only inhabitants is a Blue Duck, a Red Crowned Parakeet and a Yellow Crowned Parakeet. Outside are cages for Rough Geckos and Otago Skinks. UPDATES: There are no Grey Teal, Pied Stilt or Kingfisher in the Wetlands anymore There is no Orange-Fronted Parakeet Sign in High Country anymore. Instead there are Yellow Crowned and Red Crowned Parakeets in there The Zookeepers say they are still hoping for Kokako, Saddleback and Orange-Fronted Kakariki Photos coming soon!
