Where locals once dumped old cars, washing machines and oil drums, a thriving wildlife sanctuary now stands. Kiwi Park Queenstown turns 40 this year, and its journey from rubbish tip to conservation landmark is one of the great stories of our town.
It began with Dick and Noeleen Wilson, who leased a scrubby, overgrown site on the edge of Queenstown in 1984 with little more than a mechanic's hands and an unlikely conviction. Lawyer Graeme Todd, who acted for the family in those early days, remembers Dick walking into his small Shotover Street office with the idea. "I said, 'What are you going to do with it, Dick?' He said, 'We're going to have a kiwi and birdlife park.' I said, 'Have you got any kiwi?' He said, 'No, not yet.'"
That was the start. Two years of clearing followed - car bodies, scrap, rubbish bags, broom and blackberry - before the Department of Conservation trusted the Wilsons with their first kiwi. Paul Wilson recalls those long days with his father: "Dad and I'd sit down by the spring at the end of the park, have a brew, and talk over a cup of tea - what are we going to do with this place? It just kept unfolding as we went along."
Forty years on, Kiwi Park shelters more than 20 native species across eight acres, including Tuatara, South Island Kākā, Whio blue ducks, Pāteke and the iconic kiwi, all part of managed conservation programmes with DOC. Over 100 kiwi have been bred and released since 1986. More than 30,000 native trees have been planted across the site - a vision driven by Noeleen, who personally planted the first 12,000. Kōwhai, beech, broadleaf and fern have reclaimed ground that once held exotic scrub and scrap metal, drawing kākā, whio and kererū back to the area. Daily Conservation Shows bring visitors face to face with endangered species, while a honey-bee centre with a transparent hive adds another thread to the park's educational fabric.
The anniversary function, held in the park's conservation show area in March, brought together some 300 guests - family, staff past and present, tourism partners and long-time friends. Operations Manager Anthony Wilkins, opening the evening, reflected on how everyone involved had become part of the Kiwi Park clan. "One thing that will become blindingly obvious tonight, if it hasn't already, is that Kiwi Park is a family business - in its roots, its ethos, its principles, and its dedication to its members," Anthony said. "You're all here because you are, in some way, part of our family and part of our story."
The night included the premiere of Thriving at Forty (see below), a short film produced with Shotover Creative, and words from three generations of the Wilson family. Paul reflected on the pace of change around them: "40 years ago Queenstown was a quiet place full of small, family-run businesses. We're still that - born and bred."
His son Richard, now General Manager, grew up on the site, attending school nearby, and admits to occasionally kicking a rugby ball deliberately over the fence as a child, often not returning to school for the afternoon. Standing before guests on the park's 40th, he spoke to the responsibility that comes with that inheritance: "Celebrating 40 years is not just about looking back. It's about strengthening our commitment to conservation for generations to come."
A year-long events programme, Forty for Forty Years, will mark the milestone throughout 2026, with a new shop extension in the pipeline The Wilson family's story is far from finished - it is, as it always has been, continuing to grow from strong roots.