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 - Discover New Zealand’s story through its wildlife. Willowbank offers an engaging and interactive experience where visitors can feed and pet many of the animals.
    Encounter animals introduced to New Zealand, including monkeys, lemurs, capybaras, and wallabies.
    Interact with farm animals like sheep, rabbits, and alpacas….
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
(109 Ratings)
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Happytravellor13
Apr 9, 2026
Worthwhile and informative - An amazing experience with easy to walk paths with clear direction to follow. Lots to see and good post boards telling us about the animals and birds.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Tomasovernon_b_c_
Apr 5, 2026
Very Enjoyable! - Very informative guided tour. Loved the grounds and the fact the trails all lead to something interesting! Perfect for all age groups!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Paulhu5674be
Apr 5, 2026
A nice little zoo - A small but very well curated exhibition incorporating features of a zoo and a conservation program. I was particularly excited to have the chance to see a kiwi. But the other exhibits were also good. Very kid friendly — I saw a number of small children that seemed to be having a great time.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Danmx5210rs
Mar 26, 2026
Very Nice Wildlife Zoo - Very nice wildlife zoo. I wouldn't call it a reserve - too small and condensed for that. They do, however, do research and rescue work. They have a good variety (especially birds) and the animals seemed very healthy. Great way to see a Kia if you haven't seen one in the wild. At a little over $20 a person it was well worth it. The kids we saw seemed to be having a good time, too.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
575lesleyo
Mar 22, 2026
Gen of a place to visit! - Exceeded my expectations. A fantastic gem of a place . Spent two hours here before my flight and well worth it!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Amy_t
Mar 12, 2026
This was a great place to... - This was a great place to go with the family. We loved everything about the park. Being about to pat or feed some of the animals was great too!
Review provided by Viator
Chocolocomama
Mar 10, 2026
A hidden gem. - This place is a bit of a hidden gem which we found by accident. The highlight of our visit was seeing the Kiwis in the dark enclosure. You do have to be patient but we spent about 45 minutes in there and saw all 3 going about their business. I was surprised by how big they are and how much noise they make.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Climber66566826782
Mar 7, 2026
Good interaction - I think this reserve is very well placed and located within the city. Very close to the airport and is within a residential area, which seems weird but is a perfect place. The road to see the kiwi is long and I understand that they leave it to the last so that we can all enjoy all the animals that are on the road. Very good site planning and superb service!!!! There are several kiwis and other little animals that I have never seen and with several you can have them very close.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Q722zadawnm
Mar 5, 2026
Can see Kiwi’s - Can see a few kiwi’s in the dark, quiet buildings which was a treat. Other areas do have good areas for kids to feed goats/ sheep. Lots of birds. Black eels can be seen in the ponds.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sharing-ze-love
Apr 8, 2026
Left underwhelmed - We’ve visited a few wildlife experiences like this over the past 10 years in Australia, and there were definitely some highlights here. The animal feeding was great, especially the eels, and it was exciting to have the chance to see kiwi. That said, the kiwi experience itself was a bit underwhelming. Although we were told we saw two, it was so difficult to make them out that we honestly weren’t sure if we were looking at a kiwi or something else (at one point we joked it could’ve been a chicken with a straw on its head!). We understand the importance of low lighting for nocturnal animals, but slightly improved visibility would make a big difference to the experience. Overall, it was okay, but in hindsight we probably could have skipped it. Our son is 13 now, so it may just be that we’ve outgrown this type of activity. For the price, it didn’t quite meet expectations.
Review provided by Tripadvisor