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Zealandia - Twilight Guided Eco Wildlife Tour
4.8
48 Ratings
Wellington
Discover Zealandia at twilight. Join a 2.5-hour guided tour to witness native birds’ dusk chorus and the sanctuary’s evening transformation.
Discover Zealandia at twilight. Join a 2.5-hour guided tour to witness native birds’ dusk chorus and the sanctuary’s evening transformation.
Duration:
2 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- ZEALANDIA Ecosanctuary - These exclusive tours start 2 hours before sunset, when the last of the daytime visitors have gone. You will begin your tour with the highlights of Zealandia’s interactive exhibition where you will uncover the unique natural history of New Zealand and hear about the 500-year vision of the sanctuary. Your guide will then…
- ZEALANDIA Ecosanctuary - These exclusive tours start 2 hours before sunset, when the last of the daytime visitors have gone. You will begin your tour with the highlights of Zealandia’s interactive exhibition where you will uncover the unique natural history of New Zealand and hear about the 500-year vision of the sanctuary. Your guide will then lead you on an after-hours tour through the regenerating valley during one of the most active times of the day for many of our species. Encounter unique wildlife such as wētā, takahē, tuatara and more. You may even experience the first sounds of the nocturnal birds, such as kiwi and ruru (morepork) as they wake.
What's Included
- Tea and coffee
- Guided walking tour of Zealandia: The Exhibition and Sanctuary Valley
- Entry to Zealandia as a general admission visitor on the day of or day after your tour
- Tea and coffee
- Guided walking tour of Zealandia: The Exhibition and Sanctuary Valley
- Entry to Zealandia as a general admission visitor on the day of or day after your tour
What's Not Included
- Food and drinks
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Food and drinks
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
Additional Information
Experience Zealandia as it transforms from daylight to twilight during this special 2.5 hour guided experience. You will have an opportunity to experience the dusk chorus sung by a cacophony of native New Zealand birds. See birds returning to the sanctuary to settle into their nests and marvel at the sight of the evening sky and hear the changing sounds…
Experience Zealandia as it transforms from daylight to twilight during this special 2.5 hour guided experience. You will have an opportunity to experience the dusk chorus sung by a cacophony of native New Zealand birds. See birds returning to the sanctuary to settle into their nests and marvel at the sight of the evening sky and hear the changing sounds of birds from day to night. The fully-fenced, urban eco-sanctuary is located 10-minutes from Wellington central business district, a not to be missed experience! Witness firsthand why Zealandia has been named the top tourism operation in Aotearoa New Zealand 2023, winning the prestigious Air New Zealand Supreme Tourism Award.
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Minimum age is 5 years
- Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
- Wear sturdy footwear, bring extra layers of clothing and a waterproof jacket.
- To get to ZEALANDIA at night we recommend you book a taxi via your hotel concierge team or call Wellington Combined Taxis Ph: (04) 384 44 44
- Please arrive 15 minutes before your tour start time
Location
53 Waiapu Road
Waiapu Road
Departure Point: Zealandia Visitors Centre
Address: End of Waiapu Road, Karori, Wellington
Directions: To get to ZEALANDIA at night we recommend you book a taxi or uber.
You can call Wellington Combined Taxis
Dates: See Availability
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.8
(48 Ratings)
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Jason_t
Mar 6, 2025
Great experience for birding or nature lovers - Loved every minute of the tour. But really loved the fact that it included free day entry to the park the next day to see it all at our own pace included in the tour price
Review provided by Viator
Ljohnsonabcde
Mar 6, 2025
See New Zealand Nature - Wealt good shoes and bring proper clothes for changeable Wellington weather. If you can, plan for extra time in the reserve; you get free entry before the evening tours or the following day. There is a free shuttle from the top of the cable car station. A couple of public buses have a stop nearby. The #2 bus runs to/from downtown and Zealandia.
Review provided by Viator
Jimp692
Mar 2, 2025
Great Context for the National Commitment to the Environment - Definitely try to do this tour. We took the evening walk - timed to maximize the chance to enjoy the sunset, see kiwis, and hear the songbirds.
An easy and non-demanding walk, with a team of guides who provided a wealth of information.
