Karori Wildlife Sanctuary

In the suburb of Karori, just 2.5 kilometres from the Wellington central business district, you'll find a 252 hectare (one square mile) paradise of pest-free wilderness.

The Karori Wildlife Sanctuary is a world-first conservation attraction, where a unique and natural area is being patiently restored. As an early water catchment area, the Karori Valley was largely protected from the perils of suburban sprawl.

When the area was longer required for Wellington's water supply, the vision emerged to recreate a natural environment - exactly as it would have been centuries ago, but right inside a major city.

A purpose-built 8.6 kilometre perimeter fence keeps out introduced mammalian pests, such as stoats, weasels, possums, rats and cats. An eradication programme has removed all traces of these pests from within park. Rare and endangered birds - like the little spotted kiwi, saddleback, stitchbird and kaka - have been released into the park. Here they thrive on the increasingly abundant natural food sources.

Stroll around natural forest, lakes and historical buildings at your own pace, or book a guided tour during the day or night. You can walk across a unique historic dam, see a 19th century goldmine carved deep into the hillside, take a scenic ride on an electric boat or picnic on the lawns by the wetlands.

The Karori Wildlife Sanctuary is easily reached by public transport. There are buses every fifteen minutes from the city. Get off the bus at the first stop after the Karori Tunnel, and walk for five minutes to the end of Waiapu Road. Plenty of free parking is available for people travelling by car.

Kapiti Island Nature Reserve

Creating a place where endangered species can once again thrive has also created a rare experience for the small number of people who are allowed to visit Kapiti Island each day.

Kapiti Island Nature Reserve is ten kilometres long and two kilometres wide. Visitor numbers are strictly limited - access is only by licensed launch and a landing permit from the Department of Conservation is required. For a summer visit, you'll need to apply for a permit one to two months ahead.

Your launch departs from Paraparaumu Beach, 50 kilometres north of Wellington by car, coach or train. You’ll skim for 15 minutes across the surface of the marine reserve that lies between the mainland and Kapiti Island.

As you approach the island that was very important to pre-European Maori, and later the rugged whalers and farmers from around the globe, you’ll feel today’s world slowly diminishing like the cliffs of the mainland behind you.

Stepping ashore you’ll begin to understand what it takes to maintain a land before time. Having eradicated all mammalian predators, and fostered the restoration of the once giant rainforests, today’s guardians of the island are not about to let this work be undone. Visitors’ luggage is inspected for small stowaways, and smoking is only permitted under supervision at the water’s edge.

Guided walks can emphasise either the natural history or the cultural history of the island - you choose.

Kapiti Island is now one of New Zealand’s most important sites for bird recovery. Stitchbird, kokako, takahe, brown teal, and saddleback have all been transferred to Kapiti since the 1980s. Earlier releases (1890s to 1910s) included two types of kiwi and weka. The little spotted kiwi thrives on Kapiti Island.

As you’d expect, the island is also home to dense populations of less endangered native and marine birds. Having grown-up on the island they’re blissfully unaware of predators, and they’ll show you a level of trust seldom experienced by humans.

Equipped with the fresh knowledge from your professionally guided walk, you’ll have the opportunity to leave your small group and explore the island on your own.

Rimutaka Forest Park

The 22,000 hectare Rimutaka Forest Park encompasses much of the Rimutaka Range, which divides the Hutt Valley from the Wairarapa Plains. Easily accessible from Wellington, the area is popular with hikers and hunters.

The popular Catchpool Valley recreational area is just 30 kilometres from Wellington. There are walks in the Catchpool Valley suitable for all ages and fitness levels. A campground, with tent and motorhome sites, caters for people wanting to stay longer in this wilderness area. Forest cabins in the more remote Orongorongo Valley are available for exclusive hire and can be booked through the visitors centre.

The Rimutaka Forest Park contains native birdlife, including bellbirds, tui, kaka kereru and ruru. Red deer, goats, pigs and possums are also present. Recreational hunting of these introduced species is encouraged in specified areas.Beech forest dominates much of the range, joined by other large native tree species at lower altitudes.

In the northeastern corner of the park, a steep incline - created in 1878 for a rail route - provides one of the better mountain biking experiences in the Wellington region. The trains now use a tunnel deep in the mountain, but the incline is maintained by local authorities as a recreational area.