The plane was due to depart for Brisbane shortly after 6am but abruptly halted the take-off.
Ben Anderson was a passenger on the flight. He said everything was normal as the plane initially accelerated.
He estimated the plane was just 30 knots away from lift-off when he heard a bang.
"Then suddenly on the brakes, front wheel down, and we're full reverse and we're coming to a stop, one wheel sort of skidding a little bit you definitely felt and eventually came to a stop."
Passengers were later told birds had struck both engines, Anderson said.
Air New Zealand chief operational integrity and safety officer Captain David Morgan said flight NZ207 followed standard procedure after experiencing a suspected bird strike.
"Our engineering teams are required to complete a full aircraft inspection before the aircraft can return to service."
Bird strikes were frustrating but not uncommon, Morgan said.
"Aircraft are designed with this in mind, and our pilots are fully trained for a bird strike scenario."
The flight to Brisbane was cancelled, as was NZ272 from Brisbane to Wellington.
Most customers were expected to travel Monday on alternative services, Morgan said.
