Zealandia

After a hearty brunch on Monday (20th) we visited a viewpoint in Charles Plummer Park on the lower slopes of Mount Victoria where we had excellent views over Wellington Harbour. It was beautiful and very hot in the sunshine. Then at Jamie’s suggestion we went to Zealandia, a bird and wildlife sanctuary on a hill above Wellington. I was concerned about walking in the heat (so often my downfall!) but I needn’t have worried; the paths were quite shady and the distances were small. It was a great wee place with lots of birds, not in cages but attracted by various strategically places feeders. I liked the big brown parrot type birds called Kakas but my favourites were the cute and bold little white-breasted Toutouwai, also known as North Island robins, who hopped right up to my feet. Most exciting though was the Tuatara that I spotted sunning itself in the research area; it’s a reptile with a spiny crest that is considered to be a living fossil. It looks like a big lizard but it has its own lineage and is very rare.