Location: Otorohanga
Top Things to do in Otorohanga
8 Things to do in Otorohanga That You Shouldn't Miss
Otorohanga is a north King Country town at the southern end of the Waikato region in the North Island of New Zealand. It is located 53 kilometres (33 mi) south of Hamilton and 18 kilometres (11 mi) north of Te Kuiti, on the Waipa River. It is a service town for the surrounding dairy-farming district. It is recognised as the "gateway" to the Waitomo Caves and as the "Kiwiana Town" of New Zealand. Until 2007, Otorohanga held a yearly 'Kiwiana Festival.'
Restaurants in Otorohanga
1. Kiwiana Leisure Park
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 20 reviews
Waikato's newest attraction nestled in New Zealand's Kiwiana capital, Otorohanga! Celebrating all that is 'Kiwi' a full 18 hole Kiwiana themed mini golf course is a perfect introduction and fun for all ages! World class batting cages compliment the park and visitor fun where you can try your hand at cricket, softball or baseball. There's even a pro drive golf range to enjoy as well as native bush and target paintball courses with paddock paintball coming soon! With large park like grounds ready for you to enjoy a picnic and barbecue available for hire this makes the perfect place for travellers, friends, family and corporate events to unwind, have fun and relax!
Reviewed By ashleymG7444ZV
We had an absolute blast on the mini golf course! 2 adults and 1 child and we all had so much fun. 10/10 would definitely recommend, best course i've ever played! The pricing was great, there was heaps of variety, definitely some challenges so it kept it interesting and the owners were absolutely lovely. You won't be disappointed!!
2. The Thirsty Weta
3. Aranui Cave
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 170 reviews
Reviewed By 29Kathie - Christchurch, New Zealand
Enjoyed our cave tour, very pretty inside, great tour guide, we did 2 caves including the glowworms boat tour
4. Waitomo Big Bird & Miniature Animal Petting Farm
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 32 reviews
Waitomo Big Birds (Ostrich & Emu & Giant Moa) and Miniature animals provide an hours petting experience for animal lovers with lots of photo opportunities with animals - miniature horses, donkeys, llama & alpacas, baby-doll & dwarf sheep, goats, miniature highland cows, mini-bulls, and small petting animals - mini-lop rabbits, tortoise, and mini-munchkin cats with kittens in season.
Reviewed By Traveler563763
Ann’s farm stay far exceeded our expectations and is a must see and do if you are planning a trip to Waitomo. My only regret is that we only stayed one night. The farm tour was a blast for both adults and kids. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many animals coexisting except when visiting a zoo! Ostriches, emus, donkeys, mini horses, guinea pigs, llamas, alpacas, Scottish highland cows, jersey cows, sheep, rams, kittens, a tortoise, goats, bulls, rabbits, and even a pig all integrated into one farm (and we mustn’t forget Betsy the dog, who would be highly offended if we didn’t note how much we loved her). We not only pet several of the animals but also had our 7 year old sit atop a few cows. It was really outrageous and awesome! My personal highlight was getting to collect ostrich eggs in the paddock and then enjoying a homemade ostrich egg omelet for breakfast. Please don’t stay anywhere else in Waitomo. This is the place if you enjoy animals and don’t mind a little dirt here and there!
5. Otorohanga i-SITE Visitor Information Centre
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 17 reviews
Information centre, agency for booking all attractions, accommodation and travel NZ wide. Souvenirs, stamps, mobile phone charging, water bottle filling. FREE WIFI
Reviewed By Philip1049 - Bath, United Kingdom
The iSITE is located adjacent to the library in Otorohanga. The staff responded to my questions with understanding and positive suggestions and advice. Thanks for helping us have a great time in NZ.
6. Ed Hillary Walkway
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 22 reviews
Reviewed By WaikatoSue - Te Awamutu, New Zealand
This gives so much information and is worth taking the time to walk along.Each display gives an insight into early NZ and the Kiwiana which makes it unique. There are displays on the All Blacks, ANZACs, Aunt Daisy - a real Kiwi legend!, the buzzy bee, Colin Meads our great rugby player, Marmite, pavlova, Team New Zealand and so much more.
7. Otorohanga Kiwi House & Native Bird Park
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 721 reviews
The Otorohanga Kiwi House and Native Bird Park is a great place to see NZ's iconic kiwi birds up close & active in special moonlit nocturnal enclosures. There are 20 kiwi on site involved in the captive breeding programme and 4 or more on display in the nocturnal enclosures. There's also a great range of other native New Zealand birds & reptiles. We are just 15 minutes from the world famous Waitomo Glowworm Caves and are owned and operated by a non-profit organisation dedicated to New Zealand conservation. Everything we earn is re-invested in the care of the animals and the operation of the park. Daily Keeper Talks: •10:30am kiwi •11:00am kea & kaka (native parrots) •12:00pm red-crowned kakariki (parakeets) • 1:30pm kiwi • 2:30pm NZ long fin eels • 3.30 pm kiwi The Otorohanga Kiwi House is open daily (except Christmas day) from 10.00 am - 4.00 pm (last admission 3.15pm). All tickets are valid for 2 days.
Reviewed By AlfaJudy - San Diego, United States
The Kiwi house has a very friendly, knowledgeable staff and a neat layout of areas to see birds, tuatara, geckos, frogs, eel, -- just a lot of things to notice in a nice environment. Our first visit (long time ago) was in the spring, with baby diving ducks - I'll forever remember how cute they were - most recent in fall in pouring rain. The staff is fantastic and you will see kiwis in the "night" kiwi area. One of my favorite memories of NZ!
8. Waitomo farm tours
WAITOMO FARM TOURS Run by entrepreneur Allan Barclay, Waitomo ATV Farm Tours is a new innovation offering something unique to the North King Country region of New Zealand. Allan's vision is to showcase some of the most spectacular scenery in the country in an escorted tour that combines beauty, culture and heritage in a way that not many get to experience.
