Welcome to

Willowbank

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Open Today
9:30am to 5pm
Find Us
60 Hussey Road
Where people and wildlife connect
Discover Willowbank, a unique and authentic New Zealand reserve. See kiwi, native species, and enjoy guided tours and close-up encounters that bring conservation to life.

Our animals

Meet some of the animals that call Willowbank home. From native wildlife to fascinating species from around the world, discover the animals you’ll meet during your visit.
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Natives

Native Species

Exotics

Exotic Species

Farmyard

Farm Species

Natives

Kiwi Species

Encounters

Get closer than you ever imagined. Our guided animal encounters take you behind the scenes for unforgettable, up close moments with curious creatures, expert keepers, and plenty of “wow" along the way.

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Native Guided Tours

Discover Aotearoa, up close. Our guided native tours connect you with New Zealand’s wildlife, conservation, and the people caring for these taonga every day.

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Feeding times

Feeding time is when things really come to life! Discover what our animals love to eat and see them in action. It’s one of the best times of day to spot their personalities, watch the excitement, and pick up a few fun facts from our keepers.
Otters

10:45am

Eels

11:50am

Siamang Gibbons

12:45pm

Kea

1:00pm

Hear it from our visitors

Feed the Animals!

Beautifully designed wildlife park with plenty of space for the animals, all of which look very well cared for. Many of the animals can be fed.

Johnny
Excellent Wildlife Park

Great fun afternoon viewing all the various animals and birds on display, even managing to see three kiwis in their enclosure. Well laid out park, accessible for all on boardwalks and paths with helpful signage outside each enclosure.

Trip Advisor
Must Do in Christchurch!

Amazing experience and a must to do in Christchurch. The staff that did the Madagascar lemur encounter very knowledgeable and friendly made the experience fun so were the staff in the cafe so much fun and great service food exceptional.

Google
Amazing Encounters

Had a wonderful time and learned a great deal about the many native species of NZ and various other animals from around the globe. Also, the Lemur Experience was absolutely amazing.

Google
Amazing for young kids!

This was amazing for a toddler. You can feed the birds and the farm animals. They were all so friendly and gentle. My 2 year old loved it. For the adults it was also a nice experience since you are inside the enclosures with most of the birds. We went on a Sunday and it was not to busy. Would definitely recommend!

Trip Advisor
An Amazing Gem

• What an amazing gem. We had booked a Guided Tour as we really wanted to see the Kiwis. The facilities conservation program is top notch and their knowledge of the kiwis was considerable. In addition to the Kiwis we also saw several other endangered native New Zealand Birds. Their enclosures are very much like it would be in the wild for them. After our tour we wandered around the rest of the facilities and saw what a great place it is for families. The excitement we saw in all the children was palpable. What a lovely way to spend several hours.

Google

Our other attractions

Open Today
9am to 4:30pm
Find Us
38 Orchard Road

International Antarctic Centre

The world's premier antarctic experience. Our visitor experiences offer adrenaline and inspiration, education and entertainment.

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Find Us
794 Colombo Street

Waka on Avon

Join a guided Māori waka journey on the Otākāro, Avon River and experience the stories, culture, and history of Aotearoa.

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Visit Us

We’re open daily from 9.30am to 5pm - rain or shine. The only exception? Christmas Day, when we take a well earned break.

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