Reviews of Orana Wildlife Park. (Other) in Christchurch (Canterbury).
Orana Wildlife Park
793 McLeans Island Road, Harewood, Christchurch 8051, New Zealand
Description
Information of Orana Wildlife Park, Other in Christchurch (Canterbury)
Here you can see the location, open hours, popular times, contact, photos and real reviews done by the users.
We still don't have any reviews on this place
Map
Open hours of Orana Wildlife Park
Sunday
10am–5pm
Monday
10am–5pm
Tuesday
10am–5pm
Wednesday
10am–5pm
Thursday
10am–5pm
Friday
10am–5pm
Saturday
10am–5pm
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Reviews of Orana Wildlife Park
J.
Had a great time at Orana Park, lots to see and easily managed about 4 hours there. Staff were friendly and easy to talk to. Did notice some rubbish (plastic, cardboard etc) in a few of the exhibits and some areas weren't overly accessible with a pram but all in all we thoroughly enjoyed it
R.
Amazing experience that let's you get real up close and personal with all the animals. Highly recommend! All staff and volunteers are lovely and very knowledgeable.
E.
Noticed that a lot of the enclosures did not have any animals in them. It's a bit pricey for what you get though but still enjoyed ourselves. Would I go back? .... not any time soon sorry to say. The animals we did see were pacing up and down and not particularly happy.
D.
An exciting day out, especially when the tigers and lions became active. Hopefully they can get the funding so spider monkeys etc can be on display again and get the park looking great again. Well done to the team that do a great job with what they have for the time being.
J.
You need a whole day to enjoy this place..
Great place for young ones to enjoy animal encounters and even get to feed them.
Loved experience with the Gorillas. Truly spectacular experience.
G.
There are many kinds of animals here, and they all seem to be well taken care of. The staff are friendly and sincerely care about the health of the animals. The layout of the park is very reasonable-you can walk around the zoo in order to allocate feeding time wisely to increase the chance of contact with animals. It's easy to stay here for 3-4 hours. Highly recommend everyone to visit Christchurch!
M.
It was a perfect day for a visit to Orana wildlife park. We arrived just after lunch and my boy absolutely loved feeding giraffes and watching lions & gorillas. We probably didn't get to watch every animal in the zoo but 2hrs was enough for much fun.
P.
Came all the way from Napier north island.. spent many hours! Loved every minute. Staff are excellent. Lots of information about the amazing animals. People who work there have huge amounts of pride and Passion.
C.
Great place for a family day out.
Good views of the animals, walk or ride round the park.
Informative Keepers with excellent knowledge of the animals.
Only disappointment is no family room for changing/feeding babies.
A.
Absolutely love Orana park.
Highly highly recommend a year pass.
Take your time to see and enjoy all the animals.
To not be rushing around and missing the joy of the walking around the park.
Love sitting in the wee African canopy's to enjoy a beautiful picnic.
Lots of wee slops for kids to be kids and run around or roll down a hill.
An amazing experience to sit eating your lunch whilst watching the giraffes, gorillas, lions, tigers or any of the animals you fancy.
So great for the kids to come and learn about the animals whilst they're in a less zoo like setting.
Highly highly highly recommend
R.
We take our daughter here once a year and it never gets old. Allow atleast a whole day to enjoy.
E.
Awesome place the amount of animals is amazing it's very educational, I would recommend the gorillas, giraffe feeding and the tour on the vehicle. The majority of activities are so fun and every time I have been there the staff have been very informative, friendly and helpful.
C.
Staff were all very nice & helpful.
A mid-week visit was so quiet and nice to wander around without the weekend crowds.
Had a really nice time & we even got to have some time with the rhinos & keepers.
We really had the place to ourselves which was so relaxing.
I wish Orana Park received more funding so they could fill some of the empty spaces & pull down some of the old untidy buildings ie; the old front entrance.
S.
I love orana park, this time I especially loved seeing the wild dogs, the cheetahs and tigers as last time I couldn't really see those the last tome I went
..Orana Park is always worth a visit
G.
Amazing array of animals here. Thanks to all the team at Orana Wildlife Park for an awesome visit. Getting to hand-feed the giraffe was a definite highlight!! 🦒🦒
D.
Lovely zoo. Not too big. Not too small. Not too busy. Good variety of exhibits. Easy to navigate. Cafe was alright.
k.
Sadly when I went on the 23rd January 2022, the food for some of the Geckos was molding and hadn't been changed. I get they must be in Multing season as I did spot one that looked like he/she had just recently shed its old skin(photos attached)... but it's not nice to look at them and spot mold in the dish.
(PLEASE DONT FORGET OR NEGLECT THE LITTLE ONES I get it's busy and hard to remember all the things to do....but please don't forget them)
ON A HAPPY NOTE the Cheetahs were out in the big enclosure enjoying the sun and mist.
J.
A must do experience if you come to Christchurch. Fabulous. We enjoyed a lot. Even better if feeding time can be arranged in order without going from this corner to that corner. Then we could have more viewing time on all animals . Other than that it's a nice collection of animals with a feeling in a day at Savannah. Team was so helpful and knowledgeable too. I recommend this to any family who is looking to spend a day in Christchurch.
A.
Weather was great for a day out seeing all the beautiful animals, had lunch in the cafe wasn't too bad.
Great experience
R.
