A photogenic kakariki (parakeet) at Zealandia in Wellington

I visited Wellington for a long weekend and a major highlight was Zealandia, a 555-acre conservation project up in the hills. There are tons of bird species and several kilometers worth of walking tracks to explore. Though the center of the site can get quite busy, if you walk far enough you’ll feel like you’re in the middle of nowhere and you’ve gone back in time. The sanctuary is surrounded by a fence to keep out predators. I saw the following bird species: hihi, bush pigeons, kakariki, brown teal ducks, and blackbirds, among others.