national aquarium

TimA1976

All the kids had a great time, they were all kept very busy, the diver was very entertaining.Thanks Brenda for your help with organising the party.SarahNapier

Ab_2926

For an aquarium I was disappoint, after paying $20 dollars each what was there to see? A few penguins who were too shy to come out and the Sharks being fed.. We expected more. Save this poor place.

TurtzNZ

Went when I was a kid many many years ago. Was not as good as I remembered or expected as our national aquarium. Was under the impression it had been done up a few years back, but I'n my humble opinion it could do with a spruce up and more displays of marine life.

PhantomScot

For a "National" aquarium this was poor, the sea tank was small and on one level unlike other aquariums elsewhere in the world. Other exhibits were not inspiring either. At NZ$20 to get in it is not expensive by NZ standards but does not stand up in the world market. Fine to pass some time but do not expect to be blown away by it.

211jessb

I don't like to write bad reviews but I found this aquarium very concerning. We visited Napier as part of a cruise and were part of a large group of people that came through the aquarium that day. Tanks were dirty and had not been cleaned and aquarium was full of small tanks that had to many fish in them. I was extremely upset to see a beautiful turtle in a tank far to small for him. Was very excited to see a Kiwi in real life.

kristinbaylis

The National Aquarium in Napier is fantastic for the kids to visit. They have penguins, live kiwis to view, an octopus and more. The only downside i feel is some of the tanks are really small - for example the big sea turtle swims in such a tiny space. I feel sad for him.

640maianht

I have been here 4 times already and each time, I enjoy myself to the fullest! The staff are always so friendly and nice. Lots of fishies and sea animals in hiding to spot. I definitely enjoyed the performance and penguin intro. I will be back again for sure :)

629KateT

We only went to the aquarium because we wanted to see a live kiwi bird and the penguins were a bonus. At $20 per head for a family of four I think there may be other places in NZ that offer better value. I would rather pay more for a better experience. Many of the glass barriers to the displays looked like they hadn't been cleaned in a week, obscuring some of the exhibits. The penguin feeding was cute, but the view was obscured for about a quarter of the audience due to a large log jutting out into the enclosure at eye level.For me it boiled down to was it worth $80 to see a live kiwi, as the other exhibits were mediocre. Thankfully the kiwi was visible, they are in a very darkened habitat. It stated there were two in the enclosure and we eventually saw the other in the dark recesses at the rear of the enclosure. Apparently they are very shy birds.

chopstickmama

Our one regret during our visit to New Zealand was that we had never seen either penguins or kiwis in the wild. We were delighted to be there both for the kiwi and the penguin feeding. While the kiwis are very quiet and shy but perked up when the food arrived, the SMall Penguins were regular entertainers. They are all previously injured birds that would not have survived in the wild. Sharks, stingrays, moray eels in the plexi tunnel

B475YTmartinm

The Aquarium was well organized and except for the underwater tube, was fairly anticlimactic. I feel like it is set up beautiful for children and fairly simple for adults. Having said that we heard many people on our cruise ship talk about how fantastic it was. We live in California and unfortunately we compare it to the Monterey Aquarium, and it just does not compare. Given our short time in Napier, we are glad we walked through. About 30 minutes was just right.

SarahB_NZ

We recently had our sons 1st birthday party at the aquarium. As we live in Auckland I had organise everything over the phone with Brenda. She was amazing! Couldn't of been more helpful. Nothing was too big or too small to ask her. She assured me the whole time everything was taken care of and there was no need to stress about a thing, and she was right.Thank you Brenda for making our sons first birthday one to remember.Sarah(Auckland)

Purplebob6954

We had a lovely day out here enjoying the fishes. There was something there for everyone. The only disopointment was some of the information boards seemed out of date, so you were reading about things that weren't in the tanks. Otherwise great day out! Penguins are fed at 9.30am, 1.30pm and 3.30pm and the Sharks are fed at 2pm.

mzz36f

It was okay but not really happy about the conditions of the park. And it was a little on the pricey side.

funfoodies1

If you haven't been to Kelly Tarltons In Auckland, then this is a goodoption. Penguins most disappointing, unless you organise to be there for feeding time (which we didn't know in advance) although you can come back as many times as you like in that day on your ticket.Lots of variety, would be excellent on a rainy day with the kids. But as a couple I woudln't bother going again.

882francism

We are pleased you had a great time with us and shared your experience.