Such a wonderful wild life park!! It's a joy to see my son looking at the animals and understanding that they were animals from different parts of the world and it started a talk about different climates and what animals mean to the world and how some of these Magestic creatures are hunted and becoming extinct because of this and the fact that we are doing terrible things to the environment. He really seemed to understand the problem. And wants to know how we can fix it! I think knowledge is power and I love that my 6yo wants to fix the issues. I think we can and will if we talk to our children about the issues we face. And not buying certain products that are being sold from the destruction of these beautiful animals homes. The animals are taken care of beautifully, the staff are very knowledgeable about the park and all the wonderful creatures. The volunteers are amazing and really care, our bus driver was a volunteer and she was friendly and knew allot of curious facts about everything in the park. We took the mini bus (which is electric, fun fact) around the park so we could see the layout and hear about the animals then we set off on foot and checked out everything! So beautiful. A real gem in Canterbury. Everyone should visit this place!!
C.
I had a few hours to kill before my flight and this park is located very close to the airport. I went only cause I wanted to see the rhinos and gorillas. The park was almost empty, but that was due to it being 2pm on a Monday afternoon. The animals are well looked after and the enosures are clean and spacious. I did not like the lion feeding experience they offered but that is a personal preference. They other feeding times was a good experience. (Rhino, giraffe and gorilla) I didn't get to see the wild dogs, kiwis or cheetahs. Was worth a visit, would I go again not sure.
M.
Although the park is nice to walk around, it seems to be in need of some TLC.
The cafe has a good range of food that is reasonably priced but it is very popular and can get very busy, there is outside and inside seating.
Not all the enclosures have animals anymore, (our previous visit there were no tigers) this visit there were two.
Overall a nice 1/2 day walk around.
M.
I really enjoyed a park.you better check presentation times before you go. Especially Giraffe and lion. I also liked sign Did you know? Was great.
T.
Went to Orana park recently. Was worried about the lion pacing in the enclosure by itself. When we returned at the end of the day it was still in the enclosure. Does it get let out usually. The pacing makes it look really bored. Also there was a lot of areas where there was overgrown grass green water and no animals in them which was confusing. The enclosures which had animals in them were great tho. It would be good to know if any activities are provided for the animals to keep them stimulated. Really educational otherwise.
T.
Great place. Needed some rubbish picked up, was a bit messy in places. Animals seem well cared for, mind you the gorillas always seem so sad. Fairly quiet being a Tuesday. Receptionists weren't very welcoming, they were friendly to the older couple in front of me, but kind of dismissive to me straight after. Maybe because I'm youngish, I'm not sure. Overall, nice place for a day out.
L.
A good place to take the family on New Year's day. Some of the animals were shy so it could be worth while getting a yearly pass so you can come back and have a better chance if seeing the animals you missed firs time around. It's a economic way if keeping the kids entertained. I think the best time to visit are on cool cloudy days as the animals are less likely to be in a shady cool spot. Parking can be a bit contencious, so best to be early, but do plan visit around feeding times for the animals. Toddlers and preschoolers will tire after 2 to 3 hours.
J.
Brilliant Zoo, fair pricing, great food at the Cafe and a massive park to explore at your leisure, will do again for sure!
R.
Rural style wildlife park, so don't expect perfect maintained areas like the big city zoos. But still it adds to the character even if it does feel a little rundown/overgrown in some areas. All the animals were out and seemed to be enjoying the hot Christchurch sun. Feeding times were well informed by the volunteer speakers. Plan on doing a lot of walking as the park is spread out - I did 20k+ steps.
G.
Fantastic spacious open zoo, great selection of animals. Strong conservation ties and animal breeding, a pleasure to visit and support. Really would recommend getting an annual pass for best value. Love the crispy hot wedges from the cafe. Feeding the giraffes is a must if you have kids ornate a kid at heart
W.
Enjoyed Orana Park. Doesnt appear to be alot of activities in the enclosures for the animals. But loved the magnificent gorillas, such beautiful mammals. Loved the giraffes 🦒 too.
D.
I LOVE this place! Shuttle goes right around the park once an hour all day whichis includedin the entry price. There is a picnic area or cafe for refreshments. I used one of the available wheelchairs to push my 92 year old Dad around. Some of the animals can be fed by visitors and feeding the giraffes was a highlight for him. The gibbons were my favourite, very entertaining! We're going back in the spring 😍😍😍
C.
Well set out. Big place, so make sure you have walking shoes on and lots of water. The shuttle that goes around will take you around the park, with knowledgeable volunteers running it. All staff super friendly and happy to answer any questions.
L.
We were lucky because we have seen all the animals. The enclosures are quite big which is awesome but I think animals need more toys and activities.
The "human part" of the zoo is awful: the tracks are not clear, you are not sure where to go or where you are exactly. The zoo is not pretty and looks sad. They need to put more benches, more nature and to do a better maintenance.
B.
Happened to go at feeding time for the Lions Giraffes Rhinoceros and gorillas. A must see if you’re in Christchurch. The staff are very helpful and Knowledgeable. Cafe also has lovely staff and coffee.
J.
Wonderful facility and very educational plus a lot of fun. The outside eating area is well done and the variety of food and drinks available are more than adequate. Well worth a day out - you will want to keep going back.
A.
It's a great Zoo.... we found it a nice relaxing walk while miss 12 and her buddy wondered off loving their independence, But we could track them. 😉
But....
Hamilton Zoo is still the best in NZ. ❤️
M.
Loved it ... animals are looked after... Feeding times are cool for public.. and we got some lovely stuff from gift shop
F.
Such an awesome day out, guides on the shuttle were very knowledgeable and had a good sense of humor.
A little let down by the cafe - no gluten free or keto/low carb options
A few empty enclosures, would have been good to have a sign saying it was empty rather than people staring into empty fields hoping to see something
S.
I love going here. The keepers are so friendly and happy to chat about any of the animals.
The gorilla seemed a wee bit sad when we went there but it was so amazing to be that close to him.
G.
Took the grandchildren and we had such a wonderful time again.
I suggest you go on the shuttle first, to refresh your memory of what you can see, before exploring the park.
We packed some food and drinks, which was helpful, when the children needed a snack. Lots of picnic areas.
