The Department of Conservation has confirmed Sirocco's only public appearance this year will be at the Maungatautari Sanctuary in South Waikato.
Orokonui's trust board chairman, Neville Peat, said it was a "major disappointment" given the expense and effort the trust went to last year to house Sirocco during his Rugby World Cup visit.
"The decision to send him to the North Island means more than $20,000 worth of infrastructure goes unused for at least 24 months, and we are letting down a list of people who missed out on seeing him last year and booked for this year."
While his visit this year had been "just an expectation", the ecosanctuary's budget was tight and it had hoped to make a "very slender" profit this year.
"We are certainly needing to work hard to draw visitors and Sirocco was a drawcard."
Last year during Sirocco's three-week stay, he was visited by 1800 people and raised $10,000 for the Kakapo Recovery Programme.
"Every new place where he goes on show has to invest heavily in new infrastructure, not to mention visitor facilities and guiding - something the Department of Conservation needs to recognise in scheduling his visits.
"We also believe Sirocco should appear in the South Island at least once a year." However, Sirocco was scheduled to make a four-week visit to Orokonui in the spring of 2013, with a follow-up visit in 2014.
Doc kakapo programme manager Deidre Vercoe Scott said a visit by Sirocco was sought after by many sites and zoos around the country, but there was "only one bird" and it was important he was seen throughout the country.
There was only a three-month window each year where he could be on display because of high testosterone levels during the summer breeding months and moulting.
"He is a wild bird and does not live in captivity all the time, so it takes time for him to adjust. So we can only have him at one or two sites within that time."
Orokonui did a "fantastic job" last year and it was keen to have Sirocco return, but there was no guarantee for any site that he would visit as so much depended on his health and wellbeing.
"We're still taking baby steps. We don't want to wear him out, but it's remarkable how he copes."
This year was the best opportunity to have him go to Maungatautari, which had the potential to one day play a role in kakapo recovery, she said.
