Pūkaha National Wildlife Centre

06/09/2026

Happy Father's Day!

Today we're celebrating all the dads, koro, and father figures out there - including a pretty special one here in our ngahere. Meet Tia, proud dad to our newest kiwi chick!

Being a kiwi dad is hard mahi - in the wild, it's the males who take on most of the incubation, sitting on the egg for around 80 days. So today, we're raising a beak to Tia and dads everywhere.

Happy Father's Day from all of us at Pūkaha 🧡

03/09/2026

Still stuck for a Father's Day gift? 🏉

Give the rugby-mad dad in your life a night he'll actually remember - an evening with All Blacks legend David Kirk, in Masterton on 22 September. Stories, canapés, a drink and a charity auction, all in support of Pūkaha. Grab his ticket below 👇

https://www.eventfinda.co.nz/2026/champions-for-pukaha-an-evening-with-david-kirk/masterton

01/09/2026

Next up in our Species Spotlight series… meet one of Pūkaha’s most cheeky characters, Prince Tūī Teka!

This free-flight Tūī is certainly not afraid to make himself heard! Due to a lung condition, he can fly, but if he pushes himself too hard, he can’t quite keep up. Because of this, he was deemed unfit for release and now calls Pūkaha home.

But don’t let that fool you, this little guy has a huge personality! He is one of our most vocal residents, showing off his incredible ability to mimic sounds and even surprising visitors with a few unexpected words (yes, he’s been known to swear! 😅).

Tūī are amazing mimics, using their unique voices to communicate and interact with the world around them.

Next time you’re exploring Aviary 2 at Pūkaha, keep your ears open… you never know what this cheeky character might say!

31/08/2026

How many kererū can you spot in this tree?

Take a closer look… there are more than you might think!

31/08/2026

A little throwback to a couple of great days at Wairarapa College!

Our Education team recently joined the Career Expo and Whanaungatanga event, chatting with students about pathways into conservation, future careers and volunteering opportunities at Pūkaha.

It was awesome to see the event buzzing with energy and so many students curious about where a future in conservation could take them.

Thanks for having us, Wairarapa College and Wairarapa Economic Development Strategy !

28/08/2026

Look at this little ball of fluff! 🥹🥝

When this video was taken, our kiwi chick was just 6 days old and already doing so well.

Something you might not know is that kiwi chicks hatch with a yolk sac, which gives them all the nutrients they need in those first few days. Because of this, they actually lose around 20–30% of their hatching weight as they use up those reserves.

Watch until the end to see just how much this little one has lost.

Pretty incredible for such a tiny chick! Baby kiwi feeding is now viewable this week and over the weekend at 12pm, so come along and see our newest Pūkaha resident for yourself.

27/08/2026

Want to meet Pūkaha’s newest little kiwi? 🥹

Our littlest kiwi is now making their debut at our 12pm Kiwi Talk, giving you the chance to see one of our newest arrivals up close and learn more about what goes into raising kiwi here at Pūkaha.

The Hits Breakfast with Jono, Ben & Megan were lucky enough to meet our little one last week, and we think it’s safe to say they were pretty smitten!

Baby kiwi feeding is now viewable this week and over the weekend at 12pm, so come along and see our newest Pūkaha resident for yourself.

📍 Pūkaha National Wildlife Centre
⏰ Kiwi Talk & baby kiwi feeding: 12pm

26/08/2026

Join us for an evening with former All Blacks captain and 1987 Rugby World Cup winner David Kirk, as he shares stories from his life on and off the field, leadership, rugby and everything in between.

This is a fundraising evening in support of Pūkaha, with your ticket including a welcome drink, canapés and the chance to bid on some special auction items. A cash bar will also be available.

📍 Copthorne Hotel & Resort Solway Park, Masterton
⏰ Tue 22 Sep 2026, 5:00pm–7:00pm
🎟️ Grab your tickets, https://www.eventfinda.co.nz/2026/champions-for-pukaha-an-evening-with-david-kirk/masterton bring your mates and join us for a great night while helping support the future of Pūkaha.

We’ll see you there!

Champions for Pūkaha: An Evening with David Kirk, Join us in ..., Copthorne Hotel & Resort Solway Park, Masterton, Wellington Region, 22 September 2026,

25/08/2026

Look who came to visit! Jono, Ben and Megan from The Hits Breakfast popped out to Pūkaha last week to meet our newest arrival. It was so great to have them here 😊

24/08/2026

Liam’s kiwi experience 🥝

After winning our kiwi experience, Liam and his family joined us over the weekend for a very special day behind the scenes at Pūkaha.

He got to see what goes into caring for our kiwi, learn more about the work we do, and even meet our kiwi chick up close!

It’s safe to say Liam absolutely loved the experience, and we loved having him and his whānau along for the day.

We hope it’s a memory they’ll all treasure for a long time!