The tour begins with a short film and introduction inside the Visitor Centre's interactive exhibition. Afterwards, the guide leads the group on an exciting walk through the sanctuary in search of wildlife.
From start to finish, our night tour was excellent. Incredibly knowledgeable guide able to answer questions about flora and fauna. We were fortunate to see two small brown kiwi, lost count of tuatara, a tiny tree frog, and a cave weta. Worth every dollar!
Really great night tour, we saw a bit of a kiwi! But they are of course very fast and hard to spot. What we did see was very bright and cool looking glow worms along the whole walk. Really amazing to see what looked like fairy lights hung up along the rock walls as we walked, but knowing that they are actually natural, alive animals! The tour guide was great, we saw 3 species of weta (freaky but interesting) many many birds including takahe, tui, and cormorants (or shags) but also my favourite animal, a flatworm.
I am a member so I can visit anytime and walk which is always lovely - but a few nights ago did the night tour. We saw 3 kiwis which was fabulous ... one even falling off a bank right next to us - hilarious... plus an eel, gerkin slug, Maude island frog, Pateke (rare as anything duck), shags, kaka, tuatara, glow worms- was wonderful quietly walking through the bush in the dark and only 3 of us on the tour so we saw so much.. completely worth it - will do again and again to visit the kiwis.
Really enjoyed this Zealandia Night Tour. Saw some kiwis, glowworms and lots of other bugs. My guide Manuela and her assistant were both great. They love their work.
Informative fun nightlife.. peaceful in outdoor with animals great leaders Katie and Claire . passionate about their work and love of animals. Great experience would highly recommend… saw a ruru and kiwi … beautiful to be surrounded by nature animals and the moon in the sky.
Would highly recommend this tour! Saw so much fantastic wildlife and our guide Johnny was incredible and so knowledgeable.
We had an absolutely fantastic Zealandia by Night experience on Monday and couldn't recommend it highly enough to fellow nature lovers. Our guide, Ash, was incredible. Her storytelling ability is second to none, bringing the history and wildlife of Zealandia to life, while her knowledge of the sanctuary's fauna was genuinely mind-blowing. We were incredibly fortunate with our sightings, including a male little spotted kiwi busily foraging for bugs, a baby tuatara, and a fully grown female giant wētā, along with plenty of other fascinating nocturnal creatures. The evening began with a highly engaging and informative presentation in the Visitor Centre, including a captivating film exploring the natural history of Aotearoa New Zealand. The tour itself was beautifully paced and packed with fascinating insights, and it concluded perfectly with a freshly brewed pot of kawakawa tea. A wonderful experience from start to finish. Highly recommended for anyone who loves New Zealand's wildlife and wants to experience the ngahere after dark!
It was a very enjoyable and informative experience. The guide spoke with great passion and a real depth of knowledge. Zealandia is a true gem.
We did the night tour and struck very lucky as we saw three kiwis. Group size was small but some annoying tourists who continued to use flash when told not to so spoiled part of the experience. Dress warm!
This was a fantastic experience, and we really enjoyed doing the tour at night. All I wanted to see was a kiwi, and I did, so I was thrilled! However, when the tour finished and we were told how many kiwis were in the area, we were surprised that we didn't see more. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable, and the headsets were an excellent addition. They meant everyone could clearly hear the commentary regardless of where they were in the group. Our only criticism was that we felt the group size was a little too large. We missed seeing the second kiwi, and my husband wasn't able to get a clear view of the takahē because there were too many people gathered around and he couldn't get to the front in time. An added bonus was that the ticket also allowed entry the following day. Unfortunately, our travel plans meant we were leaving Wellington, so we weren't able to take advantage of this. Had we known about this benefit in advance, we would have adjusted our plans to make the most of it.
Such an informative, fun and healthy activity. It was a cold wettish night but as long as you are dressed for the conditions, it was quite comfortable and pleasant. We saw plenty of nighttime activity and the guide along with a volunteer spotter of wildlife were great. Highly recommend.
Matt and Cami were fantastic. A wonderful and unique experience. I would heartily recommend this to anyone. Listening to and seeing kiwis was incredible, and I will always remember fondly.
Matt and Brie were so good at spotting wildlife—even bugs and slugs. We had 5 kiwi spottings! The red light torches provided gave ample light for walking. Matt was very knowledgeable about Zealandia and its “residents” and was inspiring to listen to. Excellent tour!
Zealandia was AMAZING. I would give a million dollars to them if I could. Their conservation work is incredible. Walking into the reserve felt like walking into prehistoric times. I saw FIVE of the lesser spotted kiwi (one ran up to me) and also two Takahe!!! Amazing tour with a great tourguide.
Do NOT MISS . Did the night tour and despite rain and chill we saw an incredible array of animals including immature KIWI at the very end. Our path was illuminated by the glow worms which gave us an extra blessing👍
This is such a fun activity. The park at night is full of bird calls and the nocturnal animals you won't see in the daytime. Chief among those nocturnal species is the kiwi bird. There are roughly 200 in the park, so your odds ofvsering one are good.
