Napier’s Treasure
Sitting proudly along one of the most photographed stretches of coastline in New Zealand, and designed to reference the shape of a stingray, the National Aquarium of New Zealand is a relaxed, family-friendly attraction showcasing some of our country’s best endemic and native species.
For 50 years, this wonderful taonga (treasure) has been a key part of the Hawke’s Bay visitor experience, proving that you don’t need to be the largest or the loudest to create long-lasting memories. Instead, this is a place offering a carefully designed introduction to Aotearoa New Zealand’s native wildlife – somewhere you can observe colourful fish, handfeed penguins, see a kiwi using the nostrils at the end of its bill to find bugs and beetles, or watch the languid, deliberate movements of a tuatara. It’s all under one roof, with daily guided tours and friendly, welltrained staff on hand to ensure an enjoyable and educational experience for all.
Or visits, plural! Increasingly, visitors are choosing to take advantage of the Aquarium’s all-day ticket. Day-long admission for everyone means you can come and go as you please within opening hours. General Admission is perfect for late arrivals into Napier, as you will still be able to catch a daily penguin keeper talk and our diver stingray feeding, seen from inside the underwater tunnel, winding its way through a 1.5million litre Oceanarium, offering the best views. Reef fish, stingrays, snapper and kahawai drift overhead – you’re bound to meet some species you’ve never encountered before.
The kiwi enclosure is a particular highlight. It’s unusual to see New Zealand’s national bird in the wild, and most planned kiwi experiences in other parts of the country happen well after dark. But the National Aquarium of New Zealand’s nocturnal house is designed so visitors can witness kiwi active during the day. Another native highlight is Alfie the tuatara. At more than 40 years old, he is something of a local celebrity in his own right!
For those who have observed the antics of the Aquarium’s adorable penguins from afar, there are also opportunities to get up close to these delightful birds. Napier’s kōrora (little penguins) shot to international stardom when the Aquarium began sharing the antics of the best and most badly behaved penguins each month via its social media accounts.
Penguin Cove is the adopted habitat of many Little Penguins, who arrived at the Aquarium’s onsite rehabilitation centre for specialised care after being found injured or unwell in the wild. Due to the nature of their conditions, they now have a permanent home at the Aquarium.
Visitors can book a close encounter experience, learning all about this fun little penguin species before getting right into the enclosure to hand-feed them their lunch!
Other add-on activities at the Aquarium include the engaging Scales & Tails feeding tour (including crustaceans and seahorses) and a Terrapin Turtle close encounter, where loads of tiny turtles swim and swarm up for a fresh tasty morsel. The Aquarium’s café is a perfect pit stop for fresh baked goods daily, and the retail store stocks beautiful well-chosen gifts and mementos to stash in the suitcase for the return home.
For 50 years, the National Aquarium of New Zealand has been on a mission to help conserve and protect our native species. It’s a great excuse to celebrate, an even better reason to visit and should be a must-do on your Hawke’s Bay itinerary.
