While it was great to have the opportunity to see a kiwi, I felt that the experience can be more interactive than just observing the bird in a near pitch black room with views that were often obstructed. There were also a number of native birds on display but the ducks were the most abundant and interactive.

The Kiwi House was an interesting stop, and we were lucky enough to see a Kiwi up close, which was a special moment! However, there are major renovations going on at the moment, and many areas are closed or under construction. Considering the current state of the facility, the entry price felt a bit high for what’s available. Hopefully it’ll be great once the upgrades are finished!

We've had a great experience here today and got lucky to see one of the 2 kiwi's they have and we have listened to a very informative talk about kiwi's. The tickets are valid for 2 days and allow multiple entries. If you really want to see kiwi's and other interesting birds and reptiles, I do recommend this place.

We visited on Friday 14/11 for about 4 hours. We really enjoyed our experience here - there’s lots of native birds and other animals to see as well as the kiwis. We particularly enjoyed the eel talk and feeding as well as seeing the various geckos and tuataras. We also went to the parakeet and kiwi talks which we found interesting and informative. We were able to see both kiwis in the nocturnal houses over the course of the day, we spent a while in there each time we visited and if you’re patient you can spot them. It’s was really special to see the kiwi and watch them foraging. The entry price was reasonable as it covers two days’ entry. Sadly we were only here for today but it’s a great stop to make if you want to see some native species and learn more about them. The staff were also very friendly and helpful! We were made to feel welcome and had the opportunity to ask questions during the talks.

I spent about an hour and half here. I was lucky enough to see one Kiwi in the first enclosure after waiting and looking for about 30 minutes. I was unable to see the other kiwi in the other enclosure waiting for 15 minutes. Still nice seeing one out of the two that are currently in house. Staff was very friendly and I stayed for the Kiwi talk which was informative.

We had a very enjoyable 4 hours here. The main highlight being the two kiwis in the nocturnal houses. They are so cute. Managed to see both several times - for all the people complaining about not seeing them, maybe just spend longer adjusting your eyes to the dark and have some patience! Lots of other cool native birds in different sections , and good to see geckos, skinks, eels and tuatara. The staff were super friendly and passionate and I would recommend going to the hourly talks in the different areas to learn more about what you are seeing.

Not happy with the visit. Driving from north to New Plymouth we stopped here on a whim—three of us, NZ $70 total—and left after barely 10 minutes. All the kiwis were asleep (of course they’re nocturnal), so we literally saw nothing. No talks, no scheduled feedings, no interactive exhibits—just dark enclosures and silence. Felt like paying for an empty room. No playground and fun stuff for kids also. Staff are friendly and professional.

Very nice tour of the caves and intro to the worms. Boat ride was shorter than expected. The Waitomo Bush Walk next door was all worth it tho.

Amazing Ruakuri Cave Tour with Gareth! The Ruakuri Cave tour was an unforgettable experience! The stunning limestone formations and glowworms were mesmerizing. Our guide, Gareth, was exceptional—knowledgeable, friendly, and passionate. His storytelling brought the cave’s history to life, making the tour both informative and fun. The cave is well set up for visitors, and Gareth ensured we had a great time from start to finish. If you're in New Zealand, this tour is a must, and Gareth is the guide to ask for!

This cave is much more peaceful and beautiful than Waitomo and Ruakuri caves thanks to no flowing River (so no glowworms) and different coloured limestone. There are less tourists in this cave too, only 3 couples on my tour. The tour guide Dave was really interesting and had a really kind nature about him. Highly recommend doing all 3 caves, they all have something to offer.

Wonderful and spectacular caves! Worth the visit. The entry and exit points are same. It's about 2 km from Waitamo caves. Photo shoot is allowed inside the caves.

The cave is smallest cave compare to other two caves but the stalegmites and stalegatites are the biggest out of all three. The walk to the cave is beautiful and it takes about 45 minutes for the entire tour.

Quite a short tour. My 2nd favourite cave of the 3 cave tour. Had a great tour guide who actually grew up in the caves.

