Wow just wow. The states could learn a thing or two about how a museum should present itself to the people. The exhibition was amazing. The interactiveness for children were plentiful. Kids and adults will learn so much from this place. Parking was a breeze and the staff was super friendly. They do offer early admission which we bought. It’s worth it to get there before the mob. Just a fun place to spend a morning.

What a fantastic museum. We took over 2.5 hours just to cover 2 floors and will have to return to see the rest. The interactive sections were really interesting and, coming from a country that doesn't suffer from much ground movement, we particularly liked the 'earthquake house.' A great experience all round. Thank you Wellington.

We visited the Gallipoli war museum part. The self directed tour was very well organised, easy to follow and displayed pieces were amazingly realistic The war commentary part of every displayed piece was very well done and made the whole experience very touching and informative. We were glad to have visited and thoroughly enjoyed the displays

Super interactive and fun museum both for adults and kids. Lots of interesting facts and info to learn about made in an easy to learn way. A lot of nature, history, heritage and values about what makes NZ of today and it’s a MUST-Go I think if you are in Wellington to get to know a bit about the country you are visiting. Entrance is free for the permanent exhibitions, and that took us a couple hours already which was more than enough to see. Only a certain special exhibitions are paid.

Took the kids(4-12yrs) there for a trip during the holidays. They were very engaged with all of the exhibits and we ended up staying longer then expected. Lots of changes since we last visited so always new and interesting things to explore. Some sections were closed off with new exhibits being installed, but still plenty there to keep you intrigued. As always the ANZAC exhibit is phenomenal and well worth it!!!

One of the best museums I have ever visited. The National Museum of New Zealand, it houses amazing collections, stories, displays, and experience that will cater the interests of young and old. I really enjoy Galipoli exhibition with incredible details, well curated displays and heart-touching stories. The sections about nature and the stories of Māori and New Zealand are also very rich in information and entertaining at the same time. The can touch and feel and learn many things related to nature and lives surrounding us. My kids also enjoy our visit here and happy to go back. It is very disability friendly with ramps in many areas. It has cafes and the souvenir shops are also great. Parking is available at the surrounding area.

No one should miss this place. It's brilliant, informative, innovative, interactive, cool, and so on. I barely finished checking level 2 in 2 hrs. I will still come back to see other things and learn more. I love this place and I highly recommend. It is free and spacious.

Wow! Spectacular and awe inspiring. I cannot imagine the effort the artists, sculptors and the whole team who have dedicated their 'everything' to make this a wonderful visitor attraction. Various stages along the way , immerse the viewer into the grim reality of bygone wars. Uniquely preserved artifacts of insects and plants too is available. Good work everyone. Remember parking is paid-Price attached to photos.

Free admission. Great exhibitions. Highly recommend. I was only able to see the nature exhibition, unfortunately. Great for kids. Activities throughout the exhibition. It is one of the best nature exhibitions I have seen. Colossal squid on show, which was a highlight. Great way to spend a few hours. Good gift store with local arts and crafts.

I've been several times before, but on this trip there was an exhibition on Gallipoli. Done in collaboration with Weta Studios, this is one of the most captivating exhibitions I've experienced. I spent an hour and left only because the museum was closing. The (seriously) larger than life displays were creative perfection, and the story of the campaign, in which the Aussies and Kiwis bravely sacrificed so much, was educational and compelling. I can't recommend this highly enough. Note: Entrance is free, but they gratefully accept donations, which you can give with cash or card.

MUST-SEE in NZ 💯❤️ This FREE national museum on the Wellington waterfront offers a little bit of everything. From the history of the islands flora fauna, wildlife and volcanic tectonic plates to Maori history, culture to modern art, this fantastic museum has something for everyone. Loads to see, gear and do for the individual traveler, couples and families. Great shop too! TOP 5 things to do in NZ--Highly recommend!! 👍👍

If you like museums, this is a must. Learning the history of the country walking through it's incredible exhibits is a great experience. We saw the giant jellyfish and that was whoah! How is that not an alien!? Incredible!

