Zealandia: The Karori Sanctuary Experience
Waiapu Road, Karori, Wellington 6012 View map
The Academy award-winning Weta Workshop is named after what they consider “a very cool, prickly little monster”.
Weta are native to New Zealand, with about 70 insect species of Weta throughout New Zealand.
Giant weta – one of the biggest and heaviest insects in the world - have been reintroduced into the Zealandia sanctuary as part of a national species recovery programme. Visitors can also check out 'weta hotels' to see the fearsome Wellington tree weta, and delve into the old gold mine to see the enormous cave weta.
The Hobbit trilogy star Stephen Fry was a fan of the sanctuary, tweeting to his over 4 million followers that he’d had an “incredible day” in the sanctuary when on a break from filming: “Tuatara, weta, tui, bellbird kaka: what a stunning place. The birdsong!”
The film industry’s creative touch can be found in the sanctuary’s visitor centre exhibition. Izzat Design – whose artists have worked on bringing fantasy to life on movies such as The Lord of the Rings trilogy and King Kong – were tasked with bringing reality back to life when they were asked to build the life size models of the extinct Moa and Haast’s eagle for the exhibit.
Booking availability for Zealandia
Details for Zealandia: The Karori Sanctuary Experience
Venue Map
You need to have JavaScript enabled to view the interactive venue map and the nearby accommodation.
Disclaimer
Information on WellingtonNZ.com about products and services is provided by third parties. Information changes regularly, so you should use this information as a guide only. Please contact a product or service provider directly to confirm any details.
Book Wellington accommodation
Powered by 