I wish I could remember our guides’ names cause the ladies were great! I did the night tour with red light torches and they helped us find tuatara, weta, tons of birds, fish, and glowworms. We even saw four kiwis (which I hear is pretty insane so DON’T get your hopes up!) Thanks zealandia for an unforgettable experience!
Magical evening, saw lots of fantastic wildlife including Takahē, Tuatara, kiwi, Gherkin slugs and native tree frogs . Tony and Kathy were a fantastic team. The set up was very professional. Loved it.
We had such a lovely night on this tour - saw some amazing creatures and nearly saw a kiwi! Our guide was so lovely and enthusiastic and I would do it all again
We were able to see some great wildlife. The conservation efforts here are top notch. I don't remember our guides name, but he did a great job
Had a great night out in Zealandia and saw 3 kiwis. We also learnt about native flora and fauna and saw many weta. Would recommend not only for the kiwi sightings but also to support Zealandia's work!
Lovely walk around the eco sanctuary with our epic guide, Johnny. He was so knowledgeable and patient. We saw lots of bugs and birds. It was a beautiful experience:)
Amazing eco tour with Jonny! We saw so many bugs and heard kiwis which was lovely. A great way to see and support the local sanctuary!
Great tour - Al and Tony were an excellent guide/ spotter respectively. Very informative and interesting the whole history of the reserve. Very lucky to have seen both Takakhe (all three!) and kiwi. A good amount of time spent walking through the reserve. Would point out that the free shuttle bus to the reserve from Wellington stopped mid afternoon and the cafe at Zealandia shut at 4.30pm. If you're booked onto the twilight tour like we were you have to find your own way there (and back) and there isn't much to occupy you if you turn up early. That aside, still well worth a visit. Never know what you might see.
Saw some birds, some slugs, two frogs, a bunch of trees, some bugs and....TWO KIWIS ...But none of these sightings are guaranteed
Such amazing people that work there. The guides were really great! So informative and helpful. We saw lots of birds and bugs. But no kiwi. We honestly weren't expecting to see a kiwi though so we weren't really disappointed. It was just great to be outside walking thru nature hearing birds and seeing bugs. 🙂 We do think the number of people in the tour should have been cut in half, especially for a night tour. The guide tried her best to get everyone to see the sights, but a few people in the group that kept to the front prevented some of us from seeing everything. Still, we understand the need to have larger groups. The guides definitely made this event a worthwhile and wonderful event.
We enjoyed learning about the nocturnal activities of New Zealand birds, reptiles and insects. Alan was a great guide. Seeing kiwi was especially exciting. We even had a cup of herbal tea after the tour.
This was our third visit to Zealandia in two years and we cannot say enough good about the park, the team and the unbelievable progress that has been made for the benefit of endemic plants, animalia and birds in just 30+ years. This time we added the night tour to our bucket list, and while fleeting, did see the little Spotted Kiwi feeding. This is a must-do for all Welly visitors! Craig and T
We had a great evening and saw lots. Our female guide and spotter were excellent . Highlight was two sightings of kiwis
We really enjoyed the evening! This was the one place in New Zealand where we actually got to see kiwis in their natural environment. We actually saw three kiwis while there as well as multiple tuatare, tuis and some swags/cormorants.
We booked this tour because we wanted the chance to see a kiwi and it did not disappoint! We were lucky enough to see a kiwi at the beginning of our tour in its entirety, and then two additional times we got to see one from farther away. We also saw tuataras, three frogs, all three types of Weta, Tui, Kaka, and more! We didn't have a rental car so were nervous on how it would turn out at the end of the tour with being able to get an uber back into town late in the evening, but luckily we had no issue getting an uber to pick us up. This was by far our favorite part of our trip to New Zealand.
Chose the night tour in Zealandia because I was specifically hoping to see Kiwis, Tuataras and maybe a Ruru, and was lucky on most accounts. A dozen Tuataras, and one very patient Ruru close up! Frogs and glowworms were a nice extra treat. We did see Kiwis from afar, but sadly they were rather hidden in the bushes and our group didn't get the clearest view, but oh well, they're wild animals, so you can't always get what you want. It was still worth it! The provided headsets worked very well, so our guide could keep his voice low while speaking straight for the entirety of the two-hour walk. It felt very educational, and I admire Zealandia's mission and dedication!
We had a great Night Tour lead by John, aided by Glenda the scout! We saw and heard Tui, Kaka (bush parrots) and Ruru (morepork), and saw Pied Shags, Diving Ducks, Paradise Ducks, Kiwi, Giant Weta, Cave Weta, the amazing Tuatara and lots of Glow Worms. Hamilton's Frogs were a no-show! The introductory film on the big wide screen is still giving me goosebumps just thinking about it. Incredibly moving imagery, packing a long and complex story into just a few short minutes. Definitely worth a visit!
We had a perfectly guided night tour through Zealandia. Our guide gave us a lot of information and enough time to listen, explore and discover everything. And what shall I say: We saw a lot of Tuataras, Wetas, Glowworms, 2 Hamilton frogs and tatata 3 Kiwis, one of them a young one! It was a perfect Nighttour and we can highly recommend it! Nothing can compare with the magic of nature!