The playground by the entrance is a good place to finish, before leaving.
We just love this place. Support it and the animals. 👍
J.
Great Experience! Feels a little bit different from a zoo, more fresh, and with a sense of a country side. Better to go between 11am or 1pm so you got more time to enjoy the park.
M.
Love Orana and all of their upgrades they have been in process of doing. So much fun to bring a picnic (they have free bbq's there as well) and made a day of it. Feeding the giraffes is truly magnificent. Gorillas, Tasmanian Devils, Lace Monitor, and Meerkats were this trips faves.
J.
Fantastic zoo. Great day out for the kids. Got to see the baby Giraffe which was very special. Rinos are very cool, then the lion feeding was great. Such powerful animals to be able to see active and up close
N.
Great day out for the whole family.
The lion feeding was the highlight for us.
Staff were friendly and knowledgeable and answered any questions we had.
Some enclosures appeared to have nothing in them which was disappointing and more seating areas needed around the park as well as water fountains.
Some parts of the park need repairing/upgrading.
The waiting in line to feed the giraffes was too long for small children so we missed that opportunity.
K.
The staff are very helpful and friendly services. Will need to take a picnic or snacks when you go here. Or you can buy food from Cafe. The animals are amazing to watch.
P.
Wow what an amazing place to view wild animals. I absolutely loved this park and would recommend it for the whole family. This is a must see for tourists and kiwis when visiting Christchurch. Bring you camera as this is one of the best places to take some amazing photos and to have some amazing animal interactions. Lots of parking, great cafe and the staff are all very helpful and informative.
N.
awesome place for a family weekend trip. Good place for kids and adults to learn about wildlife. many big animals like Gorilla, Giraffe, Lions and many native birds..
K.
Great place to go and see all the bigger animals and kids loved feeding the giraffe however not much shade around to stop in and animals paddocks look a bit sad been in same places for 10+years and the paddocks could so with a we break to get some grass/nature again
T.
WOW, what an experience of a lifetime. Oranga Wildlife Park is gorgeous I got many good pictures and spent loads of time with my family over there. The animals were all happy and everyone was so kind, here's one of my favourite pictures, in this picture the giraffe is smiling:)
L.
I can remember getting bags of pellets to feed the farm animals at Orana Park as a kid. Beyond that, i don't remember much, so it was nice to go there recently as an adult with the fam. The park has a timed series of wild animal feedings in the afternoon from 2:30pm onwards (i think there's also stuff going on in the mornings) so we joined that. You can pay extra to be inside a cage on the back of a truck as the keeper feeds the lions. They jump up on the top of the cage and give you plenty to look at. From outside the enclosure we had a pretty good view, though we couldn't adequately hear the voice over the speaker telling us about the lions. With the giraffes we were each given some foliage and got to feed them directly (tip - hold your foliage with both hands!!). That was fun for both adults and kids. Then we were straight on to the rhinos, which we got to see very close up. Keepers were very enthusiastic and knowledgeable around all the animals, and happy to answer questions. After the kids fed the trout, we went on to the cheetahs which we git to see sprint the length of a paddock to some food at the end. Well, one sprinted - the others were too lazy! That took us to 5pm and we were a bit worn out in the heat so we called it a day - but there was plenty more to see. The café is adequate and of course has z good ice-cream range. The toilet block really needs upgrading but i guess it's not a high priority. In summary, it's a great operation they've got going there and i felt that every cent of the $36 entry fee (adults) was used wisely.
M.
I had the most fantastic day here on a school trip with my step daughter. We had such an amazing guide that showed us around the park explaining all the animals to us. Its very sad after covid they have lost alot of business so I definitely recommend going to Orana park to support the very hard work they do for these beautiful animals.
A.
animal in natural habitat, good half day experience for family, animal feeding was fun
C.
Here is awesome. My partner and I stayed in the park almost 7 hrs. I really recommend the lion encounter. It's worthy and amazing.
B.
We, a party of six people (3 kids and 3 adults) visited Orana Wildlife Park yesterday. We experienced a decent wait of 15 minutes in the queue (which can be improved). This wait may have been unusual as it was school holiday period. Once inside, we decided to walk all the way through. Our children got to see a variety of animals, and their favorite ones were the Giraffes, Kiwis (yay! we saw them despite intentionally dimly lit area, to cater for the welfare of the birds), Walking fish, Gorillas, Porcupines, Lions, Tasmanian Devils, and Addax. The children loved eating at the Cafe which overlooks the Giraffe paddock. They watched what the Giraffes were upto constantly. When we got closer we saw Giraffes licking an iceblock with carrots inside. The Gorillas were huge, but they looked a bit sad. Don't know why. Overall, we had an amazing time. Would recommend it to anyone with kids or animal lovers :) If visiting in summer bring a hat and/or sunscreen.
R.
It was fabulous. With a great range of animals. It was awesome being able to feed the giraffes and many of the animals were active during our visit. So definitely recommend, we went after lunch.🙂
M.
If you would like to share few hours around Christchurch. This wildlife park is recommended. Must try giraffe feeding in morning and evening at 3.00 PM.
J.
Oh wow I loved this park. Even though at 10am most of the animals were sleeping.
Especially the big cats. However I saw my first Kea here and learnt about them from their lovely keeper.
C.
Absolutely amazing place. Animals are clearly well taken care of and they all have plenty of space. I love the feeding events and the staff were so nice about answering my questions. Love all the information signs, and the conservation effort these guys are making. you can spend a full day here without getting bored, so I think the experience is worth the cost!
M.
Great day out for the family. The place is not as it since our last vit 7 years ago and fewer animals now. Staff are great, really knowledgeable and passionate in their job. Service in the cafe shop was the quickest we been ever served even though place was busy. Good and healthy food selections and food was affordable.