My Favourite of the cave tours in Waitomo. A lot of small stalagtites to see and there were also Cave Weta at the entrance. There is also a great walk through the bushland around this cave and you can really get go appreciate the land here.

Good lunch spot with indoor and outdoor seating. I had the friend chicken burger and my husband had the sticky chicken. Both were tasty. We were looking forward to the fried chicken baos (per other reviews), but were told those were taken off the menu a few weeks before.

Just called in here for lunch... Best Eggs-Bennedict 👌 Crispy potato rosti, crispy but not fragile bacon, beautiful. And the Bao buns with pork belly, Devine.

Had dinner here on a Friday night. It was very busy but staff went out of their way to make sure we had a table and a heater(!) and were just lovely. After that, I would have been satisfied with average food but the food was amazing as well! I had the lamb shank and it was incredible and my partner has the fish and chips which were delicious too Highly recommend!

Wow – what an amazing experience at The Thirsty Weta! I had a group of 52 people and they made everything super easy from start to finish. The chef Dheeraj & the managers worked with me to put together a customised buffet menu that suited both the kids and adults, and it was spot on! The food was fresh, hot, and absolutely delicious – butter chicken, loaded fries, fish n chips, steak, chicken nibbles, salad, pork skin chips, and those brownies… just divine. My group couldn’t stop talking about how good it all was. The staff went the extra mile for us – they let us have the whole restaurant to ourselves and even stayed open late when we ran behind schedule. Honestly, they catered to everything we needed. Highly recommend The Thirsty Weta – amazing food, amazing people, amazing service. We’ll definitely be back. Huge thank you to the awesome team on 22 Aug 2025, for such an unforgettable night!

We went here for dinner and were blown away by how great the food and service were! We got the Chicken Bao Buns, the Scotch Steak, and the Alfredo without bacon, and they were all amazing! The Chicken Bao Buns were tasty with beautiful plating. The Scotch steak was seasoned to perfection, but the unexpected star was the Alfredo dish. The staff were all extremely friendly and the ambiance was very nice. We sat indoors, though they have a very nice outdoor section. We just chose to sit inside as it was quite sunny and I burn easily. My Wife also got the Non Alcoholic Mango Delight and Loved it so much that she got another within minutes. Myself, I got the Speights Gold Medal Ale 🍺 and then I tried the Crushed Apple Cider, which was not only amazing, but it was clear, which I thought was pretty cool. I would recommend this restaurant to anyone who Loves great drinks, amazing food, and friendly service.

Ordered the beef and bacon burger, I think it was called Hereford beef,the burger was dry and tasteless.. the bacon was nice but with the cheese that was cooked on top of the bacon took most of the taste away. Had a whole 1 slice of tomato and maybe 3 rings of onion. The rest was greens/salad leaf. The chips were hot but had odd ones that weren’t cooked through. Dessert I had milk chocolate pudding with butterscotch sauce. That was nice Then I was upset when mate said how was the milk chocolate? And I realised that I couldn’t taste it or if it had any. It was more a steamed pudding. But it sat heavy in the tummy for about 2 hours. Maybe it was an off day by the cook and he cooked burger for to long. This is my honest appraisal of the food I ordered

We got in late after doing the Caves and had the bar menu. Their food was AMAZING and the chef was super accommodating as we had someone in our party that had a few additional requests. The butter chicken pizza was hands down one of the best things I ate the entire holiday! We had the Milky Bar Pudding after which was absolutely incredible! 10,000% would stop here to experience their full menu if I was able to!

We visited the farm as a couple and had the most amazing experience! The owners were incredibly friendly and welcoming, and the first to greet us was the sweetest cat — unbelievably affectionate! They showed us around and introduced us to all their animals: dogs, cows, a bull, chickens, French sheep, ostriches, alpacas, horses, and even a pig. We took tons of photos and left with huge smiles on our faces. It was exactly what we needed to finish off our weekend — peaceful, joyful, and full of warm memories. Thank you, Alex and Yara

A great option for those travelling to Waitomo. Central location and the kids loved their farm stay experience, including the daily farm tour. Ann and Ross are great host, recommend for those looking for an authentic kiwi farmstay experience.

