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Seal Coast Safari: Explore Wellington's Rugged South Coast in a 4WD Mercedes Vehicle
4.9
174 Ratings
Wellington
Embark on a thrilling 4WD adventure along Wellington’s rugged south coast. Explore native forests, encounter iconic bird species, and marvel at stunning views of the Cook Strait. Get up close with New Zealand Fur Seals and learn about their history and conservation. Book now!
Duration:
3 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation:
1 day
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Highlights
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Otari-Wilton’s Bush Native Botanic Garden - We begin our journey at Otari-Wilton’s Bush - one hundred hectares of ancient and regenerating forest and New Zealand’s only botanical garden dedicated solely to native plants. Designated a six-star Garden of International Significance by the New Zealand’s Gardens Trust of the Royal New Zealand Institute of Horticulture, Otari-Wilton’s Bush allows us to introduce you to what the landscape of New Zealand was like for early Maori and European settlers. Walking across the skybridge, you will be treated to views across the canopy while your friendly and knowledgeable guide introduces you to some of the unique flora and fauna endemic to this country and the challenges they have faced to survive. We regularly see beautiful native bird species like Tui, Kaka, Kakariki, Kereru and, occasionally,
Karearea, all of which were extinct or endangered in the Wellington region only 25 years ago.
What's Included
- Pick up and drop off in central Wellington or the cruise terminal
- Snacks
- Driver/guide
- Morning or afternoon tea
Additional Information
Join us for this unique and exciting exploration of Wellington’s natural wonders and rugged south coast. Although only 20km from downtown, this destination will feel like another world. Travelling in exclusive Mercedes 4WD vehicles, we visit an area of pristine native forest with the chance to see many iconic bird species like Tui, Kaka and Kereru before venturing through private farmland with sheep, cattle and goats, while being treated to stunning views of the Cook Strait, South Island and Kaikoura Ranges. Once down to sea-level, we’ll meet some much-loved locals
New Zealand Fur Seals. Observe these amazing animals as they sunbathe, play, and swim while learning about their history, ecology, and conservation from your friendly and knowledgeable guide. The Seal Coast Safari is a must-do for anyone who loves nature, wildlife, and adventure. Book your Seal Coast Safari today and discover one of Wellington’s best-kept secrets!
Location
Seal Coast Safari
Wakefield Street
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.9
(174 Ratings)
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Jaap_v
Jul 8, 2024
Seals, Serenity and Sips: a great few hours - The seal tour was fantastic, even with us being the only parties, the trip still went on. The seals were entertaining and there were plenty of them. The nature stop was serene and refreshing. Blue, our guide, had tons of knowledge. Highly recommended for a peaceful and informative nature experience!
Review provided by Viator
David_h
Jun 28, 2024
Amazing tour! - A very interesting experience, despite the poor weather, our tour guide Grant still managed to pull such an amazing tour together. Lots of interesting information from Grant's commentary along the way to help us better understand Wellington. The seals were adorable at Tounges Point. Highly recommend this tour if you're visiting Wellington!
Review provided by Viator
899axll
Jun 23, 2024
Wonderful trip with Blue - Our guide, Blue, was passionate and informative throughout the trip, keeping it engaging for everyone. The drive to Cape Terawhiti offered exhilarating views, and we highly appreciated the hot beverages and TimTams upon arrival at the coast. Watching the beautiful seals up close made the experience really unforgettable. Great value for money! Highly recommend it to all visitors.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Missy_r
Jun 19, 2024
Must do in Wellington - The tour was amazing!! Our tour guide Blue was informative and knowledgeable. From the walk through the forest to the adventure on the coast, it was a beautiful wonderful trip.
Review provided by Viator
425toril
Jun 17, 2024
Locals who loved our experience! - We thoroughly enjoyed our Seal Coast Safari with Grant on Friday last week! The comfortable van, flexible itinerary, and private Terawhiti Station access meant our journey to the seal colony was comfortable and really beautiful. We're a local team who were stoked to see views and an area of Wellington we'd never seen before, and the seals were super cute too. Grant was a great guide, and even taught our local crew a few new things about our city we love. We'd highly recommend this as a great group activity for anyone who loves wildlife, Wellington, and exploring new places.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sandra_d
May 8, 2024
Excellent adventure - The birds in the nature park, the views on the drive and the beautiful seals - so many seals - and our cheerful informative guides (and the biscuits)
Review provided by Viator
Jessica_c
Apr 25, 2024
A must do - Loved the experience, our guide Grant was very approachable, knowledgeable and entertaining. A must tour if only in Wellington for a short period and want to get a glimpse of New Zealand's changing landscape and ecology, with the additional Fur Seal.
Review provided by Viator
E2936rxlisas
Mar 29, 2024
Thanks, Blue! - I have to thank Seal Cost Safari for being so easy to work with through the booking process. They were super responsive and kept in touch up to the day of our tour. That said, we had an awesome day with Blue at the Gardens and rainforest. The highlight of the day was getting to see the seals in their natural habitat.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
36angelikaj
Mar 28, 2024
Great tour in Wellington - 4.5 stars - Convenient pick-up and comfortable vehicle to travel. Grant, our guide was very knowledgeable and a great driver. Unfortunately we had low clouds on top of the windfarm and didn't have great views but it was so interesting to see these massive turbines and so many of them. The highlight definitely was the seal colony, which we saw many playful males lounging around or showing off in the water. If you want to see pups you need to leave it a bit longer but then you can't get as close as you can get with the males. Great trip, a lot of driving but learned a lot and the whole family thoroughly enjoyed the trip. If you're prone to car sickness, you need to take some pills for this trip!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Judith_m
Mar 28, 2024
Read the full description! You’re not driving! - Had a great tour but the title was a bit misleading. We thought we’d be driving a 4WD ATV type vehicle but we were driven in a 16 passenger van around town and out to the seal colony. Guide was great and it was a nice day, just not as expected. Probably should have read more carefully.
Review provided by Viator