What an absolutely phenomenal experience. The museum is completely free to visit, you just have to pay for parking. It only cost me $10 for 3 hours. But there is probably free parking in town, you would just have to walk over. The museum is very accommodating. It has accessibility and normal toilets, parents rooms, kids play rooms, lockers, money machines, cafes, a souvenir store, stairs and lifts. The museum itself is just incredible. With 6 entire floors to explore you could literally spend days here. It also has such a huge variety of exhibits that accommodates to all ages. My favourite floor was the animals and nature. From games for kids to dinosaurs, giants squids and an earthquake room... it was just such an amazing experience. I would highly recommend a visit.

One of the best museums I have ever visited. It houses amazing collections, stories, displays, and experience that will cater the interests of young and old. We enjoyed Galipoli exhibition with incredible details, well curated displays and heart-touching stories. The sections about nature and the stories of Māori and New Zealand are also very rich in information and entertaining at the same time. We can touch and feel and learn many things related to nature and lives surrounding us. A great place to spent rainy or too sunny days 😉

I recently visited this museum with my family and was thoroughly impressed by my experience. The museum had a wonderful collection of artifacts and exhibits that were both informative and engaging. The displays were well-curated and offered a fascinating glimpse into various aspects of history and culture. One thing that stood out to me was the attention to detail in the exhibits. Each item was carefully labeled and explained, which made it easy to understand the significance and context of each artifact. The staff was also incredibly knowledgeable and helpful, providing additional information and answering any questions I had. The museum was also very well-maintained and clean, which added to the overall experience. There are 4 floors, and the layout was easy to navigate. There were plenty of interactive exhibits that kept me engaged throughout my visit. Overall, I would highly recommend Te papa to anyone interested in history, art, or culture. It's a great place to learn something new and gain a deeper appreciation for the world around us

The Museum of New Zealand is truly one of the standout attractions in Wellington. Spending approximately 3 hours here is a delightful journey through its various levels, each offering a unique and enriching experience. The museum's diverse collections, engaging exhibitions, and immersive displays make it an absolute must-visit for anyone exploring Wellington. It's a place where you can truly immerse yourself in the culture, history, and wonders of New Zealand.

Great a lively museum with a delicious cafe/restaurant and gift shop with a wide variety of merchandise and souvenirs (bronze and gold kiwis are the best souvenirs and gifts for a great price). The museum has 2 special exhibitions going on right now. The first is the Dinosaurs on Patagonia, which displays European-found skeletons in perfect condition. Its main attraction is the giant sauropod, which looms over the entire room tickets are purchasable via the website (quickest and easiest way), or in the museum (lines are about 10-20 minutes). The second exhibition is the highly popular and Wellington exclusive Gallipoli: The Scale of our war, which displays giant, realistic statues of important people from World War 1. Other exhibitions include the Wildlife area of the museum, which displays the first and only fully-preserved giant squid. The cafe is a long wait, which lines that take up to 20-45 minutes. Would definitely recommend going as this is a key tourist destination when visiting Wellington.

Fantastic museum with many fascinating exhibits. Great for all ages. You could easily visit every day for 3-4 days, to get the full experience. The Gallipoli display was deeply moving.

Simply one of the greatest experiences I've ever had. You get alot for free admission so it was definitely amazing. The WW1 exhibition was truly eye opening with the realistic pieces that were displayed. There was heaps on information to keep you busy which made this section all the more interesting. Another section involved nature and contained lots of different animals/insects and their variants. It was super cool seeing the whole aray of moths big and small (although I highly dislike them) I'd highly recommend visiting this museum as it's fun, interesting and educational.

Really awesome to see the amazing quality of work and craftsmanship that goes into their exhibitions. The ANZAC models were absolutely stunning, and can see the dedication that went into the making of each one. Both the paid, and free exhibitions were well worth a visit.

We explored Te Papa around 13 years ago and have been wanting to bring our children here because it was amazing then. It is still an absolutely awesome place to visit. The displays are informative and interesting. They are appropriate to our country and our unique history, so it's easy to immerse yourself in it all. We did this over 2 days just so we could make sure we explored every part of it. We finished with the ngahere/bush walk that's connected to the museum too. Definitely recommend a visit.

