Long Gully

Long Gully Bush Reserve comprises 107 hectares of regenerating forest. It sits roughly 5 kilometres southwest of Wellington city, surrounded by the suburbs of Karori and Brooklyn. The property’s original forests were cleared and burnt for farmland, likely in the late 1800s, but the area is once again a flourishing native ecosystem.

Long Gully is located next to Zealandia, a fully-fenced urban ecosanctuary. It is the largest area of protected private land in the capital. A trust formed in 1999 manages the land.

Until recently the reserve and the surrounding area were heavily infested with feral goats. A control campaign has since greatly reduced the pest numbers, and a goat-proof fence around the reserve has helped prevent re-infestation.

There are ongoing efforts to keep the area free of other pests such as possums and feral pigs.

There is no public access to Long Gully Bush Reserve.