Top 10 Nature & Wildlife Areas in New Zealand, New Zealand

World-renowned diver Jacques-Yves Cousteau rated this reserve, notable for its excellent visibility, as one of the top ten places to dive in the world.

Penguin Place is a private conservation effort to help save the world's most endangered penguin, the Yellow Eyed Penguin. Visitors are taken on guided walking tours through a unique system of trenches and hides to view the penguins undisturbed at close range. Penguin Place is funded 100% by the support of our visitors, this funding enables habitat restoration, predator control, a research programme and on-site rehabilitation for sick, starving and wounded penguins. It is our hope that through our efforts, the future of this rare and wonderful penguin will be assured.

The only chance to see... the world's only mainland Royal Albatross Breeding Colony. A unique experience to access the nature reserve to see giant albatross court, mate, raise their chicks and show off their three metre wingspans. Taiaroa Head/Pukekura is alive with wildlife species, many of them scarce nesting seabirds. Our jewel in the crown is the Northern Royal Albatross. Experience it for yourself by taking a guided tour through the Nature Reserve into the viewing Observatory. The 2012 latest Lonely Planet publication "1000 Ultimate Sights" features the Royal Albatross Centre alongside the Taj Mahal and Grand Canyon. They say of us: Here at one of New Zealand's hottest attractions the draw card is the bird life. Taiaroa Head is the site of the world's only mainland royal albatross breeding ground, where you can observe the spectacle of the albatrosses with wingspans of up to 3m coming in to land like a succession of 747s. The Royal Albatross Centre is located on the tip of the Otago Peninsula, about a 45 minute drive from Dunedin. We are operated by the Otago Peninsula Trust, a charitable trust formed in 1967 for the protection of the local natural environment. The Nature Reserve on Taiaroa Head is managed by the Department of Conservation. Taiaroa Head is also famous in New Zealand history. From a small Maori camp in the 1300s to a fortified pa where the Treaty of Waitangi was signed in 1840; from a wooden flagstaff to 1864 lighthouse to radar entrance for Otago Harbour; from an 1880s underground fortress to a large defence base in WWII. Taiaroa Head is today a Nature Reserve and an iconic wildlife attraction.

See Kiwi in a natural environment - there is no glass! Get close to Kea, Tuatara and other native icons. Willowbank Wildlife Reserve is also home to introduced and exotic breeds. Make your own way around the park and animals will eat right out of your hand. Willowbank is open from 9.30Am daily - kiwis are able to be viewed from 10.30am until close.

Imagine a lush forest full of rare native animals. Discover ZEALANDIA – an ecosanctuary home to over 40 rare native species and 32km of walking tracks. Explore the outdoors at your own pace or be led by a guide! Our nature experts will show you the best places to spot wildlife like kakariki, tuatara and takahe on a ZEALANDIA by Day tour. Relax at Rata cafe with delicious food made from sustainably sourced ingredients and admire the views over the lake. Browse locally designed art, jewellery, homewares, books, clothes and gifts at the store where the products you buy have purpose and help the sanctuary to operate. For something a little more adventurous, see how the sanctuary transforms after dark on a ZEALANDIA by Night tour and search for thousands of glow worms and over 150 kiwi. Experience this world-renowned conservation success that lies only minutes from Wellington’s CBD. As a not-for-profit, your visit helps us ensure the future flourishing of New Zealand’s native wildlife.