Zealandia - the Karori sanctuary experience
A slice of native paradise is not what you expect to find in a capital's inner city, but Wellington's Zealandia - formerly the Karori Wildlife Sanctuary - is exactly that.
Fulfilling a 500-year vision to return part of Wellington to its pre-human state, the sanctuary is an ambitious multi-million dollar conservation project developing native forest into a predator-free eco-island protected by state-of-the-art exterior fencing.
When it was established in 1999, the sanctuary was hailed as a world-first in conservation.
Since then, native flora and fauna have been reintroduced into the sanctuary, including the 'living dinosaur' tuatara and rare NZ flightless birds kiwi and weka, and many different forms of native life are now flourishing in this safe natural environment.
In the park, over 35km of bush tracks and paths criss-cross 252 hectares of regenerating forest providing walks and activities for visitors of all ages and fitness levels.
Zealandia
'Zealandia' is the name of the lost landmass that broke away from the super-continent Gondwana 80 million years ago.
The islands of New Zealand, virtually all that remain of this great land, provided a final habitat for animals and plants found nowhere else on Earth.
A new visitor and education centre telling the story of New Zealand's unique natural history, and the conservation movement that now preserves it, is due to open in 2010.
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