S.
Amazing place!!! We had so much fun!!
We did the lion experience which is a must as you get to see how big they really are!!
We also got to feed the giraffes, rhinos and watch the cheetahs get fed. The weather wasn’t great, but we still had an incredible day.
We also managed to catch a glimpse of a kiwi at feeding time.
The animals look well taken care of which is good.
This is a definite must to visit.
It is out of the way so you may feel like you are going the wrong way.
A.
Awesome place with good car parking and a wide variety of both native and exotic animals to meet. Interactive feeding opportunities with giraffes make an unforgettable experience. Recently they have acquired tigers and gorillas, with otters coming for Perth soon! Free shuttle bus tours run hourly and staff are really friendly and helpful.
W.
This zoo puts all other zoos in NZ to shame. Unlike other zoos with very limited space for the animals, they have such big spaces for the enclosures for the larger animals to move around.
Cafe service needs improvement. Admission fee is a big pricey.
T.
Great park. Has a completely different feel to other zoos. Most animals were out and about. Reasonable price of entry, and having the shuttle bus around the park is a great addition to the park.
T.
This place is great they have well treated animals some awesome gorillas and a free giraffe tasting.Well worth a visit suitable for adults and kids in pretty much any weather.
A.
Great day after cold frosty start. Lovely just wandering around. About to have some lunch.
m.
A very pleasant afternoon out with the animals and their informative keepers. I haven't looked too deep into it but I'm sure there aren't many places in the world where you can get this close to rhinos.
L.
Beautiful close encounters with the animals. Really informative signage and passionate carers and volunteers. Today we had a great close look at the kiwis in the dark room, they came right to the front of the enclosure, you could really see how big and amazing they are. Also the porcupines are shockingly large and look quite menacing.
C.
We visited this park outside of Christchurch and it was a highlight of our trip! The animals are very well cared for and entertaining. We enjoyed the interaction with the Lions, tiger, giraffe, rhino, and cheetah! We spoke to many staff members who were friendly and informative. I will definitely visit this park again.
K.
First time here after 6 years in chch and it did not disappoint. Easy to wander around with a push chair and had the option of a shuttle bus too. Really helpful staff and fun to watch them feed the animals- great map to show you the feeding times too. Cafe onsite or take your own food for a picnic.
H.
This one volunteer at the giraffe exhibit on a Saturday at 12 noon & 3pm was really cool. Very good talk at feeding time. He tried to summon the giraffes once & they didn’t come. Aside from that great service & the giraffe tasted great too. :)
S.
A good experience overall. A bit difficult to get there if you do not own a vehicle. Inside the park, animals have been given ample space (for a zoo) and it seemed like they receive good care. There aren't many different species of animals, birds and reptiles but it's still worth a visit.
S.
Love it here. Such a good resource for Christchurch. Hopefully gets all the funding needed to stay open. 10 out of 10 experience!!
E.
Amazing park. Never I thought I could have seen Rhinos and Gorillas in New Zealand. Having Lunch with Giraffes in the background was a highlight! (You get a really good view of the Giraffes from the cafe if you are sitting outside!
C.
Such an amazing place. So many great experiences to be had, including feeding a giraffe and get up close and personal with the Keas. Seeing the Great Apes was a highlight. You definitely need dedicate a full day to get as much as you can out of the experience, but I am still left satisfied with so many things I could do in the few hours I had.
J.
Great place for kids and grown-ups. Feeding Giraffe was the highlight.
C.
Best zoo experience ever and got closer than ever before to the cheetah and tiger! Very cool place
J.
Best wildlife park Ive ever been too. Staff are friendly and helpful. Had lunch at the cafe surrounded by ducks and birds. Got to see the lions and giraffes being fed. Get to get up pretty close to the animals. Very well done bird aviary. Massive wildlife park but has a shuttle to get you around when your legs are tired. I was there for roughly 4 hours. You can see so many animals including; Gorillas, Lions, Tigers, Horses, Sheep, Buffalo, Zebra and so much more.
It is pretty much the only thing I enjoyed around the Christchurch area.
J.
It was great especially the giraffes, the grandchildren just loved the day out seeing all the animals. Thank you guys lovely customer service 😃🦒
R.
Day spent well by seeing these animals. Unfortunately Lion safari was closed due to covid restrictions but able to see lions very closely during their feeding time.
G.
Fantastic day out for the whole family. Wheelchair and pram friendly. Great cafe with great selection and ice cream shop. EV tour bus. Animal feeding times very popular listed on the map/guide. Fully recommend.
M.
Family really enjoyed this. Even though the weather wasn't fantastic we still saw pretty much all the animals. Don't be afraid to go on a cold day, just bring a jacket. Also, you can bring your own food for a picnic. Feeding the giraffes was a special highlight.
S.
Buying a season ticket is the best...we can just pop over whenever we like even if its just for a few hours at feeding time🦒🦏🦍💞
M.
I hadn't been to Orana Park since I was a lot younger and it's still as magical as I remember. I had a blast hanging out with the animals and watching them feed and interact with the keepers. It was a brilliant day. I haven't been on the lion encounter yet but from watching it from a distance even then it was an awesome experience.
G.
Such a great place. We went Tuesday 6th November just after lunch and it was great as there were no crowds and got up close at each enclosure. We also got to feed the giraffes, watch the rhino's and the cheetahs get fed.
Disappointed we didn't get to see a kiwi bird though.....he was hiding.
J.
Amazing. Exceeded my expectations. A must do if you are in Christchurch. Interesting range of different sorts of animals. A nice little cafe to sit down and have lunch in the middle of the day then continue the 2nd half of the zoo. Very great family place.
E.
