Back in Time to Ancient Zealandia - From Moa to Dinosaurs

Keeping up to date with scientific discoveries about New Zealand's origins can be a bit hit and miss. Think about what you remember from school or nature documentaries you've seen. Like me, you might have had the idea that our weird and wonderful wildlife was all on board New Zealand when it split from Gondwana. The term "Moa's Ark" made popular by David Bellamy reinforces that idea, suggesting that the land was a boat on which animals sailed away.

Scientific advances however have enabled scientists to have a much more nuanced understanding of New Zealand's origins - and of the fauna and flora that we identify with New Zealand.

Takahe, moa and Haast's eagle 'From Moa to Dinosaurs'
illustration Ned Barraud

Here are some facts that I learned about while researching and writing From Moa to Dinosaurs: explore and discover ancient New Zealand:

Behind the Scenes - Nature at Te Papa

Usually I'm out and about exploring nature - outside. But recently Wellington's 150th Capital Anniversary provided a special opportunity to explore nature indoors. An open day at the museum - Te Papa Tongarewa - was a unique chance to see some of the treasures stored there.

The day started with a guided behind-the-scenes tour of the Botany collection. Te Papa's curators had carefully selected some treasures to show us, from plants collected by Solander on Cook's 1st voyage 1768-1771

Solander's collection orchid and tree fern

to the now extinct Cook's scurvy plant

Nature Walks at Zealandia - edible plants

The Zealandia walking group sets out to explore Zealandia every second Monday. Recently we've been lucky enough to have some experts teach us more about the plants in Zealandia.

Kaka in the Garden

There are some pretty unusual and rare birds that can be seen in some gardens. Imagine finding a kiwi in your garden! One place that could happen is Oban, the small town on Stewart Island/Rakiura. About 400 people live in Oban, and late at night residents and visitors can hear kiwi screeching in the parks and in the gardens. See Stewart Island Brown Kiwi.

Another unusual and rare bird that can be seen in Oban's gardens during the daytime is the kaka.

Day Trips in Wellington - Zealandia

Zealandia really is the best New Zealand nature experience for tourists in the capital. Visitors we took there said it was the best experience of their whole trip, and we were standing in pouring rain at the time!

Zealandia Great Value - Even Better Now

Zealandia launches lower price structure and enhanced visitor experience | Zealandia: The Karori Sanctuary Experience

Our overseas visitors love Zealandia. They say this is the best guided nature experience they've had in New Zealand. Our out-of-town visitors like it too. Hope this encourages more local people to get to know the sanctuary.

Enhancing the Halo in Wellington

Enhancing the Halo
Here's a great local project for families in Wellington. Join the Halo project and find out how to make your garden an attractive place for native birds.
There's even a photo competition.

See Sirocco the kākāpō

If you live in or near Wellington, here is a great opportunity to get up close to a kākāpō. Siroccolandia: return of the kākāpō, with Alfie Kākā | Zealandia: The Karori Sanctuary Experience

I went to see Sirocco at Zealandia last year. It was a great experience to see for yourself how large these gorgeous birds are. Sirocco's keeper had a lot of interesting things to tell us too. The visits are all in the evening because kākāpō are nocturnal birds. It was enjoyable visiting the sanctuary at night. As we walked along to Sirocco's enclosure we heard the kiwi and morepork calling, which was a treat in itself.