On the way to Russell we stopped at Whangarei hoping to see some kiwi birds. We had learnt before our trip that kiwis were both rare and nocturnal and so the chance of us seeing any in their natural environment was going to be pretty slim. The Kiwi House at Whangarei keeps a few kiwis in captivity. They are held in a small, indoor enclosure surrounded by glass sides through which folk might see the kiwis. The room was dark, of course, to make the kiwis think it was night time and so encourage them to be up and about looking for food. In the gloom we could just about make out the shape of a kiwi moving about in the undergrowth.
Whilst in the area we also took the opportunity to visit the rather lovely Whangarei Falls.