Staglands Wildlife Reserve

Staglands Wildlife Reserve

Staglands is a unique expression of New Zealand. It is a reserve, which consists of 10 ha of land. Inside the reserve it features streams, ponds, hills and gullies that have been created and developed over the years. A special feature is the old bush settlement, which gives visitors an interesting insight into what life was like for early settlers in New Zealand.

When you first go into the ...
...has Kea birds in it. Staglands have simulated the West Coast high country habitat to help these birds.

Next stop on the way around was the stables and they have two donkeys called Charlotte and Moses. Charlotte seems shy but Moses is a character always up to something. We had food we had purchased to feed the animals. On the sign it says do not touch Moses as he is inclined to bite. Being scared to go near him I stayed well back. My ... more

Staglands Wildlife Reserve

Staglands is a unique expression of New Zealand. It is a reserve, which consists of 10 ha of land. Inside the reserve it features streams, ponds, hills and gullies that have been created and developed over the years. A special feature is the old bush settlement, which gives visitors an interesting insight into what life was like for early settlers in New Zealand.

When you first go into the reserve there is an area called the forest wetlands which has been extensively vegetated and provides shelter and breeding sites for a range of waterfowl. You could feed the ducks here if you wanted. The different species of bird was black swans, mute swans, grey teal, brown teal, scaup (black teal) Carolina and Mandarin wood ducks, grey ducks, paradise ducks (NZ shell ducks) and Australian shell ducks. So for someone who likes birds there are lots to spot and see up close. They have Kaka which are rare North Island (New Zealand) birds which are delightful to watch.

The barn has the cutest wee pigs called Kune Kune Kainga. This unique New Zealand breed largely owes its survival to the activities of Staglands. They have conservation projects, which they carry out. This pig is hairy and has a cute screwed up nose.

There is a small gully, which has Kea birds in it. Staglands have simulated the West Coast high country habitat to help these birds.

Next stop on the way around was the stables and they have two donkeys called Charlotte and Moses. Charlotte seems shy but Moses is a character always up to something. We had food we had purchased to feed the animals. On the sign it says do not touch Moses as he is inclined to bite. Being scared to go near him I stayed well back. My partner who has to be up to mischief decided he would feed him but not being brave enough he sat the food on the fence. It was funny watching Moses move his mouth like a hoover over the fence for food. Even when he had no food on the fence he kept doing this movement until you put more food onto the fence. He could have kept me entertained for hours with his antics. Here you can also see guinea pigs and chicks. If you want you can get up close and touch them. I would advice parents to supervise their children in this area.

After the stables you go for another short walk and pass a trout pool with rainbow and brown trout. Personally I am not overly interested in fish and wandered quickly to the Toe Toe aviary. It was all enclosed and the birds fly around your head. I am not a great fan on aviaries and scurried out quickly, as I was a tad afraid of the birds (I'm such a child!). It was nice to get up close to some beautiful birds though.

Over the bridge is an Old Bush Settlement set up which really is a barn with information on how life was led during early settlement here. Here there is a Deer Park, which is a steep walk up hill, but the view is amazing. You will be able to see deer, sheep, goats and Chinese goats wander about this area.

Along the path more and you will come to a falcon hide which has a pair of native falcons which are lovely to see. The next stop, which is close by, is to see Auckland Island pigs, which are the cutest pigs I have ever seen and I don't even like pigs.

A play area for children is ideal for a rest even if you don't have children and just want to sit down. The last thing to see is what they call the secret garden. This is an area where if you are quiet and patient you can feed silky bantams, rabbits and lambs. They are wandering about everywhere and really aren't scared of humans.

The toilets are situated at the café and entrance just before you leave which is convenient for you.

**OVERALL**

I think this a fantastic place to bring children as they can get up close to the animals and see them in their natural habitat. Most of the animals roam freely and all have plenty of space. It is clear that they are being looked after extremely well. The park is not overly large but still a nice size to have a leisurely walk around. I really enjoyed my time here as I get to see some lovely scenery and some of the native animals.

The Reserve is open every day expect Christmas from 10am to 5pm. The address is Staglands Wildlife Reserve, Akatarawa Valley, RD 2, Upper Hutt, New Zealand. The telephone number is (01) 526 8529 and the fax number is (04) 526 8529. The email address is wildlife@staglands.co.nz and the website is http://www.staglands.co.nz. Within this personal nature reserve there are several different areas and things to see.

To get into the reserve is costs $16 adult, $14 senior citizen, $8 child and children under 3 is free If you want a food bag to feed the animals it costs $2 for each bag.

One New Zealand Dollar is equal to 0.3836 United Kingdom Pounds.

I would recommend this Wildlife park to everyone of every age as it is a lovely place to take a walk around. You get to see some great animals which you can get up close to.

Also posted on Dooyoo under my username Denise40 

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