New Zealand Wildlife and Nature: What to See, How to View It Responsibly and How to Stay Safe

Kiwi are active at night, and DOC and Save the Kiwi say daytime sightings are rare in the North Island. Many people encounter kiwi first as signs, such as three-toed footprints in mud, holes made by their long bills, or calls, which Save the Kiwi says happen throughout the year but more often in winter.

DOC says you have a higher chance of seeing a kiwi on a night walk at a predator-free ecosanctuary or on an offshore island. Save the Kiwi says the Stewart Island tokoeka is the only kiwi that is occasionally active in daylight, though no sighting is ever guaranteed. At Glory Cove Scenic Reserve on Stewart Island/Rakiura, DOC's page describes a kiwi protection area where visitors may see kiwi in the wild, with no camping allowed and a permit required between 6 pm and 6 am. Check DOC's page for current conditions. If you do hear or see a kiwi, keep your distance, keep dogs out of the area and follow DOC's site rules or your guide's instructions.

Three penguin species breed on the New Zealand mainland: the yellow-eyed penguin (hoiho), the Fiordland crested penguin (tawaki) and the little penguin (kororā). Nesting penguins are very easily disturbed.

Viewing rules are specific to each site, so follow the signs and DOC's current site page. At Bushy Beach near Oamaru, DOC's page asks visitors to keep off the beach between 3 pm and 9 am, to stay at least 20 metres from marine wildlife, and says no dogs are allowed. At Roaring Bay in the Catlins, DOC's page asks people not to go down to the beach after 3 pm and to watch from the purpose-built hide. DOC also says a scruffy penguin is usually moulting rather than sick, so leave it alone, and asks owners to keep dogs on a leash around penguin areas and away from nests.

Health New Zealand names three spiders worth avoiding: the katipō, the redback and the white-tailed spider. Katipō and redbacks are the only venomous spiders in New Zealand, only adult females can bite people, and bites are extremely rare. DOC research describes the katipō as a native coastal sand-dune spider, and Health New Zealand's risk assessment notes that redbacks in New Zealand are limited to Central Otago.

If you think you have been bitten by one of these, seek advice and follow Health New Zealand's current first-aid guidance. Health New Zealand advises calling the National Poisons Centre on 0800 764 766, or 111 in an emergency. Serious reactions are uncommon, but if symptoms get worse, seek medical care straight away.

Health New Zealand says the sandflies that bite do not carry infectious diseases and are not a public health risk. They are found near water and humid bush, such as beaches, lakes, rivers and swamps, and mostly bite at dawn and dusk. Bites itch and can swell, and visitors who have not met sandflies before may react more strongly than residents.

Health New Zealand advises covering up when you are not moving, particularly ankles and feet, and applying insect repellent regularly. Try not to scratch, because infection is more likely if the skin is broken.

Water below 15 degrees Celsius can trigger cold water shock, even in summer, according to Water Safety New Zealand. In the first one to three minutes you may gasp, breathe fast and panic, and within about ten minutes swimming or even floating becomes harder. The organisation recommends wearing a lifejacket when boating and checking the water temperature yourself, because a warm day is no guide. If you fall in, float on your back and control your breathing before you try to swim.

Lakes and rivers can be deceptively cold even when the air is warm, and rivers can rise quickly after rain. Look after your mates, and check local conditions before you go.

Health New Zealand says amoebic meningitis is rare but very serious, and that the amoeba can live in geothermal pools. The key precaution is to keep your face above the water at all times, because the amoeba can reach the brain if water is forced up the nose when you jump, dive, splash or duck under.

The resource says natural outdoor pools do not have to meet safety standards, and that the risk is highest where soil, or water running off soil, can easily enter the pool. Among the safest are pools that meet the national pool water quality standard or are chlorinated, filtered and have a constant flow of new water. If you are unsure, ask the operator or the local council how the water is treated.

GeoNet publishes Volcanic Alert Levels from 0 to 5. Levels 0 to 2 describe no unrest, minor unrest and moderate to heightened unrest, and levels 3 to 5 describe eruptions of increasing size. GeoNet states that an eruption may occur at any level and that levels do not always rise in order, so a low level is not a guarantee that a volcano is safe to visit.

Before visiting a volcano or a volcanic park, check the current alert level, follow DOC track closures and check for any local rāhui. Respect any rāhui, a temporary restriction on access to an area, and any DOC closure, even if you cannot see an obvious hazard.

MetService uses yellow Watches, orange Warnings and red Warnings. A Watch means severe weather is likely but not imminent or certain, so stay alert; an orange Warning means be prepared and take action; and a red Warning is reserved for the most extreme events and means act now. Check the forecast and warnings before and during a trip, and be willing to turn around.

The Mountain Safety Council recommends layers made from wool, fleece or polypropylene rather than cotton or denim, which lose warmth when wet. It also recommends a waterproof jacket, a warm hat and gloves even in summer, and an emergency shelter.