Zealandia: Wellington for Bird Lovers

Thanks to its unique history, New Zealand is home to some of the most fascinating birds on the planet. The landmass that we now know as New Zealand split off from the supercontinent Gondwana more than 66 million years ago, meaning that it was completely isolated for millions of years, until the first humans arrived. During this time, there were no mammals on the islands (apart from one very small species of bat), which meant that New Zealand’s birds were able to thrive in a predator-free environment. They came down from the trees and spent their lives rummaging around on the forest floor, eventually losing the ability to fly. Unfortunately some of these flightless birds, such as the Moa, are now extinct due to over-hunting. However, other wonderful examples such as the kiwi, kākāpō and takahē can still be found alive today (although they are under threat from extinction).

Sadly, when humans arrived in New Zealand they brought many predators and other damaging invasive species with them. Rats arrived as stowaways on ships; European settlers brought rabbits, and later stoats and weasels to control the rabbit population; cats were brought as pets or rat catchers but some went feral. Deer were brought for hunting, but their overgrazing wreaked havoc on the local ecosystem, and new plants were brought for gardens and farming but spread into the forests, choking local flora. Invasive species, combined with hunting and habitat destruction, have lead to the decline of native bird populations in New Zealand throughout the last 700 years, with many species going extinct.

Fortunately, more recently the Department of Conservation (DOC) and a number of privately-run organisations have been working hard to reverse the damage done to New Zealand’s flora and fauna. Read on for my guide to Zealandia, a sanctuary just outside Wellington…

Zealandia

Zealandia is an ecosanctuary in Wellington that seeks to undo some of the damage done to New Zealand’s ecosystem, and is now home to thousands of birds, all within a protected enclosure. A special, fine-meshed fence surrounds the entirety of the 225 hectare park, and has to be dug into the ground to prevent predators burrowing their way in. A series of markers on part of the fence demonstrate how incredibly high some predators such as cats, possums and stoats can jump. Zealandia’s vision is to restore this valley on the outskirts of Wellington to the way it was before the arrival of humans. I can ensure you that this amazing project is well worth a visit!

Visiting Zealandia

Zealandia is open for visitors daily from 9am-5pm. You can either wander around the park by yourselves or pay slightly more for a guided tour (which I thoroughly recommend as your guide will be able to tell you all about the various birds you see, as well as interesting details of the park’s history). Further information can be found here.

What you’ll see

Zealandia is home to a plethora of bird species such as kiwi, kākā, takahē, tui, saddleback, hihi, pāteke, bellbirds and many more. You can also see tuatara (reptiles who were around at the time of the dinosaurs!) and wētā – giant scary-looking insects who I was assured are entirely gentle and harmless. Zealandia is a true nature lover’s dream!

Night tours

Zealandia offers twilight and nightime excursions, perfect for spotting nocturnal wildlife such as kiwis, wētā and glow worms. More information here.

How to get there

Zealandia is in Wellington, New Zealand’s capital city. There is a free Zealandia shuttle from the Wellington city i-SITE and also from top of the Cable Car. Alternatively, you can take a public bus to the end of Waiapu Road, which is about a two minute walk from the sanctuary. You can also take the Wellington Cable car from Lambton Quay to the top of the Botanic Gardens. From there it’s just a 20-30 minute walk to Zealandia (or you can hop on the free shuttle). Zealandia has a large car park with electric vehicle charging points.