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Visitors To Travel Through Time and Space in Wellington

Monday 29 March 2010, 3:02PM

By Positively Wellington Tourism

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WELLINGTON CITY

Visitors can step back in time and travel to the edge of the Universe in Wellington thanks to two new major visitor attractions.

New Zealand’s ‘Place for Space’, Carter Observatory, revealed a completely revamped observatory with interactive exhibits and new 9m dome digital planetarium when it opened on the weekend (Saturday March 27). The observatory’s launch is followed by the opening of ZEALANDIA: The Exhibition over Easter.

Positively Wellington Tourism Chief Executive David Perks says the two attractions are adding vital chapters to the capital’s book of New Zealand stories.

“Te Papa shares the stories of New Zealand’s people to an average of 1.3 million visitors a year; now locals and our visitors can learn about our Southern Skies at Carter Observatory; and the tales of our country’s precious flora and fauna at ZEALANDIA.”

Visitors to Carter Observatory can take a virtual trip to the Milky Way (Te Ikaroa) and beyond in the same amount of time it takes to walk from one side of the cultural capital to the other. Seated in comfortable reclining seats, you’ll be taken on a virtual motion tour from Wellington to the edge of our Solar System and beyond.

ZEALANDIA: The Karori Sanctuary Experience – recently named among the top 75 green companies in the world by The Guardian UK, gives visitors the opportunity to be part of history in the re-making just a few minutes’ drive from the centre of New Zealand’s capital city.

The new state-of-the-art interactive exhibition takes you back in time to the day before humans arrived; you’ll get to meet the extinct giant moa and fearsome Haast's eagle, hear the haunting song of the extinct huia, discover the impact of human settlement on a fragile paradise and learn about ZEALANDIA's vision to turn back the clock 1,000 years. Visitors can then take a walk or tour through the world-first wildlife safe haven, and refresh themselves at the brand new terrace café, Rata, with views out over the lake.