New Walking Trail Connects Tuatara Enclosures in Queens Park

• Invercargill introduces the Tuatara Trail, connecting old and new tuatara homes.
• The trail enhances the visitor experience at Queens Park with informative stops.
• Tuatara Island opened on June 7, drawing over 2,000 visitors.

Visitors seeking the new home of the tuatara now have an engaging way to explore Queens Park through the city’s newest attraction, the Tuatara Trail.

The Invercargill City Council announced the opening of the Tuatara Trail, a walking route linking the tuatara’s former residence at the Southland Museum and Art Gallery to their new habitat at Tuatara Island.

Caroline Rain, Council Manager of Parks and Recreation, stated that visitors to Queens Park could follow the Tuatara Trail and discover the numerous features of the award-winning park, concluding their journey at the specialised tuatara enclosure in the Animal Reserve. “We wanted to keep that link between the museum, which most people know as the home of the tuatara, and their new home as well as Queens Park itself,” Rain said. “We’re incredibly fortunate to have these facilities and spaces within our takiwā, and the Tuatara Trail will help attract a wider audience.”

Tuatara Island officially opened on June 7, attracting over 2,000 people to its public opening day, highlighting the public’s fascination with the tuatara.

The Tuatara Trail forms a loop accessible from various points within Queens Park, featuring 20 bollards along its route. QR codes on these bollards offer additional information about the new tuatara enclosure and the Council’s Project 1225 initiative. “It’s an exciting time for the city with the development of the Tuatara Trail, the successful opening of Tuatara Island, and construction on the new museum set to begin later this year. These key cultural facilities are all under Project 1225, an initiative that is set to add to the richness of Invercargill’s landscape,” Rain said.

“With the Tuatara Trail winding its way between the museum and the Animal Reserve, it will inform park users of the exciting progress we’re making with these developments. Our hope for the Tuatara Trail is to grow awareness of Project 1225 and also give park visitors – whether young or young-at-heart – another fun activity to enjoy now and into the future.