Zealandia #HogsAbroad in New Zealand

A view of the canopy

Kia Ora!

Today, we visited Zealandia, a one-of-a-kind eco sanctuary located in the heart of Wellington. The mission of Zealandia is to restore a one-square mile tract of land to its pre-human state over the next 500 years. About 25 years into the project, significant progress is already visible. Several species of native birds have been reintroduced, and others have found their way to the sanctuary.

During our twilight tour, the forest was alive with sounds as all the birds flew home for the evening. We heard the loud squawks of the kaka, a brightly colored parrot and the cheeps of the kiki, or fantail. We also saw several tuatara, an ancient reptile that can live up to 100 years! Our guides were exceptionally knowledgeable and pointed out the birds both by sight and by sound. We learned that the names of the birds often reflect some character about them. The Maori names often reflect the call of the bird, while the European names often reflect the appearance of the bird. Since each bird has two names, you can learn a lot about a bird before even seeing it!

After strolling through forest, we finished our tour with tea brewed from kawakawa, a local plant. It was used by the Maori for its anesthetic properties, but when steeped yields a tea with peppery notes.

We thoroughly enjoyed visiting Zealandia and viewing these rare species. Leaning about local conservation practices was an added bonus. Zealandia has been a highlight of our trip thus far and we all enjoyed this unique experience!

Tuatara: a living fossil

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