Twelve of us were on the tour with one main guide Linda, Bev, who kept an eye on us at the back, and we were also lucky to have Ash as an extra spotter - he went ahead to helped to find kiwi and more. Some of us had been to ZEALANDIA before but not for a night tour. I was 8 last time I went, but it was great to go again. The group coming after us were there as part of a birthday party - such a cool idea! 

When asked what wanted to see – we all shouted KIWIS! 

ZEALANDIA’s recent open weekend, held on 5-6 May, attracted a total of 6,188 visitors to the valley – with over 4,000 of these taking advantage of beautiful weather to visit on the Sunday.

The open weekend, held annually, is when ZEALANDIA opens its gates to the people of Wellington for a donation of $2 – our way of thanking the people of Wellington for their continued support, and an opportunity to share our sanctuary with people who may have never visited before.

We're celebrating NZSL Week by teaching you some fun signs to try out, with our friends Olivia and Markus from Victoria University!

ZEALANDIA has received the precious fruits of the rare plant, pikirangi or green mistletoe (Ileostylus micranthus). This species has disappeared from Te Māra a Tāne (the sanctuary valley) and Wellington City, and is rare in the wider Wellington region.

New Zealand’s southernmost school is a shining example of the active role of education in conservation efforts. With a mere 32 students, Halfmoon Bay School (Oban - Rakiura/Stewart Island) certainly punches above its weight.

Kia mauriora te Kaiwharawhara. May the mauri of the Kaiwharawhara stream be well again.

I am the water that runs throughout the Kaiwharawhara water catchment area – the largest stream system in Wellington city.

The ZEALANDIA Monday Walking Group is a collection of adventurous ZEALANDIA Members who tackle some of the valley's most difficult tracks together.

Rosemary Cole describes what the Monday Walking Group involves, and how you can get involved, in this article.

Kākāriki were introduced to ZEALANDIA in 2011, and since then have been thriving in the sanctuary. Residents of local Wellington suburbs, mainly Karori, now enjoy these birds in their backyards regularly. 

ZEALANDIA Conservation Ranger Ellen Irwin shares her tips for spotting these often elusive birds in this blog post.

Our nation’s capital is being celebrated as ‘an ecological triumph’ (National Geographic January 2018)—Wellington is one of the only cities in the world where the diversity of native birds is increasing. This change has been driven by the establishment of ZEALANDIA 22 years ago, the 225 ha sanctuary for wildlife just 3 km from downtown Wellington. 

ZEALANDIA has a 500-year vision of restoration, and our lakes offer a unique challenge in this respect. They are man-made, and restoring them to the state they were in before the dams went up is not really an option. As a result, we are now aiming to create healthy, functioning lake ecosystems here in the heart of Wellington.