Brilliant museum. All of the exhibits are expertly laid out and very informative with just the right amount of text to read. I spent 1.5hrs at the Gallipoli exhibit alone so make sure you allow yourself enough time as there are 5 levels. Interactive and engaging for both adults and children.

NZ national museum. Free entry. A must to do list when travel to Wellington. Worth to spend a few hours visit , from nature, geography, war, maori culture, arts. You name it. Good for bring kids so they can learn a lot of knowledge.

New Zealand’s national museum reflects the country’s identity, history, and culture. It takes pride of place on Wellington’s waterfront and entry is free. Any visitor to Wellington should have the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa at the top of their to-do list. The largest museum in the country takes pride of place on Wellington’s waterfront. At 36,000 square metres and six stories high, it contains a vast repository of collections. It’s home to more than 800,000 artworks, objects, and specimens. It curates cutting-edge interactive exhibitions with a contemporary, and bicultural approach. Te Papa is a museum experience that’s accessible for all.

Our tour group was able to visit the Gallipoli exhibition for an hour before being open to the public. The sculptures that are 2.4 times lifesize are incredible. They are so lifelike. The information given in the information rooms between the sculptures fills in the story of Gallipoli. Amazing exhibit and exhibition

Friendly staff and excellent interactive exhibits. We went to the Gallipoli exhibition on ANZAC day, and it was incredibly moving. It demonstrates the atrocities of war in a manner suitable and accessible for all ages. Educational and powerful. And it's free entry!

Beautiful New Zealand collection on 5 4 and 5. You must visit while in Wellington. Many artists are featured in the gallery. For the parents, visit the kids' zones so vibrant and has children's activities. My personal favorite was Goldies artwork.

This place was HUGE! There was so much to see and do! Tons of interactive things for people of all ages. Highly recommend the viewpoint from the 6th floor! Beautiful view! Even better it was free!

Such a great outing for both adults and kids. I’d recommend buying a bag of animal food, we didn’t and regretted it. The park is nicely sized, not too small but also not too big. You can stay on the walking path or you can walk down by the beautiful stream and cross it over a wooden log. Above it is a pretty cool suspension bridge. The cafe was fine, not the best food or coffee but it did the trick. Service was kind and relatively quick even though it was a busy day, and employees were very kind.

Absolutely brilliant family experience. So beautifully set out, so much for the kids to see and do plus animals and birds to interact with. Added bonus, as a coeliac, was delighted to find such a great range of safe, gluten free food. I am used to making do with a coffee while watching everyone else eat at these kinds of places so am really impressed and would highly recommend.

Staglands is a place to visit if you have toddlers who are really into animals, as they can feed the animals there with the feeds you buy at the ticket office. It was an intimate experience with the animals as you can feed and pat most of them up close! Unfortunately we didn't get to ride the tractor ride and eat the marshmallows as it wasn't available when we were there. But we had a good picnic outside their cafe and our toddlers enjoyed it thoroughly! They knocked out in the car on the way down the windy road.

Staglands is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the Greater Wellington Region. It is a quaint farm themed Wildlife Reserve located in Upper Hutt’s Akatarawa Valley. It is a very exciting environment sure to be loved by the young children. The animals are quite friendly, some can be too friendly and over excited about the food you can give to the animals. The animal food and trout food costs extra. I’ve been going there a very long time, and have never been disappointed. I do think however that there should be more staff around to keep an eye on some of the guests who get too excited around animals, or have little knowledge on how to behave around animals, especially families with little children. The cafe is excellent and the food is very yummy, it can take a while for the food to come out however. As long as you behave around the animals and don’t lose your head around them, your more than welcome, and are sure to have a great time!

What an amazing place even in the pouring rain! The animal,fish and bird life are a delight. So well thought out and beautifully set out around numerous ponds, waterfalls and the river running through the property.

