Zealandia eco sanctuary

Zealandia is New Zealand's first predator-proof fenced ecosanctuary and is located in the heart of Wellington. Just a few minutes from the hustle and bustle of the capital, you can immerse yourself in native bush that is teeming with New Zealand's rare and endangered species. Some have even increased in abundance over the fence in Wellington and its surrounds, as predator control efforts are starting to have a positive impact. 

Two chatty kaka

Kaka close-up

Red-crowned parakeet

Fantail

Whitehead

Takahe

Monarch butterfly

Pied shag chicks

Marlborough Sounds sea sightings

The Marlborough Sounds is a hotspot for marine wildlife. During a trip out on the water a range of different mammal and bird species can be encountered. Here are some snaps of some of the typical sightings to expect:

Hector's dolphin

Australasian gannets

King shags

Pied shags nesting

Spotted shag

Caspian tern

Blumine Island wildlife

Each predator-free island in the Sounds is different and hosts an assemblage of different species. Blumine Island is one of my favourites, especially to see tomtits which are not seen on the nearby Motuara Island. Blumine is also one of the few places where you can encounter very rare orange-fronted parakeets.

Views from Blumine Island

New Zealand woodpigeon/kereru

Tomtit

Saddleback

Nature's artwork

Sunset in the Sounds

Another day in paradise, watching the sun set in the Marlborough Sounds.

Bathing birds

The bird bath on Motuara Island is a great place to sit and wait for birds to arrive to take a dip throughout the day. Several different rare and endangered species of New Zealand birds can be seen here. 

Yellow-crowned parakeet

South Island robin

Weka

Motuara Island

Motuara island is a magical little place in the Queen Charlotte Sound, right at the edge of the Cook Strait. The lookout at the top provides spectacular views of the over the Sounds, and often all the way to the North Island. It's also a life raft for a variety of endangered birds (and other New Zealand wildlife) that have been released onto the island to save them from extinction.

Yellow-crowned parakeet

South Island robin

Saddleback - almost like a ghost in the forest

Grey warbler

New Zealand wood pigeon/kereru

New Zealand fur seal

Silvereye

Juvenile bellbird

Views out the the outer Queen Charlotte Sound