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Review #3451 - Dated: 2nd of December, 2009
Author: craftmadhermit |
As a lover of wildlife and the bush, Mt Bruce was definitely a must-visit, and having been to Karori Wildlife Sanctuary last year, I was interested to see how this would compare. The well laid out paths were a lot more comfortable to walk along than Karori's (probably because there weren't so many hills!), and it was easy to find our way through the beautiful bush to the stops we wanted to make that were marked out on an easy-to-read map provided at the counter. The aviaries weren't exactly large but big enough I suppose for the birds living within them, and the birds in the enclosures seemed to be in a rather anti-sociable mood as barely any of them let us see them. But apparently it's breeding season, which could account for the lack of wildlife, and we were later told that September and January/February are usually the best months to visit to see a larger number of birdlife. Unfortunately, we didn't get the chance to get up to the lookout, which is about a 1-2 hour return trip (I think) due to lack of time, but there is still plenty to see even on the smaller tracks. Listening to the wild birds calling and singing as we walked provided a lot of entertainment as we tried to figure out what bird was making which call, while frantically searching the trees and skies for the owner of each call. We managed to spot a few... a morepork quietly sitting there watching as we walked past (now that was a really unexpected and rather pleasant surprise!), a couple of tuis, a pair of wood pigeons, and several cheeky Kaka! With kids in tow, we definitely had to check out the eel feeding, which for me was a bit blah... eels just don't catch my interest... but this was more than made up for by the Kaka feeding later in the day. Sitting on the benches at the side, 20+ Kakas calling and chattering away in the tree, you can't help but duck as they fly above you, some so close their wings almost clip your head. An amazing experience indeed, and one I would go to Mt Bruce for, time and time again, just for that. A great opportunity for some really great photography... close ups included.
Back at the entrance, you've got a cafe to take care of the munchies created by walking through the bush, although I will admit the prices were too steep for my liking. I think I'll take a picnic next time. There's a gift shop as well, and their incredible interactive gallery!! This has walls covered in snippets of information about native plant and wild life, and a bit of history. There's the interactive table map of the sancturary, which is a lot of fun to play with (it even senses where abouts you're standing!), a tree filled with insects, and a couple of fascinating digital displays that show just how much things have changed. This is one area that is a must to check out... see if you can find the little tuatara in his tank!
Mt Bruce wildlife center is a great place to go with or without the kids. Make sure you have most of the day, or at least all afternoon, as a mere couple of hours really doesn't do it justice, and the Kaka feeding is just too enjoyable to miss. They are apparently going through some big changes in the next few months, so I will definitely be going back again... and again, and again!!
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