I fed the giraffes and they were oo beautiful and so ginourmous up close. The staff and volunteers were informative about all the animals we stopped to look at. The petting zoo llamas were adorable and soft to touch :)
M.
Always a great time, big hit with the child like always. Love coming back here
C.
We talked to Toby on a school trip, he was so informative and told us about the enclosures the animals are in. Orana really is an amazing place heaps of parking, really well looked after animals, all the animals look happy and healthy which is always good. I really loved the native birds it feels like you're in a forest which is really lovely.
M.
Went with my 3 year old and had a blast. He loved seeing all the animals and feeding the giraffes! Could've spent all day there if he had his way.
C.
feeding times were perfect and easy to follow. animals were very cute (expecially the meerkats!)
T.
The animals there are very nice! I would consider coming here if you want to go to a nice zoo!
S.
More like 3.5 some of.the animals basically impossible to see the African dogs and the cheetahs where just dots. Go close to feeding time for lions tigers etc. Awesome to see the Tigers
j.
Used to be much better but It seems that with a lack of Tourism and possibe funding that the park has really took a dive I noticed some of the general up keep in the park wasn't up to there usual standards with alot of animal displays missing or so over grown its hard to see the animals its a real shame as the park is a great family outing I hope this is just a bump in the road and they can continue to do amazing things.
T.
We had a really nice afternoon there. Some of the enclosures are unused and look a bit rundown, but there were plenty of other animals and the gorilla enclosure is amazing.
Taking one of the free little coach tours around the park is definitely recommended while there. The staff are knowledgeable and very friendly.
P.
Great Guide and heaps of interesting info about animals.
P.
A good sized wildlife park situated a good bit away, but somewhat close to the airport.
The staff were really friendly, it was moderately clean and the prices are fair.
They have a feeding schedule which is nice as you get handed a bit of food which you can then feed the animals such as the giraffe or the farm animals.
There are some bbq spots and a kids/young teens playground which has a flying fox, trampoline and more so it's perfect for family's.
The park also have a little shuttle car with some commentary so it's perfect for those who are tired or just want the little tour.
V.
Beautiful wildlife park. 5 Lion 🦁 was great to watch. Way bigger than Auckland's zoo.
v.
The wildlife park is kinda big and and there are animals that not all zoo's have but it was disappointing the fact that half of the animals were hiding and were not able to see much. I like how it feels like a park good for picnics but I doubt people are allowed to do that.
V.
Very few varieties of animals and birds. Enjoyed wildlife. Cleanliness has to be improved of toilets and restaurant.
P.
Orana Wildlife Park is New Zealand's only open-range zoo, sitting on 80 hectares of land, located on the outskirts of Christchurch. It has more than 400 animals across 70 species. Attractive point is to see loin, gorillas and rhino. Good place to spending time with wildlife creatures. Specially for children.. Recommended
S.
This is a great park for people who love animals and don't mind a walk. Lots of space for the animals to roam but good viewing. There were very few things that were hard to see.
J.
Lovely wildlife park. Animals have lots of room to roam. Staff all seem to really love working with the animals. Loved that they have feeding times throughout the day. Got to feed a giraffe as well! Stop by and see the kiwi (s), during feeding time.
Definitely worth stopping by if you're in the Christchurch area. Small cafe on site for quick bites and refreshments.
J.
Best zoo I’ve been too. Very nice large exhibits. Very interactive with the animals well being second to none. Feeding the giraffes was a a very satisfying moment that brought much joy!
r.
Absolutely amazing place, the care and love they show for the animals is A++. Thr Lion Encounter is definitely worth its money and an amazing experience.
N.
Went at the wrong time, it was too hot for us and the animals so most animals were kept in their cages trying to cool down. Advise going in a cooler probably overcast climate
H.
So many animals to see, including the endangered kiwi bird, meerkats, boars,cheetahs white rhinos, orangutans,gorillas and many more. While they even let you feed a couple of the animals which can be quite nice. Offer a tour bus to take you round the place. Only let down was the food in the cafe. Even had a playground with a zipwire!. Would definitely recommend.
N.
Great place to take children interested in animals.
Lots of different animals to see, and just watch interact with eachother.
My daughter loves giraffes, and was so happy she was able to feed them herself.
Lions were not as active as when I came many years ago, maybe as they are getting fed more often.
C.
Big spacious zoo alright, i cant believe how many people actually walk that park every day it is honestly massive. so be prepared, the animals are great when you can see them sometimes they dont wanna know yah 😂👍
M.
Very good place to spend a day.
Went with my two kids, they had good time.
Picnic area is good, take some food you can have it there.
Theres shuttle service within the park, if you cant walk you can take it.
Plan your visit to coincide with feeding times, it will be good fun to watch.
Had chance to feed, giraffe and fish. Cheetah and gorilla views were good.
s.
Great place it was a lovely 32 degrees today didn't think we would see many animals as I thought they would be hiding inside as it was so hot the place was absolutely fantastic love seeing the Lions getting fed and the Giraffe are very photogenic as well
M.
This place is so cool loads of animal's here
C.
Check bookme.co.nz for tix as can get $10disc on some days as normally about$36 to visit. Is lots of walking esp if you want to follow the feedings which means going back and forth. Whole place felt bit tired and past its prime. Most animals have reasonable size area compared with other zoos. They had a kinda african safari theme but don't think they have carried that thru. There was a shuttle thing but only seemed to go very infrequently so wasnt worth waiting the 30+mins to catch for us. There is only one place to get food, so make sure you take drinks with you. Disappointing range of tacky overpriced sourviners aimed at mostly kids.
We did lion experience which was really neat, is an extra $45 and only a few ppl can do each day so go early if want to book for that. If we'd paid normal price for entry prob wouldn't have paid the extra.
G.