Recommend if you love animals! One of the best experiences during my trip in NZ. Rural environment, the room was old but clean. The owner Ann, is very helpful and pleasant, you can book the room directly through their website. We enjoyed the farm tour (at 4pm after checking in, she introduced all her 'kids' to us), and handmade breakfast.

An amazing place to stay!!! Ann and her husband are so welcoming and hospitable. The rooms and house have a classic country farmhouse feel, and if you love cats you will love staying in the main house rooms. We did the animal tour and it was amazing to see the variety of animals they have and how they care for them. They also all have hilarious names. My highlight was the litter of munchkin kittens that absolutely stole my heart. This place is such a unique experience and I highly recommend coming here for a tour and if you can, stay the night. Ann provides a breakfast spread in the morning with homemade bread and it is all lovingly made.

We had a great stay at Ann´s and Ross´s. We drove by the farm and decided to stop when we saw all the animals. After the lovely visit of the farm with Ann we decided to stay one night. The breakfast was great, we had a delicious omelett with ostrich egg and we loved it to be surounded by the all the cute cats. Ann and Ross are great, we felt at home. We definitely recomment this place if you look for an authentic experience :)

Hired a Chatel for $125 p/n, stayed one night. Constant hum from power station across the road and SH3 can be heard as close proximity to residence. People very friendly. 3 beds available, portacot optional. Needs a revamp and overall clean of property. Spider webs visible on curtains and flooring. Resident dogs roaming the property and kept out using make shift barriers. Petting farm has assortment of animals from ostriches to emus. One emu tried to attack my 3 year old and 3 month old baby. Rooms need a overhaul and updates but the old couple was very nice. Breakfast isn't served at 7am as this is too early. Instead the option was to be given food to self prepare in the morning. Check in is after 3pm and I checked out at 9am.

Awesome! An authentic bnb where you actually meet your hosts and get to chat and also get an amazing breakfast including ostrich omelettes! The hosts are such genuine people, sharing their home and farm with guests ... there is even a farm tour where you get to meet the fantastic friendly farm animals. Truly living the dream! Lovely accommodation that can fit any size group. If you are into animals, staying here is really the best. Not only are there farm animals but also super-friendly cats and dogs. It's also really convenient of you want to look around the area. The hosts are extremely knowledgeable about the local area and are dedicated to the conservation of the area too. This really is a great old-school kiwi farm experience that is a special place for locals wanting a weekend away, or for any overseas tourists who would like a taste of genuine NZ hospitality. One day I would love to have this lifestyle, in the meantime, I will be back to visit again :)

We loved coming here so much! The staff were friendly, and the kids enjoyed the stop, and the mini golf course was well kept. 1 of the most challenging mini golf courses, which we actually appreciated, and 1 of the prettiest.

Beautiful mini golf. 18 holes. Very kind staff. We really enjoyed the game

Really cool 18 hole mini golf, whole family had lots of fun!

A fun little course. One hole was probably impossible (jandals shown in pics) but otherwise what you'd expect.

A number of things to do, lots of unique mini golf holes,

3 adults, 2 children (6 & 13yrs) on 28 Dec 2014 had a fantastic experience. The course was difficult overall but great fun with holes depicting many great spots from all around NZ. I recommend this as a great family outing, social event or work event outing for everyone regardless of age or sporting ability. All you need is the desire to have a great time and you will thoroughly enjoy yourself.

What a wonderful place. Great mini golf course plus driving range and paintball. We had a great time and the hosts were so lovely. Personal introduction to the turtles too. Will be back.

Staff helpfull, but they dont keep themselves updated with information on NZ or local areas

Great place with lots of information. We were served by a very friendly woman who provided us with a lot of good ideas plus maps and other recommendations. All in all a great visit for our stay in the area.

Where would we be without these friendly happy people? Thankyou Vanessa for your time and patience helping me find out about Te Awamutu and otorohanga anzac parades

Thanks for your helping, help us to book a shuttle bus(taxi), let us have a good trip! Thanks for your time! We really appreciate it!

Very helpful and very positive vibes

Absolutely fantastic service. Friendly and so helpful. Nothing is a problem.

Friendly staff