Willowbank Wildlife Reserve Day Entry: Encounter New Zealand's Unique Big 5

The one-stop destination to watch NZ’s Big 5 wildlife (kea, kaka, takahe, tuatara and guaranteed kiwi sighting)!

Experience a close encounter with more than 50 distinct species of wildlife!

Duration: 3 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Willowbank Wildlife Reserve - Experience the story of NZ through wildlife. Willowbank is hands-on and interactive with the ability to feed and pat many of the animals.
    Enjoy introduced animals to NZ such as monkeys, lemurs, capybara, and wallabies.
    Pat the farm animals, such as sheep, rabbits and alpaca.
    And discover the unique native species,…
What's Included
  • Guaranteed Kiwi Viewing
What's Not Included
  • Food and drinks
  • Transportation to/from attractions
Additional Information
  • Children must be accompanied by an adult
Location
Willowbank Wildlife Reserve
60 Hussey Road,
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.5
(84 Ratings)
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1 star
Greg_f
Nov 14, 2025
Wilderness attractions at its best - This is an amazing place for the whole family, a vast array of different animals to spend the day looking and interacting with. Move around a your own pace, feed some of the animals, but watch the Deer they ambush you for your feed pouch hahaha.
Review provided by Viator
Katybctravels
Nov 10, 2025
So many animals! - We were a bit unsure of what to expect based on some of the reviews we read, but my husband and I really enjoyed our experience here! There were so many animals to see (including kiwi and tuatara!), and overall it was quite peaceful here.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
232rikus
Nov 4, 2025
Saiko - Perfect, a must-visit if you're going to Christchurch. It's a bit complicated on the bus lines, but... And that's not a choice.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Venture15821426302
Nov 4, 2025
Fantastic for the family - This was the best wildlife reserve I have been in for many years. Well worth the price. An amazing assortment of animals. Very friendly staff
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Andrea_t
Nov 3, 2025
Fun way to spend the day - Easy to walk around. Wooden walkways over the water. Very pretty area. Lots of animals for children to interact with.. Had lunch at the cafe which was tasty and good choices for our 5 year old grandson.
Review provided by Viator
Shaunl
Oct 28, 2025
Enjoyable afternoon amongst the wildlife - We really wanted to see a native kiwi bird on our trip and being a shy nocturnal creature there are not many places where you can see one. Willowbank just on the edge of Christchurch is one place where you can. They have a dark enclosure which once you have adjusted your eyes gives you a decent chance of spotting a kiwi. We saw two and just watched as they moved around in the dark. The centre also has other wildlife such as black swans, deer, wallabies, goats, pigs, kea parrots etc so well worth a visit.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Shelby
Oct 27, 2025
Very cute - We came to NZ to see kiwis and this place had 3! We spent about an hour inside the Kiwi house just watching and listening to them. It was awesome. You can also feed/pet eels and there are plenty of other great birds and animals here. The kea area was also super cool
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Shreedevis2025
Oct 23, 2025
Best Day Trip Ever - We had the most amazing time at Willowbank Wildlife Reserve in Christchurch! 🦙🐐🐷 The highlight of our visit was definitely feeding the eels right at the entrance — such a unique experience we’d never tried before! Our kids were jumping with excitement and absolutely loved every moment. 💕 All the animals and birds were beautiful and so well cared for. We had so much fun feeding the four-horned goats, pigs, alpacas, llamas, and sheep — it felt like being part of a little wildlife adventure! 🐾 The whole place had such a warm, family-friendly vibe, and we could easily spend hours exploring every corner. I would definitely recommend that everyone visit Willowbank Wildlife Reserve at least once during their stay in Christchurch — it’s an unforgettable experience for all ages! 🌿✨
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Katiecl3586cd
Aug 29, 2025
Greatest Place Ever 😃😍 - My Husband and I had such a great time last Wednesday 🥰 We loved seeing all the animals and feeding them 🐒🦧🐎🦌🐄🐖🐏🐑🐐🦛🐇🦦🦘🦆🪿🐢🦎 I also loved how mobility friendly it is 😊🦯 great food and lovely staff 🤩 Highly Recomend It, A++++
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Global61776551948
Oct 9, 2025
Average - Nice place food was good downfall was the farm area the Clydesdale horse,Shetland pony looked so depressed should be out in a grass paddock not in a small enclosed area caption cook pigs stunk really bad very muddy Billy goat also was very smelly and charges the fence sheep also should be in a paddock this area was very disappointing
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $21
up to 15 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).