Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne — Attraction in North Island

My second visit here, unfortunately it has rained both times. Fantastic gift shop with some lovely souvenirs to take home. The whole concept of Zealandia is wonderful, and the staff clearly love what they do. The eco- friendly message is spread throughout the park, from the bathrooms recycled water, to the use of electric vehicles and charging stations. Beautiful grounds which even on a wet/cloudy day are serene and magical. Beautiful bird sounds can be heard throughout and the native bush stretches as far as the eye can see. We had a wonderful lady pick us up from the Cable Car/Gardens in the free courtesy van...her enthusiasm and commentary were wonderful. Unfortunately we had an issue returning as the free coach didnt arrive when it was supposed to, so we were left waiting a while. I suspect it didnt come to the front pick up point where we were told to wait but instead left from the charging station, so some clarity/signs would be of use so people know the correct assembly point. Another issue was with some of the tour guides, we weren't part of the tour but found it difficult to get past the large tour groups as they spread themselves across the paths to listen to the Guide. Perhaps a wee reminder from the guides to ask the tour groups to leave room for others. I'm not sure whether there is any assistance for people with mobility issues but it can be quite difficult/long way to walk for those who do have problems. Loved the activity points, the bird sounds area was a...

We did a guided night tour and a day visit as well. If you book onto a night tour they give you free day entry the next day, which was a really nice bonus. I would 100% recommend the night tour if you have the chance. There were around 12 people on our tour. The group size enabled us to move around the forest quietly.

You watch a short introduction film in the visitor's centre before heading outside. We learned a huge amount from our guide (Alan) during our time with him. While he led our group through the forest and told us about the surroundings, a volunteer (Sharon) walked ahead and spotted wildlife for us. She did an excellent job and we saw two kiwis, tuataras, and wētās to name a few. After our tour we returned to the visitor's centre to try kawakawa tea and ask the guides more questions.

Some practical things: The carpark is fairly small, so get there early if you visit during the day. On a night tour this isn't a problem of course. Photography is allowed on the night tour as long as flash is disabled. You are given a headset to listen to the guide's voice, great for people with hearing issues.

We were so pleased with our visit, it was everything we had hoped...

ZEALANDIA IS THE BIRDY VERSION OF JURASSIC PARK. There are fences to keep the predators out. But the birds can fly freely in and out of this GINOMOUS Sanctuary. I was so mad at myself for only leaving 2 hours to explore. I could have moved in forever. It was 4C but I didn't notice the cold because everywhere I looked there was fluttering, and chirping, and a cacophony of song. I LOVE the Tui. Sounds like R2D2. I made a friend from a native Toutouwai Robin that was "asking" me to move the leaves next to the edge of the path so it could hunt more easily for bugs. It hung out with me for 15minutes. So special. I only realised on my way back that there were "bug hotels" and I finally saw a Weta!! Kaka Parrots are so cute and you can tell they have mischievous personalities.

Like I said, I was there just for 2 hours before my flight home. Next time I go I'll take:

Small Folding seat Esky with food to last all day More layers of clothes! Camera and Tripod

I would do both days (each ticket allows you to come in the next day) and try to get close to all the...