A Magical Night on the Water
A fantastic tour that I would highly recommend. Peter and Conrad provided clear instructions and shared their knowledge with genuine enthusiasm, making the experience both enjoyable and informative. It was a pleasure to be guided by people who truly love what they do. The evening was memorable, with the incredible opportunity to witness bioluminescence firsthand. Being out on the water on a calm, clear night was also wonderfully relaxing.
Thank you for such a beautifully written review—“a magical night on the water” captures it perfectly.We’re stoked you had the chance to experience the bioluminescence in calm, clear conditions—that combination really makes the whole evening feel something special. "Paul" and Conrad will be thrilled to hear your kind words; they genuinely love sharing this environment and it shows in how they guide.Appreciate the recommendation, and we hope to have you back out on the water again soon.
Rubez2026.03.17
Caleb was great, this guy was knowledgeable, polite and jumps on kiwis like Dundee. Kid needs a pay rise and highly recommend him to others booking tourers, hope he gets to lead more tours for the business in the future.
This is a pretty awesome review Rubez, it literally made Caleb’s day. Thanks for choosing SNM and our kiwi tour, appreciate your time and review!
J. Baker2026.03.16
Well worth doing this and if you are looking for an experience with a difference, this is vey well run, perfectly safe, and you will have a most enjoyable time. Partnered up in safe and solid 2-man canoes, no experience is necessary and the wonder of seeing the tiny dots of light, the phosphorescence, awe-inspiring. It is something very different to be able to tell the folks back home too.
KeeeeWeeee
Honestly my highlight of my entire Neu Zealand tour. We saw 7 kiwi birds they were so cute. The equipment and red lights were great. The clouds opened so we got a good astronomy lesson too. If I could repeat any holiday again it would be this one in this country and i'd choose the SNM team especially if I could have hansom Chris i'd marry his brain, his wealth of knowledge, intuitive approaches and calm demeanor with our group. Best tour guide i've met in my time too 10 stars **********
Thank you for such an incredible review — reading this absolutely made our day. Seeing seven wild kiwi in one night is a rare and special encounter, so we’re thrilled you experienced that magic at Tāwharanui. When the clouds part and the stars appear, it really does feel like the whole night comes alive.Your generous words about the guiding mean a lot to our team. Sharing these moments in the wild with curious, enthusiastic guests like you is exactly why we do what we do. If your travels ever bring you back to Aotearoa, we’d love to take you on another adventure under the night sky.
Keri L2026.03.12
Verified
Magical Nature in the City
A fun adventure in the middle of Auckland. Caleb was very knowledgeable and patient with everyone. My son and I enjoyed the waterfall and the adventure to it.
Thank you, Keri. We’re delighted you and your son enjoyed the adventure and discovering such a special pocket of nature right in the heart of Auckland. Caleb will be pleased to hear your kind words. The waterfall and glowworms really do make it feel magical. We hope to welcome you both back again soon
Marie-Christine G2026.03.11
Verified
No stargazing at all
This advert gave me the impresssion that we were on a stargazing tour. No. We are on a kiwi spotting tour. Which was OK but not expected at all. My hosts at my accommodation gave me a red torch to use and that is all we did was walk and kiwi spot. We saw 3 separate ones which was great and our guide was very knowledgeable and good. But this is NOT anything to do with stars.
Thank you for your feedback and for the kind words about the kiwi sightings and the guide’s knowledge — we’re really pleased you were able to see three wild kiwi, which is always a special experience.For clarity, this experience is a kiwi spotting tour, and we do not advertise it as a stargazing tour on our official listings. We also cannot see a booking under your name through our system or via Viator, so it’s possible the description you saw came from a third-party source or accommodation provider.We do appreciate you highlighting the aspects you enjoyed, and we’re glad the kiwi encounters and guiding still made the evening worthwhile
goonz22026.03.09
Verified
A very unique, memorable and comforting experience.
All necessary instructions are clear and simple. The instructors were very knowledgeable, helpful, friendly and passionate about the environment. They were very fit, fun and careful. The experience is absolutely incredible. This is one experience where you have to be there and do it to understand the fascination. It is money well spent and an experience to treasure. I highly recommend it whether you are with somone or alone.
Thank you for such a thoughtful review. We’re delighted you found the experience unique, memorable, and worth it. Our guides love sharing the magic of the glowing water and the night environment, so it’s wonderful to hear their knowledge and passion made a difference. We’re glad you joined us for this special adventure.
jcnz20252026.03.08
Verified
Yes Kiwis are real!
Fantastic tour. A small group, all the correct equipment provided. The guide was a total Legend and he knew where to find the Kiwi and was filled to the brim with knowledge.
Thank you for the fantastic review. We’re delighted you had such a memorable evening at Tāwharanui and that the small group and equipment helped make the experience comfortable. Legend will be very pleased to hear his knowledge and enthusiasm made an impact. Seeing wild kiwi is always special, and we’re glad you were able to witness it firsthand. We hope to welcome you again
EM emagine2026.03.06
It was amazing to see glowing algae!! And the tour guides were great
City Glow Worms!
This was an unexpected treat in Auckland Domain Park. Millie was our guide & did a great job of explaining the glow worms and pointing them out. It was very exciting to see so many of them under the bridge by the waterfall.
Thank you for the lovely review. We’re so pleased you enjoyed discovering the glowworms hidden right in the heart of Auckland Domain — it really is an unexpected little pocket of nature in the city.Millie will be delighted to hear your kind words. She loves sharing the story of these fascinating creatures and helping guests spot them along the stream and under the waterfall bridge.We’re glad you were able to see so many glowing — it’s always a special moment. Hope to welcome you back on another adventure soon.
