Zealandia: Exclusive 2-Hr Native Wildlife Eco-Immersion

See my Tripadvisor review! I am still on a high after seeing so many tuatara! And even if we were not graced with those I would still feel pleasantly surprised to garner such an appreciation for various birds; this brown parrot is a wonder of conservation restoration. The free shuttle from/to top of the cable car is super helpful. The chocolate in the shoppe is lovely (I bought two types and have tasted one thus far), and the cafe has a good beer selection. The two negatives include bad wifi for Zealandia guests (minor) and a massive devotion to evolutionary theory (major). It continues to astound me— an Ivy league graduate living in NYC and a born again Christian— as to why places of conservation and restoration cannot embrace the possibility that the Judeo Christian God of the Bible is real and created + so loved the world. I do not understand how a country can kow tow (now, finally) to Maori people who have a rich genealogy that is remarkably shorter than a couple thousand years and flat out deny that there could have been a global flood or that the earth could be less than 6000 to 8000 years old, that each of us come from Shem, Ham, or Japeth. A presentation of maybe evolution maybe creation would enhance the entire vibe of Zealandia.

I am still on a high after seeing so many tuatara! And even if we were not graced with those I would still feel pleasantly surprised to garner such an appreciation for various birds; this brown parrot is a wonder of conservation restoration. The free shuttle from/to top of the cable car is super helpful. The chocolate in the shoppe is lovely (I bought two types and have tasted one thus far), and the cafe has a good beer selection. The two negatives include bad wifi for Zealandia guests (minor) and a massive devotion to evolutionary theory (major). It continues to astound me— an Ivy league graduate living in NYC and a born again Christian— as to why places of conservation and restoration cannot embrace the possibility that the Judeo Christian God of the Bible is real and created + so loved the world. I do not understand how a country can kow tow (now, finally) to Maori people who have a rich genealogy that is remarkably shorter than a couple thousand years and flat out deny that there could have been a global flood or that the earth could be less than 6000 to 8000 years old, that each of us come from Shem, Ham, or Japeth. A presentation of maybe evolution maybe creation would enhance the entire vibe of Zealandia.

My wife and I really enjoyed our small group 2 hour tour. Our tour guide was excellent, Philamina showed us all the great things in the reserve. She was funny and she kept us going through the journey. A wealth of knowledge for sure and very dedicated. All questions were answered without hesitation. We did not see a lot of different birds but the ones we did see were great. The predator control and the predator exclusion fence were carefully explained to us and it all made sense. We spent nearly 4 hours on site for we went back in and hiked more trails. I strongly recommend you do the tour!

Great guided tour led by the wonderful Libby who was so knowledgeable. Lots to see and learn from bird life and wild stick insects to weta bugs. You really get a sense of personal wellbeing amongst the forested areas which is the broad ethos of the site - humans and nature working together. Definitely worth doing if you are in the area with well managed paths from easy access tarmac to forest trails. Plenty of facilities, coffee shop, free shuttle from the Waterfront (See website) and some parking near entrance albeit we ended up just down the road at the overflow - suggest drop your passengers right by entrance then park the car. A lovely day out, great for children and highly recommended.

What a fantastic way to spend the afternoon. The guides were passionate about the beautiful conservation park and all the birds and lizards in it. Their knowledge was astounding and they never tired of questions being asked. A great example of assisting nature back to the way it should be. Thank you.

A great experience that I will remember forever. We were super lucky with the variety of birds we saw. I always wanted to see a real Tuatara, too, and voilà - we saw five different ones and even a baby. Massive thank you to Lorna, our guide!

It was a drizzling, foggy, windy morning but our tour guide brought the Zealandia experience to light! As we hiked, she shared her passion for the land, plants and animals protected by this amazing park. She pointed out birds, iguanas, tea trees, and ficus plants. We had a lovely 2 hours - walking the well-trimmed paths - and ended with a real appreciation for the New Zealand flora, fauna, and indigenous animals! So different from our USA! Thank you for sharing with us! (we were there Oct 11th - first tour- please tell the tour guide Thank you!) Linda and Clark

It was fabulous, guide was very knowledgable and approachable. Pointed out a rare duck in the scrub that you don't usually see in the daytime. I was the only one booked on the tour and they still went ahead with it, to my surprise and appreciation. The sanctuary is amazing. What an asset to Wellington.

This eco-sanctuary is a very unique place--a whole square mile being restored to before humans arrived on NZ 1000-ish years ago. A great variety of birds living here, as well as a few reptiles. Beautiful views. Our tour guide was so knowledgeable, and great at showing the little secrets of this sanctuary.

Had a lovely afternoon here! Definitely do a guided tour if you want to see and learn about the native wildlife! Oliver was such a great guide, very knowledgeable and fun. Awesome to learn all the background to the birds and lizards we were spotting, wouldn't have seen and learnt half as much on my own. Those were dollars very well spent!