Date: Saturday 26 November
Venue: Hilights Restaurant, Distinction Luxmore
Time: 6.30pm
Cost: $54 per person for buffet meal (buy your own drinks)
Date: Saturday 26 November
Time: 2pm
Cost: $25 includes sanctuary donation and return transportation
Description: Take a peek at some of Fiordland’s special birds that are difficult to see in the wild - Takahe, Kaka, Antipode Island parakeets, ruru koukou and more. The abundance of birdlife makes Punanga Manu o Te Anau the perfect place for practicing wildlife photography. If you can’t see many birds during your visit, look out for kārearea, the beautiful and rare native falcon who may be paying the sanctuary residents an unwelcome visit. The birds held in aviaries here have either been injured and cannot survive in the wild, or they are involved in captive rearing programmes. The injured birds are rehabilitated and if possible, released back into the wild.
Registration via the conference is now closed. If you are interested in joining the tour, you can book with the provider directly. This will be subject to their normal pricing: https://www.realnz.com/en/experiences/glowworm-caves/te-anau-glowworm-caves/
Date: Saturday 26 November
Time: 2pm
Meeting place: RealNZ Visitor Centre, 85 Lakefront Drive, Te Anau
Cost: $90
What’s included: Scenic cruise across Lake Te Anau; Guided tour of the caves by path and by small boat; Complimentary tea and coffee
Description: Experience a mysterious underground world with a guided cave tour past the rushing water of an underground stream before drifting in silent darkness beneath the luminous shimmer of hundreds of glowworms. Your trip to the Te Anau Glowworm Caves begins with a cruise to the western shores of Lake Te Anau on one of our purpose-built scenic cruise vessels. At the entry to the caves at Cavern House, view the informative displays and learn about this geological wonder before you join your guide underground. On the tour of the caves, our friendly guides will point out the highlights and share their knowledge of the caves and its history. This underground world is astonishingly beautiful. By geological standards, the caves are very young (12,000 years) and are still being carved out by the force of the river that flows through them. The result is a twisting network of limestone passages filled with sculpted rock, whirlpools and a roaring underground waterfall. Deep inside the caves, beyond the roar of the water, you will be taken by small boat into a silent hidden grotto inhabited by hundreds of glowworms, unique to New Zealand. In the subterranean darkness, they produce a glittering display that is nothing short of extraordinary.
What to bring: Non-slip shoes/boots, waterproof jacket, warm sweater/fleece jacket
(It’s always cold in the cave 8 - 12ºC), sunscreen/ sunglasses, insect
repellent, camera and personal medication (including for asthma and
allergies).
Please Note: Photography and video filming are NOT permitted inside the cave. Some bending is required at the cave entrance and steps are involved.