This DOC-managed, predator-free island reserve at the entrance to Queen Charlotte Sound is chock-full of rare NZ birds including the Ōkārito brown kiwi (rowi), wood pigeon (kererū), saddleback (tīeke) and king shag. You can get here by water taxi and on tours from Picton.
Motuara Island
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
29.38 MILES
For an imaginative, interactive experience of Wellington’s social and maritime history, head to this bewitching little museum, inside an 1892 bond store…
28.43 MILES
This groundbreaking ecosanctuary is nooked into a valley in the hills about 2km west of downtown Wellington. Living wild within the fenced, predator-free…
28.78 MILES
These hilly, 25-hectare botanic gardens can be effortlessly visited via the Wellington Cable Car (nice bit of planning, eh?), although there are several…
29.73 MILES
New Zealand's national museum is hard to miss, taking up a sizeable chunk of the Wellington waterfront. ‘Te Papa Tongarewa’ loosely translates as …
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29.1 MILES
New Zealand might be a young country but it has one of the oldest continuously functioning parliaments in the world and has chalked up more than its share…
29.45 MILES
Housed in the monumental old library in Civic Sq (the new library is next door), Wellington’s much-loved City Gallery does a cracking job of securing…
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Pukeahu National War Memorial Park
29.78 MILES
It seems strangely fitting that NZ's National War Memorial should be a musical instrument and contain as its centrepiece not a statue of a soldier, but of…
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29.32 MILES
Closed for seismic strengthening and restoration from 2013 to 2017, this pretty Catholic parish church is looking downright heavenly. Built in 1922, it…
Nearby attractions
17.31 MILES
As well as offering lodge accommodation, this tourist complex can be visited on a variety of short cruises from Picton. Activities include kayaking; stand…
19.39 MILES
Built near Calcutta and launched in 1853, the Edwin Fox is purportedly the world’s ninth-oldest surviving ship. During its chequered career it carried…
19.4 MILES
The primary purpose of this centre is animal rehabilitation: all sorts of critters come here for fix-ups and rest-ups, and the odd bit of hanky-panky!…
19.46 MILES
There's something quite appealing about this style of regional museum: it cheerfully leaps between displays on the local hospital and jail, Māori family…
19.77 MILES
The lookout on the Tirohanga Track has beautiful, wide-ranging views of Picton and Queen Charlotte.
27.85 MILES
The only botanic gardens in NZ specialising in native flora, Otari features more than 1200 plant species including an extant section of native bush…
28.39 MILES
Cullen Point curves around to the northeast of Havelock, sheltering the marina from the rest of Pelorus Sound. A 10-minute walk loops up and around the…
28.43 MILES
This groundbreaking ecosanctuary is nooked into a valley in the hills about 2km west of downtown Wellington. Living wild within the fenced, predator-free…