Awesome place to visit with kids and family. Import notes: - drive to and from can be quite tight. - can be a wait for the cafe for food - wear comfortable shoes as there is loose gravel and inclines - tractor runs 11am-2pm in 15 minutes intervals, - Buy feeding food. Free roaming miniature pigs running around the front, Awesome for kids to touch and feed

We had such a lovely time there! Our 3 year old son absolutely loved feeding and interacting with the animals and learning about new animals that he hasn't seen before. The food at the cafe was delicious and staff were super friendly and helpful! Happy 50th anniversary Staglands! Keep up the amazing work!

Very pleasant path through the park. Kids loved feeding and interacting with the animals. The cafe was honestly delicious and wasn’t crazy expensive. I’d come back just for lunch. We’ve been to a number of wildlife parks around the world and the deer area here with dozens of peacocks up and down the hill was completely unique.

Beautiful animal park in a lovely bush setting. Lots of birds with free roaming peacocks, pheasants and chickens, often with babies. Lots of enclosures and aviaries you can go into to get up close and personal with the wildlife. The cockatoo is very friendly and will say hello, the kea are also friendly but more so on days where it's not so busy. The birds especially seem very well cared for. There are also kunekune and other pigs. They had tiny piglets when we were there, who weren't afraid to be stroked if you were slow and quiet with them. The Guinea pigs were naturally skittish, but cute. There is space to sit in their enclosure, if you're quiet and have food, they'll come to you after a while. I was a little concerned for the cattle and horses - the young Galloway and two Highlands had rather small enclosures, along with the Clydesdale and small pony. Great for the public to access them but not healthy for such large animals who should have been in paddocks. There is a Cafe there which we didn't visit. You can by small bags of food pellets for the animals, but we took a large bag of carrots for the big animals and some peanuts in shells for the birds, and the animals loved them. We probably spent about the same amount as we would have on their bagged pellets, but got far better value buying the fresh food. The animals aren't interested in you if you don't have food. Its a great place for families, but there are quite a few hazards with the river and ponds (never mind the animals!) so children need to be well supervised.

Exceptional! This place is incredible! Great drive out through dense bush and running streams. The picturesque idealic setting was mesmerizing. The park is well kept and immaculately presented. Cafe was great and served up good coffee and beef stew. Our two young kids had a ball of a time, so much to see and explore. The tractor ride was a nice and fun addition. We picked the perfect day to visit, bluebird day with little to no wind. If anything they could do with some outdoor gas heaters around the outside Cafe which would top it off as the place got cold when the sun went over the hills in the afternoon. The cafe spacing does overflow to the outside arrangment when busy which did make it a cold wait for our meal outside. Otherwise an awesome place which I totally recommend.

Great place to get in touch with animals, we had a great time here, and we were lucky to be here in Spring with all the Baby goats and lamb! The only downside was the wifi login page was difficult to use due to its colouring and the receptionist was a bit grumpy 🤣

What an awesome beautiful place to have in Wellington to take kids, it was really nice to walk around and see all different farm animals they have and all the birds as well. The trout was cool to see so up close swimming around, they also have a awesome horse here. The Tractor ride was great ride it added some fun for the kids. also think the price of getting in is very fair, I know some people think it’s bit high but think how much it must cost look after all the animals here, the cafe here has very friendly staff that gives very good service, food is good and they sell beer and wine.

Fabulous, took our grandsons and they loved it. Animals in excellent conditions all well looked after, loved every part of it. The old town was great. The food was very good and well priced. Really felt we got great value for money. Doesn't have a shop, which is a good thing.

A fun time for the little ones. It's well maintained, and generally clean. A pretty place for a stroll, and the tracker rides are a bonus. However some of the animals look like they could use some extra love. It's also very expensive for entry, and on a busy day you're limited to one food bag (which can be a pickle with multiple young kids). Mixed bag, but we tend to go once or twice a year.

Not only is Staglands a gorgeous wildlife park, they also do weddings! Staglands was our wedding venue last month and they did not disappoint. The photos and memories we captured here will last a lifetime. The staff, especially Gemma and Sarah, go above and beyond to make your day special. Thank you all so very much!

