Wild Wellington Ngā Taonga Taiao: A guide to the wildlife and wild places of Te Upoko-o-te-Ika

Wild Wellington Ngā Taonga Taiao: A guide to the wildlife and wild places of Te Upoko-o-te-Ika

By  Michael Szabo

*AVAILABLE NOW*

WHAT TO SEE WHERE, WHEN AND HOW IN THE WELLINGTON REGION
Te Upoko-o-te-Ika Wellington has an amazing variety of landscapes and seascapes that are home to an 
impressive range of wildlife. This handy and informative illustrated guide highlights over 30 of 
the best wild and urban places to discover and explore the region’s natural diversity, from the 
south coast to Kapiti.

Whether out tramping, at home or on the water, this is a book for locals and visitors, keen and 
casual wildlife watchers, or for anyone curious about their own backyard. Wild Wellington lets you 
in on the best places and times of year to experience everything from migrating birds to seals 
hauling out, dolphin pods and orca in the harbour to the recovery of once-threatened native bird 
species in action, the region’s special flowering plants to the oldest native trees, and the 
conservation efforts that ensure that our local wildlife survives and flourishes.

Written with input from Te Papa’s expert natural history team and Mātauranga Māori about the region 
and its wildlife from mana whenua, Wild Wellington illustrates the true richness of the 
interconnected nature of Pōneke and Te Upoko-o-te-Ika.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Michael Szabo is a long-time Wellington resident and writer and well acquainted with the region’s 
wildlife. He is editor of Birds New Zealand magazine and a contributor to New Zealand Birds Online. 
He was principal author of Native Birds of Aotearoa (Te Papa Press, 2022), Wild Encounters - A 
Forest & Bird guide to discovering NZ’s unique wildlife (2009), and has written for New Scientist, 
NZ
Geographic, and Sunday Star-Times.