New Zealand - Wellington and Zealandia


Wellington is New Zealand’s capital city and our first stop in the North Island. We just had time enough to visit the excellent National Museum known as Te Papa, and also the Zealandia eco sanctuary. The latter is a 225 hectare (556 acre) forested valley that has been fully fenced off to protect the many endangered native species of wildlife that have been reintroduced to the sanctuary, including many birds – some flightless – that have been nearly wiped out by humans and the land mammals they introduced. (New Zealand has no native land mammals). We loved walking the many trails looking for and listening for the many birds and other animals flitting about the forest. Yes, somehow we have become those people who find bird watching exciting.


Takahe - a flightless bird once thought to be extinct. There are still only 347 birds by the last count.


New Zealand Quail


Zealandia includes a reservoir
(photo by Deborah)


Tui, with its distinctive white throat feathers


Kaka, a type of parrot





Kereru, or New Zealand Pigeon. They're huge.


Sign on the street just outside of Zealandia. Apparently the kereru have a problem with cars.  (photo by Deborah)


Saddleback


Hihi, also known as the stitchbird


Tuatara - looks like a lizard but is actually an ancient type of reptile that dates back to the time of the dinosaurs. 
FUN FACTS: 
1) It has a third eye in the middle of its forehead! Only visible after they first hatch, it was probably once a fully functioning eye.
2) Unlike lizards, tuatara have no external ears.
3) They don't have separate teeth, just extensions of their jawbones.
4) It has no penis. Instead it has a cloaca, or vent, like a bird.


 Video of a Tui making its distinctive call, or chattering, or whatever you call it. They often sound a bit like R2D2.


Wellington


Te Papa Museum


One of several giant sculptures crafted by Weta Workshop for an exhibition at the Te Papa Museum about the Gallipoli campaign of World War I.




Your moment of zen: Deborah's video of a couple of takahe grazing.

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