Ōrokonui Ecosanctuary
Ōrokonui Ecosanctuary
4.5
Monday
9:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Thursday
9:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Friday
9:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Saturday
9:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Sunday
9:30 AM - 4:30 PM
About
Our 307 hectare ecosanctuary is the only area of native forest in mainland South Island where indigenous plants and animals can live in the wild without threat from most introduced pests. It is home to some of New Zealand's most fascinating and rare forest wildlife such as Takahē, Kākā, Tūī, Kererū, Tuatara and much more. Our visitor's centre is home to a lovely cafeteria serving classic Kiwi food and coffee roasted on site. Sit by our large fireplace as you enjoy your meal! We are also proud to host weddings both within the ecosanctuary and the visitor's centre! Please get in touch if you are planning your special day!
Meets animal welfare guidelines
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listing
Tours & experiences
Explore different ways to experience this place.

Top ways to experience Ōrokonui Ecosanctuary and nearby attractions

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

We perform checks on reviews.
Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
Learn more about our review moderation.
4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles384 reviews
Excellent
300
Very good
65
Average
16
Poor
2
Terrible
1

j j
sydney30 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2023 • Couples
Very special place. We saw Takahe and chick, so lucky. This is for people who want to see special/ rare nature. The cafe was pretty special too small but really good and very welcome on a wet day.
Written 9 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Rebecca R
NZ8 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2024 • Family
One of the best places to visit in Dunedin. Its an absolute must for families. I was in awe of seeing a live tuatara and takahe. Staff were super friendly and just always an absolute pleasure to go here. Our kids are 5 and 9 and LOVED running around the paths, viewing all the amazing wildlife and making the most of mother nature at her finest.
Written 25 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Stephanie M
Sechelt, Canada430 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2023 • Couples
If you love nature and birds, and enjoy being surrounded by the tranquility of nature, then this is a place to visit. To walk the quiet pathways, listen to the bird songs, have opportunity to photograph the birds, and to be enveloped within the trees makes this a must do stop.
Written 7 January 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Blincs
Auckland, New Zealand149 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2023 • Couples
As a nature photographer I wanted to spend an afternoon at Orokonui so I could connect with nature and photograph some of the birds there. I wasn't disappointed and was able to photograph a few species that I hadn't seen or photographed before.
Positioning myself near a bird feeder was a good idea and another nature photographer/colleague gave me some excellent tips on how best to capture the birds, before they jumped on the feeder.
As well as photographing the birds, there's plenty of flora and nature plants to photograph as well, and as you walk around the sanctuary, you're getting some good exercise too.

A fabulous place to visit either on your own, with friends, family and school groups enjoy it as well.
Written 13 June 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Emma W
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2023
I love this place, and it keeps getting better every year as the predator-free populations continue to grow. On our most recent visit, we saw many birds - kaka, bellbirds, tui, robins, takahe. As we were driving out of the carpark, we saw what looked like a kakariki flying overhead, which was exciting.

The reptiles are my favourites, though - the majestic tuatara and the lovely grand and Otago skinks. So special to see them up close. I have only seen a jewelled gecko once at Orokonui, which was a real treat. It wasn't to be repeated on this occasion - perhaps next time.

The bush walks are great and birds will come close, especially when you're near the feeding stations.

Children are usually free with a paying adult during school holidays.

The gift shop is small but I was very pleased with my purchases - a quality stainless steel water bottle and an excellent book on NZ reptiles.
Written 18 May 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Mr Jones
Christchurch17 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2023 • Family
Really cool place to stop. Lovely bush walks, well maintained tracks and great seeing how well the birds are cared for.

Staff super friendly. It was school holidays and children had a discounted entry so I was amazed by the attention and generosity of the staff towards the kids.

The quality of food was a real surprise. There is obviously someone very skilled running that kitchen. A great last adventure if your leaving Dunedin and heading north out of town. Good to take the Port Chalmers road out of town, stop here and avoid the big hill.

Will be back!
Written 15 April 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Janice C
Austin, TX60 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2023 • Couples
Beautifully groomed trails in thick forests . Heard a lot of birds but saw only a few. Very nice facility.
Written 24 March 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Stella Duncan
Dumfries, UK19 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2023 • Friends
It was amazing to see so many native birds of New Zealand. We did the walk to the highest tree in new Zealand, it is quite steep on the way back up. I'd definitely recommend if you have time in Dunedin.
Written 14 March 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

mydnyght
Perth, Australia94 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2023
There was a good variety in the degree of fitness needed, but for a short afternoon and someone with a sore ankle there was a nice reasonable length walk to see the various lizards and also a wide variety of birdlife.

The feeding stations made perfect spots to stop and watch the squabbling tui and kakas for a bit. Walking through the bush was so reminiscent of my childhood camping on the West Coast, the bush was lush and the smell was amazing.

We stopped and had a bite to eat in the cafe afterwards, the service was good and the food came out fast and was good portion sizes.
Written 23 January 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

annO475RU
Vic, Australia11 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2023
My husband and I spent several hours visiting this sanctuary in early January 2023. We were able to see Takahe, definitely the highlight for me, as well as Kaka, and skinks, to name just a few.
We enjoyed a very refreshing walk in the NZ bush, so different to the dry Box/Ironbark forests near where we live in Australia.

Had great coffee and a delicious savoury scone in the cafe and purchased a delightfully illustrated children’s book from the shop.

Would definitely love to return to this sanctuary in the future.
Written 13 January 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Showing results 1-10 of 366
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing

ŌROKONUI ECOSANCTUARY: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

Frequently Asked Questions about Ōrokonui Ecosanctuary