Pukaha Mount Bruce

Pukaha is a remnant of the great forest that once covered this valley - about a thousand hectares left of it - combined with a national wildlife centre that has done a lot of the practical work of pulling species back from the edge. Captive breeding here has supported kiwi, kokako, kaka and takahe recovery, and the visitor side of it is a set of aviaries and a nocturnal kiwi house within bush walks that also hold free-flying kaka and released kokako. Manukura, a rare white kiwi - not albino but the result of a recessive gene from Little Barrier stock - hatched here in 2011 and became well known before her death in 2020. Feeding times for kaka and eels are the structure of a visit, and the longer loop climbs to a lookout. It sits directly on SH2, which makes it one of the easiest places in the lower North Island to actually see kiwi.

History

The forest was acquired by the government in the 1870s as part of the Seventy Mile Bush, and while most of that bush became farmland, the 942-hectare Mount Bruce block was kept as a forest reserve. Work on a centre to breed and release endangered native birds began in 1962, the first takahē arrived in 1963, the reserve opened on 27 March 1965, and in 2001 the whole forest became part of the wildlife reserve (Wikipedia, Pūkaha National Wildlife Centre).

What you'll find

• The kiwi house - nocturnal viewing, one of the reliable places to see one.
• The free-flying kaka - at the daily feed.
• The bush walks - loops through remnant forest to a lookout.
• The breeding programme - the work behind kokako and takahe recovery.

When to go

Any season. Time a visit to the kaka and eel feeds, which are the fixed points of the day. Weekday mornings are quiet.

Good to know

Ticketed. The kiwi house is dark and kiwi may be out of view - it is not guaranteed. Some birds are in aviaries rather than free, which disappoints people expecting a pure sanctuary. The longer walk is steep in places.

Nearby

Masterton and the Wairarapa wine country are south; Eketahuna is north.

Key facts