Explore | Wildlife Park & Reserve | Staglands Wildlife Reserve

A Guide to Staglands Wildlife Reserve

Map of Staglands which all visitors receive on arrival.

Forest Wetlands

Say hello to Pepper our celebrity Sulphur Crested Cockatoo and her friendly Australian buddies in The Pond Aviary before entering the boardwalks of The Forest Wetlands, an area that has been extensively vegetated and provides shelter and breeding sites for a wide range of native and introduced waterfowl including Mute Swans, Graylag Geese, Grey Teal, Brown Teal, Scaup (Black Teal), NZ Shovelers, Mandarin Wood Ducks, Grey Ducks, Paradise Ducks (NZ Shelduck) and the Australian Shelduck.

Take a detour and explore Tracey’s Cave where you might just see some glow worms and the Staglands waterfall.

Make sure you stop off at The Barn to rest a while, take in the ambience and hop on a free off-road tractor trailer ride if it is running

Stables

Meet our kune kune family and walk through our interactive kea aviary where you are sure to see some cheeky antics, before entering The Stables area where we look after many of the young animals at Staglands. You can hop into the cosy enclosure and cuddle the guinea pigs and rabbits or keep an eye out for piglets or other young animals that are often out and about. You will also find our brooder here, where you will see young birds being reared under a heat lamp.

The Stables are also home to Ted the Pony and Jock the Clydesdale, who are always eager for a tasty carrot or a scratch behind the ear!

Don’t forget to have a play on Larry the old Land Rover too, parked in front of The Stables.

Trout & Eel

Marvel at the magnificent Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout and gigantic slippery eels in their picturesque pool, set in one of the many areas of regenerating native bush. Rainbow Trout are members of the salmon family and, like their salmon cousins, can grow quite large!

Brown and rainbow trout can be quite aggressive towards one another during spawning which is part of their natural behaviour. So don't be alarmed if you witness this. We have Trout Food available for $2.50 so you can get up very close and personal them. From the platform you can feed them and watch their beautiful rainbow colours as they splash around! A great family activity and something you can’t do at most zoos or farm parks!

Toetoe Aviary

As you enter this exciting walk-through aviary, look out for the trout fingerlings in the aviary pool on the left which come from the Fish & Game Hatchery in Rotorua and are initially reared here. They are transferred into The Trout Pond at 2 years of age.

Meander through this large aviary, heavily planted with toetoe grass where a wonderful range of brilliantly coloured birds are to be seen and heard.

Look out for Rocky our friendly sulphur-crested cockatoo, our amazingly coloured mandarin wood ducks and delightful lovebirds, as well as tiny zebra finches and java sparrows, colourful ring necked parakeets and cockatiels, ring neck doves and golden pheasants to name just a few. Take your time and see how many you can spot!

Old Bush Settlement

The walk-through whio aviary gives visitors the opportunity to meet one of our most endangered endemic birds. Take some time too to say hello to our friendly Arapawa Island Goats and marvel at their climbing expertise, before crossing the scenic Akatarawa river via our swing bridge, where you will arrive at The Old Bush Settlement. This nostalgic recreation of an abandoned bush settlement offers a unique view of the life led by pioneers during the early settlement of New Zealand. Take a ride on The Flying Stag, then explore all the exciting nooks and crannies this interactive area has to offer. The Settlement is a fantastic backdrop for photography enthusiasts and a great Wellington bushwalk.

Leaving the Old Bush Settlement you will arrive at The Tarn, a picturesque open water area. Here the kids can enjoy a ride on the bush railway and walk the waterway boardwalks. Look out for our slider turtles, usually found hauled out on the logs on sunny days, our black swans and numerous other waterfowl that make their home here.

Deer Park & Croft

As you approach this area via The Tarn boardwalks you will see the rolling hills overlooking Staglands where our fallow deer freely roam. Look out for Mork & Mindy our Emu pair, who are extremely inquisitive and hard to miss!

You are also likely to be greeted by the turkeys, peacocks, Guinea fowl, shy fallow deer and not so shy goats!

Remember to say hello to our magnificent Highland cattle, Monty & Maisy and endearing donkeys Jack and Daphne.

And if you need to burn off some extra energy, trek to the top of the hill, where you will be rewarded with a stunning view of Staglands.

Depart this very interactive area via The Rookery and Auckland Island Enclosure, before heading back over the river.

Secret Garden

Enter The Secret Garden, a magical place, reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland, where you will find oodles of very friendly and inquisitive animals that will come to be fed if you are quiet and patient.

These include silkie bantams and giant Flemish rabbits. Make sure you rest a while in this scenic spot at the end of your Staglands journey and enjoy the ambience.

There's also a large goldfish pond with a waterfall teeming with colourful goldfish that you can feed.

As you exit The Secret Garden on your way back to The Café there is a magic wishing well, so stop and make a wish and it might just come true!

Explore Staglands

Staglands Wildlife Reserve offers an exciting day out for anyone visiting the Wellington region. Connect with the friendly animals, native birds and its natural beauty as you journey around this unique reserve!

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What’s On At Staglands

There’s always lots on at Staglands! Read on to find out more about our latest news and offers, activities for children, photo competition and more.

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Cafe

Enjoy tempting home-made treats complimented with fresh coffee, or order a light café lunch from the menu. The Café is fully licensed so you can purchase a beer or wine or choose from a selection of cold non-alcoholic beverages. There’s something for the whole family.

Cafe Menu Wine List Cafe Venue Hire

A wonderful, refreshing animal park that encourages interaction with and respect for the animals, not just staring at them through cages. Guests are encouraged to walk amongst the animals, approach them if they are willing, feed them and generally spend time amongst them. Beautifully landscaped and organized in a clean but not "Disney-esque" way. Kids who love animals but don't get a chance to interact with them will love this place, as did ours. Please don't let this place change. An hour sitting high on the hill amongst the deer, sheep and goats was just wonderful.

Toby Phipps

First time visiting Staglands. I was absolutely in awe. With the sun shinning brightly, and the sound of peakocks shrieking amongst the back drop I felt blessed. So many wondering walkways to follow, waterfalls cascading and bridges to either cross or have a dab at keeping your balance as you jump up and down. You will definitely want to return, perhaps with picnic basket as I will be doing next time.

Jipsy Jade Lacey

Staglands Wildlife Reserve is an absolute gem! We had an amazing time feeding and interacting with the friendly animals

Arnett Thambi

Staglands is a fantastic destination for animal lovers.

There are so many cute and quirky friends you get to meet up close. Great photo opportunities for photographers of any calibre!

The tractor ride is a fun time for the whole family.

The cafe serves very tasty kai, with plenty of options for people with different dietary needs.

Danielle Peck

Such a cool experience! Love this place! Better than Wellington zoo in my opinion and my family of 6 all agree. The wildlife is treated well and genuinely cared for. The interactive experience is amazing and the surroundings and overall design/layout and feel of this reserve is outstanding.

Hayden Gear

Omg what a hidden gem! we had an absolutely amazing day. We had lunch in the cafe which was beautiful and sat next to the warm fire because it wasn't a warm day but beautifully sunny. The animal experiences were just perfect. The grounds were beautifully kept. What an amazing place. Thank you so much. We absolutely loved everything about Staglands.

Rochelle Smith

Review on Google Review on TripAdvisor

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