Veteran TV broadcaster Kevin Milne has had a new experience with a kiwi - getting close enough to witness two up close.
Visiting the Ngā Manu Wildlife Reserve in Kapiti, Milne and his wife saw two adult kiwis in their new outdoor enclosure, which people can witness for half an hour at night.
Describing the nattering of their beaks as being like "knitting needles at an old folk's home", and the not-unpleasant smell of their 'scat', Milne says that the two birds were completely unfazed by the people sitting only a few metres away.
Take your Radio, Podcasts and Music with you