Kiwi get bigger home at Mt Bruce | Wairarapa News | Local News in Wairarapa

Pukaha Mt Bruce is bouncing back from a week of bad news _ having lost four kiwi in a ferret attack _ by letting a contract for a $1.4 million expansion to its nocturnal house.
Board chairman Bob Francis said work would begin next week, with the building part of the project being tendered to D R Borman for slightly under $900,000.
The death of the four kiwi had brought profound disappointment, he said, but the board was putting that behind it and looking forward to setting up the country's top kiwi viewing and breeding facility.
Revamping and expanding the nocturnal house is Stage 2 of a major upgrade at the National Wildlife Centre and, apart from the building work, other features will be introduced to give visitors a great kiwi conservation experience.
The new kiwi house is expected to be finished by Christmas, just in time for peak visitor season.
Existing enclosures will be completely renovated and improved, partly by relocating the Operation Nest Egg kiwi programme into the nocturnal house.
Visitors will be able to see into the incubation room, and the brooders where kiwi chicks hatch and are looked after until they are returned to the forest.
A two-way intercom will allow people to interact with rangers and a theatre with seating for up to 50 people will screen a series of short films drawing links between Operation Nest Egg and pest control and forest restoration work.
Mr Francis said the board was continually assessing its pest control and eradication programme and was awaiting a peer review report.
''We take pest control very seriously and have just signed off $123,000 for 2010/11.''
He said the revamp had received wide support from local and national funders because they recognised the significance of Pukaha Mt Bruce to New Zealand.
As with Stage 1, this part of the work will be financed by donations, grants and by fundraising.
Reconstruction of the kiwi house was needed as the existing one was 20 years old and needed to be ''brought up to 21st-century standard''.
Mr Francis said raising the existing building by 800mm and putting in a new base and floor would solve flood problems.
Stage 2 also involves improving the tuatara enclosure and also outdoor signs, displays and interactive media.