Children's Birthday Parties
Kids just love Staglands - and what better way to share it with their friends and family than to celebrate their birthday at the wildest little venue in Wellington?
Our wildlife park provides the best opportunities for memorable photos! Invite the cousins and the grandparents and turn it in to a fun family activity.
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July School Holidays
Our yummy winter marshmallows are back and for a limited period only, during the July School Holidays, we will be giving them away FREE to all visitors!
Toast your own on the cosy Barn campfire and enjoy some wild cooking in the great outdoors.
Offer available 28 June - 13 July 2025 only.
Staglands Membership
Become a Staglander and enjoy unlimited visits to your favourite wildlife reserve, as often as you like, whenever you like, for 12 months.
Click here to find out more about the benefits of annual membership.
Buy NowAn orchestra of natural sound
Staglands Wildlife Reserve & Cafe offers visitors the unique and exciting opportunity to connect with nature in a beautiful, natural environment. Feed and freely interact with wildlife in this very special place — the product of one man’s passion and vision to experience nature at its best. Located in the scenic Akatarawa Valley near Upper Hutt, Wellington, Staglands is a ‘must see’ attraction for local families and tourists visiting the Wellington region. Looking for things to do in Wellington, look no further.
Staglands Wildlife Reserve is, hands down, the best place to visit as family in the Wellington region. It is also a great destination for school and group visits, picnics and BBQ’s or if you are looking for activities and things to do in Wellington with your family and friends that’s different from animal farm parks or Zoo’s. Visit our Online Shop — gift vouchers are available.
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.
Activities for Children
Let their imagination run wild at Staglands Wildlife Reserve.
Clamber aboard John's old landrover Larry, Fergie the tractor and our static steam engine, The Flying Stag for some make believe fun.
Have fun exploring all the exciting nooks and crannies of The Old Bush Settlement and have a ride on The Bush Railway.
Burn off some energy on the Kids Corner rope swing. The deep, slow-moving river is also perfect for a cooling summer dip. And in the cooler months we sell marshmallows for toasting on the cosy campfire down by The Barn - always popular with children - make sure they don't miss out on this fun activity!
Free Lunchtime Feed Tour
If you want to hear more about some of the birds & animals at Staglands and have a go at feeding them, join our free Lunchtime Feed Tour.
Tour runs daily and runs for approximately 25 minutes.
Help our knowledgeable Ranger feed our mischievous kea, gigantic native eel and comical slider turtles. Please note birds and animals we feed may vary.
At certain times of year, you may also have the opportunity to bottle feed a calf or lamb.
Ask at The Ticket Office for more information. Meet at the BBQ deck by the main entrance at 12.30pm.
Free Tractor-Trailer Rides
Get off the beaten track at Staglands with FREE off-road tractor-trailer rides, with ‘Orange’ the tractor.
The ride includes two river crossings and is thrilling for both children and adults alike.
The covered wooden trailer, with a seating capacity of up to 20, was designed and handcrafted by the Staglands team.
Free rides are available for all visitors and run from 11.30am to 3.30pm on weekends, school holidays and public holidays (circumstances allowing).
Contact us for more information.
Click here to Watch Staglands Tractor-Trailer Rides Video in our Video Gallery
Junior Ranger Experience
Give your young animal lover the unforgettable gift of working with animals!
The Junior Ranger experience offers a hands-on, behind the scenes view of what’s involved in looking after the animals at Staglands Wildlife Reserve. Junior Rangers will get free entry into Staglands for themselves plus one accompanying adult, before exploring The Reserve in a one-to-one 2 hour session with a Park Ranger More Information:
Suitable for children aged 7 – 13 years. Must be accompanied by one adult who can enter for free.
Available daily from 2.30pm – 4.30pm.
Maximum 4 children per experience
Make their dream come true from just $149 for up to 2 children!
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Photo Competition
Congratulations to our latest winner Claire Audier!
Winning photo featuring - Claires Granddaughter 'Haylee Renshaw - Aged - 4 yrs' taking a stroll with one of our Kune pigs!
A visit to Staglands brings out the budding photographer in all our visitors!
If you have taken some awesome photos, why not enter them in our photo competition?
Photos are judged by the Staglands team every 3 months and winners receive a Staglander family pass valued at $220 to enjoy Staglands Wildlife Reserve throughout the year!
Our winner plus a selection of entries will be displayed in our photo gallery.
Please click here to email your photo to us together with the following information:
Name and contact phone number of photographer
Name(s) of anyone featured in the photograph
Important note:
All photos entered into the competition will be kept on file and may be used for marketing purposes. If you do not want us to use your photo(s), please let us know when entering the competition. Please let us know if your photo(s) include other people that have not given permission for the photo to be used.
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!
Explore MorePlan Your Visit
Our Reserve is open every day from 9.30am until 5pm and our Café from 10.00am until 4.30pm. For prices, directions and everything else you need to plan your visit read on.
More InfoCafe
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.