Amazing, just amazing. I only got to see the porcupine and meerkat for a few minutes but they were so memorable. Got some lovely photos of the animals. And got to feed a giraffe!!!
E.
Good one day activity if you are in Christchurch. Few animals are very far so you can't see them up-close. They have some feeding sessions mostly for free. that's when you can see animals real close.
P.
Unusually quiet with not too many people around late afternoon on a Sunday. The park does a great job of looking after the animals it has and includes education about animal conservation.
D.
Best zoo we've been to in NZ. All the animals were so close I could have reached out and touched them (please don't try). The layout is really good to no criss crossing.
J.
Very good staff at most locations to tell you information about these wonderful animals, birds and reptiles they care for.
Cafe was fair and shuttle bus would be better set up to go to the areas where feeding was occurring rather than a route that heads in the opposite direction. It could then head off to the next area for feeding.
K.
Awesome Zoo very quiet at this time of year, animals have so much space and conditions were great, very prepared for holiday time with ample amount of parking
M.
I really do love Orana Park, always a go to when we have visitors. The gorillas were amazing, so active and silly the day were we there I could have watched them for hours.
N.
Had a nice time especially on the encounter with the lions. With a eye on the habitat from lion it’s more to the humans, and you see stress signals. Also the tigers and cheetahs are the whole time walking next to the fences ; stress. It’s good big park but it need to improve see the gorilla as-well, in Europe for example a gorilla went out his stay easily.
S.
Nice place to hang out, better to go morning coz animals are keep hiding in afternoon, also needs to increase the number of animals
N.
Great for seeing lions, gorillas and other apes. Has other large beasts like rhino's etc too. Cafe is small and some enclosures are empty or rundown.
R.
Fantastic day. Loved the new gorilla exhibit. Meerkat s always fun. Make a day of it. Those Lions are huge.
S.
I guess, u have to be lucky to watch all the animals out there in the park, however the lion feeding time is just majestic in its own way.
M.
Such a nice variety of animals! Really loved the farm area and the meerkats. I would not recommend the gift shop because I thought the gifts would be unique to them, but half of the stuff you can buy at acquisitions or the Warehouse.
D.
Such a beautiful park. You can tell the animals are well looked after and as close to a like natural environment.
Recommend doing the wildlife encounters.
J.
We enjoy going to Orana Park. Getting to feed Giraffes and getting 1 metre away from rhinos are wonderful experiences. The annual pass is definitely worth it, just the cost of two visits and you can go as many times as you want. There are a lot of empty enclosures at the moment and also ones that need a little tlc. Reasonable prices in the cafe and gift shop too.
n.
Awesome experience. Better than the Zoo. Loved the open enclosures with loads of dry oom and the animal feedings.
k.
Lovely place they do such a good job trying to look after these animals.it must be extremely hard in this environment to look after the place feeding the animals I just wish there was more we could do to help
J.
The animals seemed well taken care of (which is very important to us), there was a good variety of native and foreign animal species. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable, the food was great and prepared in a reasonable amount of time.
The only bad thing I have to say about our visit there was that the groundskeeping was quite awful. Pathways overgrown, the occasional tripping hazard across the path, and a lot of the landscaping seemed to be... Dead. It Almost made the experience feel cheap (in a bad way) just because of the maintenance.
But if you're looking for a fun day with the kids, a date, or just taking a look for yourself, this is definitely a fun place to visit.
D.
Some great chances to get close to some of the animals, with times you can watch or be involved in feedings.
L.
Loved the open range style and the free ride tround the park with regular stops. Great day out for the family.
J.
An absolutely brilliant place to visit! Be prepared, the grounds are huge so you can expect a lot of walking. Our three year old coped pretty well but after a couple of hours he was ready to stop walking . The animal enclosures are huge (hence the walking) but definitely worth exploring. There's not a lot of shelter so make sure you're prepared for whatever the weather will throw at you. I recommend you make the journey out here - take a packed lunch and make a day of it 😄
C.
Park like setting for animals. Feeding times give you the opportunity to see the animals up close. In the winter the monkeys are not out on the Island though.
M.
Great time for the kids, has buggy hire as well!!
M.
Big enclosures so animals looked pretty happy. Informative and fun day.
Giraffe lions gorilla Cheetah rhino meerkat kiwi kea gibbon nz birds lemur Taz devil
B.
This is a great way to spend a day. Great for all ages and good for the soul. The animals are in the best of condition so full marks to staff and volunteers for the magnificent work they do.
A.
Not a lot of animal diversity, a big part of the zoo was empty because of the earthquake. The lion encounter was fully booked, but we saw it from outside (it's when they put some people in a truck and feed the Lions from the truck so they would jump on the truck). Kiwis sleep at 4:30, so make sure to go before then if you want to catch them.
G.
My family and I did the lion encounter and was well worth the $45 per person for the experience. Seeing a gorilla with only glass between you and him was awesome to be able to get that close. Only negative was the distance between you and some of the African animals great they have so much space but was hard to see them.
K.
Beautiful park, great variety of animals, (& fed a giraffe), brilliant staff and volunteers and delicious food in the cafe, couldn't ask for better!
f.
A great day at Runner Park really loved watching the kids interact with the animals
S.
Big spacious zoo. We went during the school holidays so it was very busy but you hardly felt it. Check the website for feeding times for the best experience.
R.
Great place to take your family for the day. I would recommend NOT wearing sandals and on a hot day make sure to slip, slop, slap and wear a hat!
s.
Awsome family outing animals look well looked after great place to get up and close:) enclosures do need alot of tlc and i couldnt find a baby change area which was a bit of a pain with so many young ones visiting.. All in all we love orana park
J.
Love the tour ride. Love feeding the giraffes. Love seeing some animals up close. Love the place. Love the animals!
D.
