5 November 2025
An exciting new opportunity to meet little penguins / kororā – Ambassador Kororā Encounter – opened at the West Coast Wildlife Centre in Franz Josef last month. The West Coast Penguin Trust has been privileged to be connected to the ideas and plans for a penguin encounter opportunity here for a few years and were honoured to be at the official opening.
We’re delighted that our work is featured on a couple of panels at the new addition to the Wildlife Centre, a fixed panel and another that scrolls through some photos. Visitors are invited to make a donation for community conservation of penguins, kiwi and tuatara – the three species on display at the centre, promoting conservation of their relatives in the wild. Every year, donations will be shared between our trust and others working with kiwi and tuatara.
The ‘ambassador’ penguins are birds that would not have survived in the wild, generally due to injury. Here, they can live out their lives in comfort and be ambassadors for their species.
The event was opened by Paul Madgwick and other members of Te Rūnanga o Makaawhio with a Pōwhiri, followed by a speech by centre owner, Richard Benton, who, together with his wife Sherilee, have developed this wonderful new centre, benefitting penguins and the region. DOC Director Owen Kilgour added more conservation focus and noted the value of the work Richard and the West Coast Wildlife Centre have done for rowi and Haast tokoeka kiwi for many years and the strong partnership with DOC, welcoming the additions of penguins. Development West Coast CE, Heath Milne, welcomed the significant investment in tourism on the West Coast while giving conservation a priority, focus and stronger profile.
And West Coast – Tasman MP, Maureen Pugh, had the honour of welcoming the new attraction and then cutting the ribbon with Richard. She also emphasised the importance of conservation – of our native species and their habitat, which was great to hear.
Here’s a news story about the ambassador penguins: https://www.facebook.com/reel/654336360889403
And photos below are from the opening event, including speeches, ribbon cutting, our panels, the donation panel, the opening event plaque, the penguins of course, and even ice penguin sculptures to add to the occasion. In place of red carpet, there was blue carpet, and the staff wore blue bow ties. The blue of little blue penguin was celebrated everywhere!
Put a visit to the ambassador penguins and their wonderful new home on the to do list, for you, and your family and friends!
https://wildkiwi.co.nz/the-attraction/penguin
While materials were chosen that would stand up to the harsh coastal conditions, those same coastal conditions are conducive to plant growth! Occasional checks of the fences have been carried out by volunteers and rangers so that any maintenance needs can be identified and remedied. The never-ending need for maintenance is managing the vegetation that can grow through the fence, for example gorse, blackberry and hydrangea, pushing it to breaking point in places, or flop over causing damage from the weight of rank grass, rushes and weeds such as montbretia.
Volunteers recently spent a few hours tidying up the main fence along Woodpecker Bay north of Punakaiki so a big shout out to them - thank you Fiona, Jony, Reef, Katrina, Mandy, Marty, Teresa and Deb! Flax had been pressing down on the fence, but now the fence has been freed up by these wonderful volunteers - and they picked up a fair bit of rubbish too.
Volunteer Natassja Savidge has offered to check and help maintain the Hokitika penguin protection fence and joined Ranger Lucy Waller and Manager Inger Perkins in May to inspect the length of the fence. Some minor issues were found but the main finding was the extent of the vegetation growth that was damaging the fence in places. Big thanks to Natassja!
