See New Zealand's rarest wildlife thriving in a regenerating forest
hidden gem, exceeded my expectation. We had a daytime guided tour and learned a lot about the birds in New Zealand. We were lucky that we saw Tuatara. And we saw the footprints of Kiwi. Next time we should come again and join night-time guided tour, so that we may be able to see Kiwi in the wild.
Such an amazing place. The tracks are all very nice and the forest is absolutely beautiful. The bird calls make the experience so nice and being able to see such interesting birds makes the visit even better. There are a bunch of kākā that you can hear and see flying around and in most cases, you can see one from fairly close. There is a spot where takahē come a lot so the chance of seeing those birds is quite high. I also saw a pāteke which was exciting. There are lots of shags, tuis, fantails, and saddlebacks. Overall, an amazing place to walk around and see a whole lot of native birds.
An absolute must-do in Wellington! 🌲🦖 Stepping inside Zealandia is like traveling back hundreds of years to a time before humans ever set foot in New Zealand. It gives you total "Jurassic Park" vibes—I honestly had the theme song playing in my head the entire time! It is an incredible space for nature therapy. I highly recommend finding a quiet spot, closing your eyes, and just listening to the rushing streams and the breathtaking chorus of native bird calls. Good to know: This isn't just a regular park; it's the world's first fully-fenced urban ecosanctuary. They have an 8.6km predator-proof fence that protects rare native wildlife (like the ancient Tuatara reptile and rare birds) from introduced mammals. They are working on a 500-year vision to completely restore the valley to its original ecosystem, and you can truly feel that ancient magic when you walk through. Highly recommended!
I went into this not expecting to see much wildlife, but to see the stars on a clear, cool night. However, within 5 minutes of entering the enclosure and starting the tour, we saw a kiwi run across the path in front of us. From there it was game on. A Kaka was spotted on a bench, glow worms are practically a given on the night tour (from what we were told), and the amount of Weta, spiders, bugs, etc. Provided a wonderful experience. The guide was extremely knowledgeable and seemed to love her job. They utilize a headset system so you can actually hear everything your guide says. Special thanks to Allen for volunteering and spotting for us. Between the wildlife, experience, and night sky, it was definitely a highlight of Wellington.
We got gifted a year pass and it’s been the best thing ever. Such a lovely tranquil area with lots of native wildlife and birds to look at. Tuatara are just causally on the path where you are walking. A beautiful conservation for native animals in NZ ! So worth the visit. Love how they look after the native insects. Membership perks are great !! Had a lovely hot chocolate at the cafe!
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