It had rained most of the afternoon on the day we visited so maybe that was why many birds were absent. Sadly, no kiwis were seen. We saw cormorants, diving ducks, tuatara, tree wētā, gherkin slugs, glow worms, banded kokopu fish and another tiny minnow like fish. Guides were exceedingly enthusiastic about their work and passionate about the Zealandia programme. A very pleasant and informative evening.
The night tour was amazing. Our guide Matt was professional and enthusiastic and our wildlife spotter (I’m so sorry I’ve forgotten her name) was a pro at finding even some of the quite rare critters. It was a unique experience for sure, and the tour ticket included admission for the next day, so we came back to walk around and saw different birds than the night before. It’s really cool to have such a large eco sanctuary so close to the city, and we would happily go back again and again!
The night tour was absolutely amazing! Our tour guide Rebecca and her volunteer assistance, took us through a 2 1/2 hour stroll of the sanctuary. We saw such amazing wildlife from glowworms to kiwis to birds. This was a highlight of our trip to Wellington and would recommend it to all who visit this charming place.
The nighttime tour was an amazing experience! It was wonderful to hear all the daytime birds as they were settling down and then all the nighttime birds as they were waking up. The tour started with a video and short explanation inside, and we were all given single-ear headphones connected to a radio transmitter so we could hear our guide even if we were strung out along the path. We were also given red flashlights. We didn’t see any kiwi, but we did hear them calling to each other multiple times. We did see lots of tuatara (native reptiles), glow worms, weta crickets, and a rare native tree frog. And also lots of other birds! One of the endangered native ducks (I forget its name) ran right past us on the path, literally over our feet! We also stopped for some native plants and got the chance to look and smell the leaves on the tree that has a lemony scent. Our guide (Emily iirc?) was very enthusiastic and knowledgeable and a joy to have as our tour leader. The tour ended with some kawakawa tea and a chance to browse the gift shop. We didn’t have any extra time during our trip but if we did then we would have come back the next day to do a daytime tour or walk on our own.
We had looked forward to our trip to Zealandia for a long time. Coming from the UK, the big outburst of birdsong in the Spring is in the early morning, the dawn chorus. It was a different experience getting a New Zealand evening chorus. Our guides were very informative and it was great to see some animals that they got really excited about. We saw 3 Kiwis and several Tuatara. The use of radio headsets helped the experience in that our guide could talk to us all while keeping her voice at a low level, to avoid disturbing the animals.
We had a fantastic time on our small group night tour with Andrew, learning so much while wandering the grounds together. We were fortunate to see two Kiwi, three Tuatara and glowworms along the way. Their excellent gift shop included greeting cards that played recordings of birdsongs…trying to secretly purchase a tūī card turned into quite a fun operation…many thanks to Andrew and his great co-workers for pulling it off! We were really glad to get to learn more about Zealandia and its conservation mission.
Amazing experience at this place. We came for their night time tour to see some kiwis in person, but unfortunately we never saw any since they are in their natural habitat. We did hear some though! We learned a lot about all the other native plants and animals of New Zealand and saw lots of tuataras! Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and super nice. They walked us around the preserve and give you little flashlights to help you see. I would highly recommend this to anyone visiting Wellington.
Fantastic experience. Claire and Kami were wonderful. The enthusiasm and joy they displayed in every discovery was infectious. We had a great time and saw 4 Kiwis.
A great, nature experience! Our tour guide, Toby was highly knowledgeable and passionate about Zealandia and conservation. Put it on your list when visiting Wellington! Highly recommended!!
This is an absolute must do experience in Wellington! The guides are highly knowledgeable and do their best to look for NZ native flora and fauna. We were especially lucky to see a kiwi!
It was very fun and I was happy. I saw kiwi, meaning that Zealandia had not scammed me and I was getting what I paid for which makes me happy.
We did the night tour and can highly recommend it to everyone! You immediately notice how much passion has gone into this conservation project, which gives the local wildlife a place to thrive again. A big thank you to our guide Oliver, who provided us with so much interesting information about the flora and fauna throughout the tour. And to his two spotters, thanks to whom we saw several Kiwis, Tuataras, Wētās, Glow worms and so much more! An absolute must do for every nature lover.
We went on a rainy night tour and had a great time. The tour guide was so knowledgeable. We saw a lot of pickle slugs and tuatara. We were also very fortunate to see two Pepeketua. We heard a lot of kiwi and were very lucky to see one after a couple near misses. Would definitely recommend this tour to everyone.
Was awesome, seen Kiwis, Wētās, a rare frog and lots of other animals. our guide gave us lots of information about the animals and the environment.
Lovely nighttime experience. Autumn was a great guide and Clare is the kiwi whisperer - she found 5 kiwis. Magical place doing great work.
Really enjoyable, informative evening being taken around a sanctuary that is doing brilliant work. With guides who were friendly, open to questions and who made everyone feel included, this is a must-do for nature lovers. And if you are lucky, you get to see a infant frog no bigger than your fingernail, and of course, a Kiwi!
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