The New Zealand Government has pledged to provide up to $6.5 million towards development of a Visitor and Education Centre at the Sanctuary. 

Just 10 minutes drive from downtown Wellington, the Sanctuary is 252 hectares of protected natural area where visitors can see some of New Zealand's rarest and most endangered wildlife, including the likes of the little spotted kiwi, tuatara and kaka.    

The Karori Sanctuary’s Visitor and Education Centre will offer a unique visitor experience with its combination of nature and interactive technology. Designed to blend in with its natural surroundings, the centre will take people on a journey through New Zealand's environmental and conservation story. 

Detailed design is already underway and the Centre is scheduled to open in July 2009.   The project will include construction of an all-weather facility including retail and a café plus a large exhibition space. 

“This centre will catapult the Karori Sanctuary to an all new level, creating a tourism product that will complement Australasia’s most visited museum Te Papa,” says Sarah Peacock, Australia Marketing Manager of Positively Wellington Tourism.  

“It will change the face of Wellington tourism, giving visitors another compelling reason to visit the capital and spend more time here. A particular target will be Australian travellers, who not only represent the largest group of foreign visitors to Wellington, but are very aware of environmental and ecological issues”. 

For more information about Karori Sanctuary, visit www.sanctuary.org.nz. 

For more information about Wellington, visit WellingtonNZ.com