Michael Linscott2026.03.03
We did the kayak over to Browns Island and it was ok. There were four of us guests (my wife and I and two other people put into two double kayaks) and the two guides in their single kayaks.
With only two guest kayaks and two guides we really hoped for some interaction. Instead this tour is more of a "keep you safe" kayak tour. It really just felt like we rented the kayaks and they were tagging along to make sure we were safe.
We are in good shape and decent paddlers, but for the 45 minutes each way to the island, we were 20 to 50 meters behind the other guests and the guides and probably spent 5 minutes talking with the guides. After the safety introduction there was limited interaction with the guides. We don't need constant communication but we were basically on our own. For most of the kayak over the leader was on his phone.
The island was interesting but again, very little communication or information. Our guide hiked well ahead of the four of us guests for most of the 1 mile walk. And at the half-way point we were "ahead of schedule" so we just had to sit for 20 minutes so we wouldn't be "early" back to the kayaks. We couldn't explore or even just finish early, we just sat there for 20 minutes.
And it obviously isn't required, or in the description, but a 3 hour tour, with no provided snacks, water or sunscreen. Again it felt like we were on our own and they were just safety guides.
If this is what you want from your kayak to Browns island tour, great. We were just expecting more from a highly rated tour group.
Hi Michael,
Thank you for taking the time to share such detailed feedback. We’re genuinely sorry the experience didn’t meet your expectations. While safety is always a core part of our operation, our intention is absolutely to provide an engaging, informative and interactive journey, but each guide differs in their approach. It’s clear this one fell short in delivering that connection and interpretation on your tour that you were looking for. One of the team members was completing an assessment component during this trip, but that should never reduce guest engagement. For future clarity, we do provide a recommended gear list (including water and snacks), but we understand how small inclusions can influence overall experience perception. We appreciate your honesty. Feedback like this helps us refine both delivery and communication so expectations align with the experience offered.
Wishing you safe travels onward.
john salter2026.03.03
We’ve waited 25 years to see kiwi in the wild and tonight we came up close with 10!
Chris, our guide, even took the time to take us through the stars of the southern hemisphere.
Just a brilliant evening. Could not rate it more highly.
Good man, John. Appreciate you taking the time to write us a review, Chris will be very grateful. So happy you saw 10 kiwi birds and got an astronomical experience too.
Departure499459944322026.03.03
Verified
An exceptional and unique experience
Just a fantastic evening. We’ve waited 25 years to see a wild kiwi and we see 10- yes 10 in one evening. Our brilliant guide even had the time to take us through the stars of the southern hemisphere. Could not rate this 2 hours more highly.
Thank you for such a wonderful review. Seeing a kiwi in the wild is always special, but spotting ten in one evening is truly extraordinary. We’re so glad the night delivered after such a long wait, and that the stargazing added to the experience. It means a lot to hear you enjoyed the evening with us.
Auckland Glow Worm Tour
My wife and I did the tour at 10 pm. The guide, Millie, was just awesome. She was knowledgeable about the area and the glow worms. It was very relaxed and informative. We saw plenty of glow worms in their natural state with was cool. If you are in Auckland and do not want to drive hours to see the glow worm caves, I highly recommend this tour.
Thank you so much for joining our 10pm tour and for taking the time to share this. We’re thrilled you both had such a relaxed and informative evening with Millie — we’ll be sure to pass on your kind words to her.It’s always special showing guests that you don’t need to drive hours to experience glowworms in their natural habitat. So glad you saw plenty and enjoyed it together. Hope to welcome you back sometime!
Lisa Carlson2026.03.01
What a lovely tour, one hour, in a gorgeous natural setting. Our guide, Millie, was friendly, knowledgeable, and made sure we saw the best colletion of gloworms. My iphone photo doesn't do it justice. It's a great alternative to the gloworm boat tour which is 3 hours from Auckland. Thanks again!
Beautiful, thanks Lisa, we love people that appreciate what we do and how we do it. Thanks for joining the SNM Auckland Glowworm Tour, we wish to see you back on another tour :-)
Maps279040298142026.02.27
Verified
Glowworms right in Auckland!
The Auckland glowworm tour was wonderful! I didn’t know what to expect, but I was very surprised that you could see so many glowworms right in the heart of downtown Auckland. I was also presently surprised when we were given information on New Zealand’s rich history, and provided headlamps as we explored the trail at night. I’d recommend this to anyone visiting that wants a sweet introduction to New Zealand’s culture and beautiful nature.
Thank you for such a thoughtful review! We love seeing guests’ reactions when they realise glowworms are hiding in plain sight right in central Auckland — it really is one of the city’s best-kept secrets. It’s great to hear the storytelling, cultural insights, and headlamp night walk added to the experience for you. Creating a gentle, authentic first connection with New Zealand’s nature and history is exactly what we aim for. We truly appreciate the recommendation
Janie Hull2026.02.24
Our tour guide, Legend was very knowledgeable and personable. The tour was a lot of fun and educational. We saw two Kiwi.
Thank you so much for your wonderful review, Emily!We’re thrilled you had such a special night at Tāwharanui and that Legend could share those unforgettable kiwi encounters with you — including the little 3-week-old chick, which is always a rare and magical moment.It means a lot to hear you’d call it a must-see in NZ. We hope to welcome you back for another nocturnal adventure in the future!
Kevin Blakeman2026.02.22
We had a great night on the kayak tour looking at all the bio!
Once we found the spot it was amazing to see and then to also have a great opportunity to star gaze.
Highly recommended
Verified
