Beaks & Feathers Guided Walks – Stewart Island Wildlife & Kiwi Spotting Tours
Stewart Island Guided Walks & Kiwi Spotting Tours - Beaks and Feathers
Beaks & Feathers guided walks offer one of the best ways to discover the wildlife and birdlife of Stewart Island and nearby Ulva Island. Join experienced local guides to explore native forests, learn about conservation efforts, and encounter some of New Zealand’s most remarkable bird species.
Explore Stewart Island & Ulva Island with Expert Wildlife Guides
Welcome to Beaks and Feathers Guided Walks on Stewart Island!
Welcome to Beaks & Feathers Guided Walks on Stewart Island, where experienced local guides help visitors discover the island’s extraordinary wildlife and natural beauty. These small-group tours explore some of the most remarkable ecosystems in Rakiura / Stewart Island, from ancient podocarp forests to the famous bird sanctuary of Ulva Island.
A highlight of many tours is a visit to Ulva Island, a predator-free sanctuary where native birdlife thrives. Here visitors can encounter species such as saddlebacks, yellowheads, Stewart Island robins and other native birds while walking through lush coastal forest and learning about the conservation work protecting these fragile ecosystems.
For those hoping to see New Zealand’s iconic bird, Beaks & Feathers also offers kiwi spotting tours on Stewart Island. These evening excursions give visitors the rare opportunity to search for the Stewart Island kiwi (Rakiura Tokoeka) in its natural habitat while learning about the island’s ongoing wildlife protection programmes.
Whether you choose a daytime Ulva Island guided walk or a night-time kiwi spotting experience, Beaks & Feathers tours provide an engaging way to explore the wildlife, landscapes and unique natural heritage of Stewart Island.
Beaks & Feathers Guided Walk Options On Stewart Island:
Beaks & Feathers offers a range of small-group guided walks and wildlife tours on Stewart Island, giving visitors the opportunity to explore native forests, coastal landscapes and predator-free bird sanctuaries. Tours focus on birdlife, conservation and the unique ecosystems of Rakiura / Stewart Island, with options ranging from Ulva Island day walks to evening kiwi spotting tours.
Beaks & Feathers - Ulva Island Guided Walk (Year Round)
Times: 8.45 am to 12.15 pm; and 1pm – 4.30pm
Price: $175 pp ($95 12 years & under). Includes water taxi.
Small Groups: 2 – 8 people
Explore Ulva Island (Te Wharawhara), one of New Zealand’s most famous predator-free bird sanctuaries. This guided walk takes visitors through native forest dominated by rimu, southern rātā and kāmahi, where rare birdlife thrives.
Your guide shares the history of Ulva Island, once used by Ngāi Tahu Māori for food gathering, and explains the conservation work that has helped restore this 267-hectare sanctuary. Today Ulva Island is home to abundant native birds and offers some of the best birdwatching experiences in New Zealand.
Bird Watching Tours - Exploring Ulva Island by Land and Sea (Year Round)
Times: 3.5 – 4hrs (Weather dependent)
Price: $300 per person (2 person minimum); $165 (12 years old & under)
Small Groups: 2 – 8 people
(*departure time can be changed to suit)
This extended Ulva Island wildlife tour combines a guided forest walk with a scenic boat journey around the island.
Arrive early in the morning to experience Ulva Island at its most active, when birdlife is easiest to observe. After the guided walk, your tour continues with a one-hour water taxi cruise around the island, offering a different perspective of the coastline and surrounding marine environment.
Kiwi Spotting Evening Tour - Beaks & Feathers
Times: Tours leave approximately 30 minutes after dark so times vary during the year. Weather dependant
Price: $130 per person ; $95 (12 years old & under)
Small Groups: 2 – 8 people (99% chance of spotting Kiwi’s)
Stewart Island is one of the best places in New Zealand to see kiwi in the wild.
Join Beaks & Feathers for a guided evening walk to search for the Stewart Island kiwi (Rakiura Tokoeka) in its natural habitat. Your guide leads you quietly through coastal forest and open areas where kiwi emerge at night to feed.
With expert local knowledge and access to prime habitats, this tour offers an excellent opportunity to experience Stewart Island kiwi spotting while learning about conservation efforts protecting New Zealand’s national bird.
Stewart Island Walks - Port William and Maori Beach Guided Walk
Times: 4 – 5hrs
Price: $290 pp $150 (12 years & under). Includes water taxi.
This scenic guided walk explores one of the most beautiful coastal tracks on Stewart Island.
Travel by water taxi to Port William, once the site of an early Māori settlement and later a sawmilling community in the early 1900s. From here the walk continues through native forest and along the coast toward Māori Beach and Lee Bay.
Along the way visitors may see a variety of seabirds including sooty shearwaters, shags, Buller’s albatross, Cape pigeons and little blue penguins, while the surrounding forest is home to species such as kākā, tūī, bellbirds, fantails and parakeets.
Phone: 027 316 3077 Email: [email protected]
Visit our Website: www.beaksandfeathers.co.nz/
Visitor FAQs – Beaks & Feathers Guided Walks
Beaks & Feathers offers a range of guided walks on Stewart Island including Ulva Island guided walks, birdwatching tours, kiwi spotting evening tours and scenic coastal walks. Each tour focuses on the island’s unique wildlife, native forests and conservation stories.
Stewart Island offers excellent birdwatching throughout the year. Native birds such as kākā, weka and robins are commonly seen during daytime tours, while kiwi spotting tours take place after dark, when the Stewart Island kiwi (Rakiura tokoeka) becomes active.
You can book a Beaks & Feathers tour online or contact the guides directly to reserve your preferred date. Tours operate in small groups, so booking in advance is recommended, especially during the summer season.
Yes. Beaks & Feathers offers guided walks suitable for different fitness levels, from relaxed nature walks on Ulva Island to longer coastal walks across Stewart Island’s forests and bays.
Ulva Island is a predator-free bird sanctuary located in Paterson Inlet near Stewart Island. Because introduced predators have been removed, native birds such as saddlebacks, yellowheads, robins and weka thrive there, making it one of the best places in New Zealand to see native birdlife up close.