Born in Wellington in 1952, McKenzie was the son of philanthropist Sir Roy McKenzie and grandson of the founder of the McKenzies retail chain Sir John McKenzie.[1][2] He was educated at Nelson College from 1966 to 1969,[3] where his interest in native plants was encouraged through spending time at the school's outdoor education centre, Mataki Lodge, near Murchison.[1]
In 1974 McKenzie formed Ngā Manu Trust and in 1978 the trust first leased and later bought the current site of Ngā Manu Nature Reserve in Waikanae.[1]
In the mid 1970s McKenzie was instrumental in kiwi captive breeding programmes and he was involved with the tuatara recovery programme for over 20 years.[4]
In 2009, after three years of work, McKenzie captured footage of a puriri moth hatching from its chrysalis. They are probably the first pictures of a ghost moth emerging.[5]
McKenzie was diagnosed with cancer in late 2010 and he died in 2012.[1]