For a first-time visitor to New Zealand, the level of the country's attention to its environment is stunning. Taking this tour with first-hand exposure puts it in context - a project with a meticulous long-term commitment.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Vincent_v
Mar 2, 2025
Zealandia Twilight - Be patient. Our guide was a wonderful, articulate, knowledgeable, passionate about the environment, and full of information.
Review provided by Viator
Juhapekka_k
Mar 2, 2025
It's a nice easy walk.... - It's a nice easy walk. Guides are very knowledgeable and helpful. They are ready to answer your questions.
Review provided by Viator
Al
Feb 21, 2025
Fascinating educational experience - great fun! - Firstly, what an amazing setup and organisation. They really care about the environment and wildlife, and taught me so much in such a short space of time.
I started this tour a little envious of the people going out on the night tour, as kiwi are more often seen later on, alas there were no spaces left.
Firstly, our guide Oliver introduced himself and fellow guide Heather, who would trek out ahead of us and act as a wildlife spotter. Next we were treated to a film explaining the ethos of the Zealandia organisation and the ambitious 500 year plan upon which they have embarked.
Then we ventured out into the forest - or “bush” - and instantly saw / heard various birds which were pointed out to us and their habits / conservation plans explained. This is where Oliver came alive: his passion for the flora and fauna was unparalleled and infectious. Both plants and wildlife were pointed out and enthused about so vividly that you couldn’t help feeling the same about them.
Heather did an excellent job of spotting wildlife up ahead, including a rare frog which Oliver revealed was only his third sighting!
As the sun set we were encouraged to turn on our red light torches to help us spot wildlife and stay safe on the path, which (for me at least) added a sort of intrepid aura to the experience.
Suddenly Oliver bade us gather around and revealed in the undergrowth a kiwi foraging for food. This bird stayed around for over 5 minutes, apparently unperturbed by our presence, before we moved on so as not to disturb.
Next we saw a giant Wētā, again a rare sighting, then, astonishingly Heather spotted a second kiwi! This one soon disappeared into the forest, but as a group we felt so lucky to have experienced two sightings that we all left on quite a high.
I cannot recommend this experience highly enough.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
510nicoleo
Feb 17, 2025
We saw a little spotted kiwi! - Such a cool experience! Matt and Rosemary were so knowledgeable about the ecosanctuary and all of the birds contained within. It didn't feel like we were anywhere near Wellington - it's so quiet and peaceful. We were so lucky to be able to see a kiwi off the trail with our red light torches at the very end of our tour. If you have mobility issues, be mindful because though there are clearly marked paths, there are also exposed roots and uneven terrain. Plus this was a tour at night and it was pitch black without the red light torches.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lex_v
Feb 16, 2025
Beautiful landscapes full... - Beautiful landscapes full of native birds and tuatara. During the twilight tour you get to see the day active birds as well as an opportunity to see kiwi. We had a very passionate and knowledgeable guide!
Review provided by Viator
O5739idthomash
Jan 29, 2025
We Found the Elusive Kiwi - We thoroughly enjoyed our twilight tour of Zealandia...definitely worth the time and money. We learned a lot on the tour and thanks to our expert guides, Allison and Autumn, we even got to see a Kiwi in the wild. Kiwis are nocturnal, and it was amazing that Allison and Autumn were able to detect one and point it out to us using their special red "night flashlights so as not to disturb the Kiwi. They made sure that everyone in our small group was able to see this elusive bird when we were fortunate to come across one. Not every tour is so lucky.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jellyfishslayer
Mar 6, 2025
Good but could be better - Interesting tour with information about zealandia. They are obviously very passionate about their work. Didn’t see a kiwi but obviously nothing is guaranteed with wildlife. Did see some rarities but overall not that much wildlife. Think there could have been more information to keep us all engaged though when we asked questions more info was forthcoming. The main issue for us was that the flora and fauna names used were all Māori names. Whilst this is understandable, to our English tourist ears it was difficult to remember the names. An additional ‘also known as’ in English or even the official Latin name might have helped. I came away remembering the visuals but not the names. As we were told, our entrance fees keep this place going so it’s important the guides put themselves in the tourists shoes and not just give out their own messaging.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
