Zealandia

Discover ZEALANDIA: New Zealand's ultimate nature experience

A paradise that took 80 million years to evolve was almost destroyed in the last few hundred...Just 10 minutes from central Wellington, ZEALANDIA is a unique eco-attraction. New Zealand's incredible natural history and our world-renowned conservation movement are brought to life with a state-of-the-art indoor exhibition.

Today my friend, Penny and I took the kids to Zealandia. It's a brand-new nature preserve near the city. It was fun and the kids were free so it made it even better. :) It's quite expensive but great to get out and let the kids run and see the native "bush", as they call the forest here.

MaeMae, Maisie, Jaz, Noah and Calvin

Waiting to go in!

Group photo!

A baby Tuatara

The tuatara is famous because it is the only survivor of an ancient group of reptiles that roamed the earth at the same time as dinosaurs. It hasn't changed much in over 225 million years! The relatives of tuatara died out about 60 million years ago which is why the tuatara is called a ‘living fossil’.

Tuatara once lived throughout the mainland of New Zealand but rats and people drove them to extinction there. They are now found only on 37 off-shore islands and mainland islands like the Karori Sanctuary. Total tuatara population on all these islands is estimated to be between 50,000 and 100,000.

(thanks www.kcc.org.nz/tuatara)

Ducks!

Christmas tree

I found this quite amusing. This was a pine tree they decorated for Christmas, normal, right? Obviously not in New Zealand! Check out the "exotic" pine tree part. I couldn't get over it! Exotic pine tree! Well, if that's case, I could sell some tickets to see exotic pine trees back home! :) They'd sell like hotcakes! :)