The best-kept secret in Wellington! Perfect for all ages. We were the last people to enter there on a beautiful sunny afternoon. There was no one but us and the mesmerizing peacocks 🦚 and other animals. A day well spent and something to be treasured! The road to Staglands is winding. Drive with caution and at a safe speed.

A great place in the middle of nowhere. You wouldn’t find even a small shop anywhere near the place. It’s a good place especially for the kids to come and watch the birds and animals in the wild life reserve. The best thing is that we can go touch and feed the animals like deer, sheep, peacock and other birds. A great place to pack food and snacks and have a small picnic with friends and family.

My daughter had a lovely birthday party at Staglands over the weekend- super easy with the party food, loot bags, entry, and animal food all included in the package (plus the guests all got free admission passes to visit again). The kids loved the animals, especially Jock the horse, the friendly little calf, and the extra cuddly sheep in the deer enclosure. It was raining, but there was still plenty of fun to be had! The tractor ride was a highlight. The staff were great, and all the party guests had a wonderful time. Such a beautiful reserve. Highly recommend for kids parties.

After being closed to the public for several years and surviving the construction of the new cathedral a few blocks away, this wonderful church has reopened its doors. I recently attended a musical performance, and was truly amazed at the beauty of the wooden construction and the artistic details inside. It is a real gem in the heart of the city. If you're in Wellington, it's one of the city's historical and architectural highlights, which I highly recommend visiting.

It’s a pure wood architecture. I was recommended by someone I met in the new Saint Paul cathedral to visit here, and it totally worth the trip. It’s smaller than the new church but the atmosphere and environment is really nice. Some people are rehearsing the piano and violin in the church and the performance was fantastic!

Quite normal looking church building, but once you enter the cathedral, you would surprised by the breathtaking interior. The place you see colourful stained glass windows.

Wonderful little old church in the middle of busy Wellington CBD. Kudos to the staff for maintaining it properly and keeping the surrounding clean and tidy. Souvenir shop has some cool stuff if you want to take some thing back home for memories. Lovely staff on-site.

This church was formerly the Saint Paul's Cathedral but is now "Old Saint Pauls" as the functions have been moved a few blocks over to the more modern Cathedral. This structure was built between 1865 and 1866 in a Gothic Revival architecture, functioning as the city's cathedral until the new structure was available in 1964. It is still used as a wedding and funeral venue. Don't miss the interior as the exposed beams and decoration are simply magnificent. I can't believe that there was a time that people wanted to demolish this!

A beautiful old Gothic church well worth a visit for the fantastic architecture

Def worth a visit. A lovely church and chatted with a man about the history.

A lovely old cathedral to visit when in Wellington. It had lovely stained glass art and a beautiful Church setting from the past.

Nice place to spend a little time to visit. Free entry. Plenty of history inside.

Wonderful old church. Not Westminster Abbey, but a delightful experience. Full of local history, and magical atmosphere.

I must admit I was skeptical about this. But it surprised me in a very nice way! Well worth it to take a quick visit. Definitely open the drawers in the back right!

A beautiful piece of wellington heritage, with stunning Gothic architecture and a spectacular interior. A must see for anyone visiting Wellington.

A fabulous little church where you can quietly just be yourself and talk to your heart. Love the great artistic pictures on windows glasses, and the beautiful timber works with great details.

Great old church with lovely interior. Was closed for private function (with no notice provided on their website or Facebook page despite them recommending to check there) when we first arrived, but well worth a return visit a couple of hours later. Entry is by donation, after which you're provided with a small leaflet with map and information. More information posters are displayed around the building.

St Paul's is tucked away in a back street but definitely worth the visit. It is one of the most beautiful churches I have seen, the wood gives it a warmth that makes it so inviting . There is a digital display history of the history and features of the church. When in Wellington check this out

What a beautiful church. A must see when in Wellington

Was a great day walking around . We took our time looking around . Took about four hours. Will go back. Cable car on gold card then free bus to Zealandia and back to cable car. Staff were amazing .