Awesome day out. Kids loved seeing the animals. Well worth the price of entry.
Z.
Very excited to be there for half day trip!
I have seen how African dogs fight for food! Feed giraffes and see spider monkeys. 🦒🦒🦒
l.
We arrived at 3:30 pm so we have told animals start to be locked around 4 pm. We haven't seen much unfortunately but it was alright. A bit sad to see some animals locked up but that is what you see in zoo.
C.
Nice day for an outing. Take a packed lunch to sit and soak up the atmosphere. The park is in need of a huge upgrade and update, has a tired feel, very out dated and old.
Bit steep on the entry price .
B.
Good day with the kids got there just in time to see the lions getting feed was so cool and staff are so helpful and friendly thanks team
T.
Nice to have a variety of New Zealand animals on display, and feeding times on brochure. Spent two hours fully explored the zoo.
C.
Quite a spacious zoo with a lot of animals in. There are free animal talks/feeding shows about every half an hour in different places so it’s best to take a map at entrance (with the show schedule on it). Free shuttle buses are available but you may need to wait. It can be a lot of walk in between if you want to catch every show. Saw a happy kiwi which really made my day : )
M.
I enjoyed it all. It's a bit pricey, but I feel like I got my money's worth. There's enough to spend the full day there. I feel like we went at the best time (during the afternoon) because it was feeding time so when the animals heard the vehicles get closer, they would pop out and wait at the gates. We saw some tigers (at the reception it was said that they were new). Definitely try to take a group and go visit, it's awesome.
M.
Overall great experience. Keeps the public well informed of specific attractions on-site and times when they will happen! VERY important info, great job Orana Wildlife Park! & the shuttle is a HUGE plus for those of us who may have limited mobility.
S.
Such a cool place. Get your timings sorted for the feedings and it'll be twice as awesome!
m.
Was great day out but another of the animals were not out like the tigers
l.
Most of the animals were sleeping and hiding, food expensive and price labels hard to read. I wouldn't like to take a bunch of hungry kids there
J.
Went with my partner who is from America on a Working Holiday Visa to finally tick it off our list, but I've been wanting to go again a long time. The park is so quiet right now because of the lack of overseas tourists. Great time to visit if you're local and don't want to fight through huge crowds to watch feedings. It can be a lot of walking so you may need to bear this in mind for those with mobility issues. The Lion Encounter is definitely worth it if you can afford it too!
R.
The ape Centre was absolutely amazing and just in general it was a great day. Quiet too so didn't have to trip over other people
R.
Went to buy a voucher for a annual pass as Christmas present , very helpful and instead of it starting from purchase date they started from Boxing Day
B.
Let's face it - Orana Wildlife Park is not huge in its size but makes up for this minor point in every other way. Firstly, the staff, keepers and volunteers are a truely dedicated team. They love what they do and show this in the way that they care for the truly marvelous animals under their charge. They also appreciate their visitors in a truely kiwi way with both respect and kindness. Entry prices at the park are reasonable with plenty of pickniking tables and chairs scattered across the site. I love to visit this park on a warm still summer afternoon and stroll around or take the guided tour "train" if feeling tired. Recommend.
A.
Soo cool! The place is massive and it was so cool seeing all the animals in such big enclosures 😊😊 and it was also so fun to see the animals being fed too! 10/10 would come again, this is far better than a zoo, thank you guys ❤️❤️
C.
kids loved it filled the day they both went to sleep just means we got to go round twice wish all the animals were visible but the ones that we were we all enjoyed
N.
Love Orana Park, enjoy the animals and enjoy the feeding times. Awesome information from the volunteers.
L.
Orana park. Great to get up close to the animals. Loved feeding the Giraffes. Great cafe and gift shop. Staff very informative and friendly
J.
Fantastic place, much better than a zoo. More interactions, the animals look a lot more lively and feedings happen very regularly.
D.
One of the best experiences with these majestic animals you'll ever have without being in the wild. The Lion encounter is one of the most exhilarating things I've done in my life. To be literally a foot away from a living breathing ferocious predator is a feeling few of us get to have and walk away from. All while knowing that these lions have a beautiful free space to roam and are relatively wild. I was drooled on by a huge Lion as he stood on top of the encounter cage. I'm 6'4" so my head was barely a foot away from his feet and mouth as he devoured his snack.
The Rhino encounter was amazing as well. Being able to stand right next to these beautiful creatures as their gigantic horns swing about in front of your face is mind blowing. There's The a tremendous feeling of peace and calm associated with their presence. The second time I went one of the Rhinos must have had a short nap because she was bullying a few of the other Rhinos. It made for interesting and hilarious theater. Get your backside over Orana and have the time of your life! I also had an amazing time with the gorillas, cheetahs and the tigers.
J.
The park is nice but quote a walk to go with the kids. In all fairness there is a shuttle that goes once every hour. I thought. I was expecting more animals to be there, but the gorilla and the lions being fed are really cool.
E.
A wonderful place to visit and revisit, enjoying viewing and learning about the animals in their habitats.
n.
such an amazing place, however one question is, what the heck is your chimpanzee doing roaming around at my school?
N.
𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚐𝚘𝚛𝚒𝚕𝚕𝚊 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚘 𝚏𝚞𝚗𝚗𝚢 𝚒𝚝 𝚕𝚊𝚒𝚍 𝚍𝚘𝚠𝚗 𝚗𝚎𝚡𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚐𝚕𝚊𝚜𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚙𝚒𝚌𝚔𝚎𝚍 𝚒𝚝 𝚗𝚘𝚜𝚎𝚍 𝚊𝚝 𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚜 𝚒𝚝. 𝙻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚕𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚛.
P.
Absolutely worth the walk. Amazing sights
h.