This is a must if travelling to Wellington. They provide free shuttle bus from top of cable car. It is a great spot to relax, listen to birds, search for a kiwi. They provide a map and you can explore the many tracks. The dam wall is worth a visit. So many birds.

Loved Zealandia. The Takahe for me was the definite highlight. The walking was easy although there's a few challenging sections but the trails are well explained. I wish I had enough time to do the night tour! Maybe next time. The only sour part of our experience was the beginning at the welcome desk. As soon as we paid she turned around without much of explanation. We thought perhaps she was getting us a map but a quick run down of what the attractions are, what we could do, and the bag check area process would have been helpful. Other than that, we were very pleased with our experience. We look forward to going back again sometime in the future.

Beautiful place. Honestly didn't expect to enjoy it as much as we did! Surrounded by birdsong, great little mini-talks scheduled throughout the day (thanks Kathy!), good hiking trails and lots to see - $24 for admission is very reasonable 👌 Top tip: The Twilight and night tours were booked out when we tried to book, so book in advance if you want to see kiwi about at night!

What an amazing spot! We loved the hike, even in the winter weather—and saw so many bird friends. And a reptile! Our family went on the electric boat ride. That guide was knowledgeable and helpful in understanding the complexities of running this place!! I would highly recommend a visit. Had we been there in time we’d have taken a guided tour. As it was, we felt lucky to see what we did and what a respite from conventional sight seeing! If I were a local I’d be there every week, for sure. Thanks for what you’re doing in providing sanctuary for these lovely friends. Keep up the good work.

We did the day tour at Zealandia and had the best time! We saw some amazing birds and our guide was fantastic. I would highly recommend booking the day tour and the night tour. We only booked the day tour and wished we did the night tour as well. The night tour books out in advance. So plan ahead so you don’t miss out!! I was told there is about 150 kiwi at Zealandia. It would have been amazing to see/hear them at the night tour.

Our young family went on a Zealandia by day guided tour and LOVED it. Kids are 11,9,8 and 7 and the walk was not too difficult or long for them. Our guide was incredible, kind and full of knowledge, she answered all questions and made it engaging for everyone in the group from our kids, to the seniors. We liked the group size (10-12 people). We walked for just over 2 hours (started early due to everyone arriving early). Highly recommend - will return if in Wellington again, but might look at walking without a guide to see a different track.

There's quite a lot to see here, even if it is just taking the time to listen and be quiet while waiting for the birds to come to you. Really calm and peaceful and on a nice day there is a lot of green and blue to be seen. I really enjoyed my visit and would say this is a must-do for any nature lover in Wellington.

A little pricey but worth visiting. Lots of easy walks and some harder trails for the fitter folk. The view from the dam (with the winds) is quite breathtaking. The cafe isn’t very impressive food-wise but a pretty good gift shop and rather accessibility-friendly activity for the day. We spent 2-2.5hours here, possibly would’ve been longer if we weren’t on a schedule.

With it’s ingenious fencing, this very much feels like a scaled down version of Jurassic Park. And I loved it. It’s a beautiful spot, teeming with native birds. It’s a haven away from the busy metropolis of Wellington CBD. Excellent thought out walk ways and informatics around the park. I was able to spot a few of the famous residents 😊

Zelandia was an awesome time. We got there early for our tour and enjoyed the café upstairs. After that, our tour guide, Julia let us on an amazing voyage, that we could not believe was in the middle of the city. Very jealous I don’t have anything like this where I live. Everyone must definitely check it out if they come through Wellington.

What a magical place! We saw so many different birds, and just listening to them sing was wonderful. The walking path immerses you into the forest so you're surrounded by the bird calls. We went in winter and it was still incredibly lush and active. We skipped the guided tour and were still able to identify almost every bird on our map. Highly recommend! The cafe and gift store are lovely too.

Really good, where you can see all of the bird life, bar the kiwi (nocturnal), during day light hours. Quite late on we decided to do the tour. Totally worth it, Grant was knowledgeable and charming. Amazing he is a volunteer only!

Such a lovely place to visit, especially on a nice sunny day. Take your time walking around and stop to spot the birdlife. The Tuatara reptiles are definitely worth searching for. But choose your day; if the weather's windy, grey and cold then maybe some other time! Note: this in no way is a zoo, so there's no guarantee you'll see everything or possibly anything (but that's unlikely). Enjoy!

Visiting Zealandia was a highlight of my month-long visit to Aotearoa NZ. Beautiful bushland ringing with bird calls. Lots of walks of different levels of difficulty/accessibility. Birds everywhere. Appreciated the free shuttle bus from the top of the cable car.

Beautiful walk. It’s nice to see birds living peacefully and freely without any cage. The walk could take up to 2hrs or more depends on your route. Bring a camera that can capture close-up. It gets cold around bushier areas, bring a jacket just in case. There is flat walks for everyone, just stick to the main road. I do prefer the higher uphill route because there are more birds. Keep silent so you can observe more birds. Otheriwse nice place for a walk, lil recreation. Buy the pass if you live in wellington. Its worth going all the time .

Even if you aren’t a twitcher it’s a stunning place for a walk with the sound of so many birds calling all around you. If you are into birds it’s fantastic - you get a sheet showing the native species to look out for if you don’t go on a guided walk and I saw a lot in a couple of hours. The free shuttle from town is also great.

Visited here as a shore excursion on 19.11.2023 when i was doing a 10 night cruise to New Zealand. All I can say is that i wish i had travelled by plane and that i was staying at a hotel nearby so that i could spend from open of business til close of business of Zealandia Te Mara a Tane! The place was amazing, lush, clean and beautiful with so much bird life (wild bird life that could come and go as they pleased!) I really loved this place and i ended up spending a fair bit in the souvenir shop at the end. It was very educational and we had a private tour guide, who was very knowledgeable and very welcoming. I would highly recommend this place to visit and i can't wait to go back here again!

Zealandia quickly became one of my favourite places in NZ. If I would live in Wellington, would visit every other weekend for sure. Went there for the night walk, saw the tiny kiwi and a bunch of glowworms, then the guide just said we could come back the next day for free, which was the best decision of our long weekend Welly trip.

This is an incredible place to visit. A guide has the knowledge and shares it with you. Knows where to look for birds or small critters. It houses within its walls 40,000 species that are found no where else on earth. This includes various trees and plants. The goal is to make the contents from New Zealand only. They brought the Takeha bird back from the brink of extinction. The gift shop had a T-shirt I decided to buy, and was shocked to see a $55 U. S. on my receipt. They were not clearly marked. So I went from 5 stars to 4.

A real highlight of our trip to New Zealand and so cool to see wildlife in a predator free environment on the mainland that doesn’t involve them being in cages. We went on the guided tour and the guide was excellent. If you’re doing a night tour to see the Kiwi I would definitely recommend doing a day tour too.

If you love nature and birds, then you're in for a treat. Zealandia is the place to go for a day trip. The main path is an easy(flat) walking path(wheelchair accessible) that leads to a larger open area for sitting by the benches and hearing birds call out to each other, if an easy day is on the list. If you are more into hiking, then there are steeper paths that take you to more scenic spots throughout the sanctuary up and over the hills, across the suspension bridge and the dam. I haven't heard as many varying bird calls as I have whilst visiting Zealandia. It almost felt like how nature feels in fantasy films. Even if you aren't a big outdoorsy person, this hidden gem is worth the visit. The cafe is just above admissions. Private function times vary.

This is bird heaven. I was so happy here. It’s a literal oasis in the middle of the city that surrounds you with so much nature you forget where you are. I could have spent the entire day here and wish I was local to become a member. It’s truly magical. I mean what’s better than being surrounded by bird song and beautiful foliage? I will say I don’t know how little kid friendly this place is, and by little kid I mean under 3 or 4. Apart from walking around and looking at everything, there isn’t much for the little ones. School aged kids, especially if they’re into birds and nature, will love it, but might be a bit boring for the wee ones after the initial bird spotting. The walking trails are all very well maintained, played out by difficulty which was very helpful, and we had no problems spotting all kinds of wildlife.