Great place for a day out, so much space that even with large holiday crowds we didn't feel to rushed or crowded. It is a long way around the whole park in exposed area so make sure you allow plenty of time and dress for the weather.
M.
Must go place for kids to see Wildlife... Lion🦁, Cheetah 🐆, Giraffe 🦒, Gorilla 🦍, Kiwi , Ostrich , Zebra 🦓 , Tiger 🐯 and more.
There is a farm house 🏡 with Sheep 🐑 , Chicken 🐔 Lamas and more where kids can touch and play with animals.
Don't miss the Giraffe feeding ..
Free shuttle service to get around if you don't want to walk.Takes 30 minutes to come around.
Also have a Cafe with great view. enjoy coffee ☕ and food watching Giraffes
Grab a suvanier from the gift shop on your way out.
Great place for a day out with family and friends
E.
The park is absolutely awesome! If it is your first time to visit there, recommend you to take the shuttle tour first, from where you will get quite informative overview of the park and animals living there. After that you can wander around yourself and visit the areas that interests you more. Staff are kind and friendly, and the cafe provides good food. Definitely worth coming back!
Z.
Nice and tidy zoo, good for a walk or nice family time. Very well organized animal feeding times, which are great to watch and listen to the stories from their zookeepers. Cafe offers some snacks and ice-cream and also hot drinks. You can get takeaway coffe or use their seating area. Gift shop is also available. And for those with little ones is possibility to hire a stroller. We enjoined the most the variety of animals and the opportunity to feed some of them.
C.
You were able to get up close with the animals. There were zoo staff moving from enclosure to enclosure on a timetable and they would explain details about the animal, their habits, etc. We even got to see a kiwi!
J.
A little overpriced at $34.50 per adult.. Can't see some of the animals. Lion encounter for an additional $45 per adult, hop on the truck and drove around in the lions' area for about 10 mins or less..
P.
Really enjoyed the park. Easily took up the two hours we had. Animals are clearly treasured and well cared for and the staff were friendly and professional. So nice to see animals in such natural spacious settings. Would recommend.
O.
Awesome place for a day out. My partner and I thoroughly loved it! Definately worth checking out the native birds and the Lions
Y.
Great fun the only thing that I dint like was the weather 😅
T.
Great dayout with kiddos, lots to do and cafe is really good. Best chicken Sammy
M.
Amazing animals... And lots of interaction...a tour train for those who don't want to stroll the grounds... Animals have lots of space... Go on a sunny but cool day... The animals are happier and more likely to see everything
R.
Nice family place lots of animal big place free shuttle inside the Zoo. Nice coffee. Friendly staff
D.
A fun place where you can get up close and personal with several animals. If you can, try to make it to the feedings for the giraffes and the farmyard animals. They're both very fun and very informative.
D.
Great variation of animals. Giraffe feeding was great for the kids. Got close up to Lions, Tigers, Cheetahs and Gorillas. Only 4 stars as some enclosures didn't have animals and the Lion Encounter wasnt available.
D.
Its a must visit place for wildlife lovers. The best part is close encounter with the Orangutan and Gorillas. Must visit place if you are in Christchurch!!
J.
A very spread out but well populated zoo. Highly recommend going to feedings and checking out the great apes.
L.
Much better than any Zoo in NZ
J.
Loved it. So much space for the animals to roam free. Some of the enclosures were empty though. Entry fee is a little bit on the pricey side
D.
Amazing park. Must try the lion encounter 🦁
P.
We arrived in time for feeding of the animals. Great seeing the animals in wide open spaces. Staff and volunteers were very informative and friendly
E.
Feeding the giraffes was a great experience! Very large park, quite a walk if you have little kids with you. Have a nice playground with a flying fox, which my son really enjoyed. Some animals are impossible to see tho, because of the placement of the viewing platforms vs the nature of the habitat, which was disappointing. Gorillas looked very sad, almost depressed, which was really heartbreaking to see :(
Cafe was OK, definitely needs more attention in terms of cleanliness. Tables don't look like they get wiped very much. Food below average, but I suppose that's expected. Coffee was excellent tho!
D.
Amazing zoo, really friendly staff and super interactive. Some beautiful African animals and of course the giraffe feeding is a real highlight, I’ll be back for sure!
H.
Good place to visit but pick a cooler day as can be very hot. Spring school holidays is a good time to go.
C.
Love this place .take a packed lunch and expect to spend the whole day .follow the feeding times .it's a great family day
E.
I went on a cold day in the off season which was great as the animals were super active. The talks from the keepers were educational and entertaining. Really good set up
D.
Fantastic. Best thing is knowing how heavily involved the establishment is with Animal Breeding and ensuring their safety and wellbeing.
K.
A loveky family day out activity.
Lots of animals to check out with a cafe and shop for all the yummy and cute goodies
L.
My husband and I had a wonderful experience here during our vacation to NZ. Being from the States, this is the closest we have ever been to these exotic animals. We opted to do the lion encounter and even in the rainy drizzle, we didn't regret it for a second. You truly get an up close experience with the lions that you can get nowhere else. The animals were all extremely active when we came and the zoo is super informative in how we can actively help keep these wonderful animals alive.
B.
Great place to take the kids. Looking a little tired.
D.
Great park, a few empty enclosures but the main attractions are awesome.
M.
Lovely day out. Great staff and good value for money. Animals looked well cared for. The park was a little tired but it didn't detract from seeing the animals up close
J.
We had so much fun! Great place for family to visit.
E.
Love the awesome animals at this park, one of the best places to sit and eat food at their amazing cafe.
A.
Great day out for the family, take good shoes and expect a good bit of exercise.
T.
It is about 2.5 hours and 8500 steps. Great place for anyone who love animals.
K.
Absolute family treat. We all loved seeing and watching the Orangutans and Gorrillas.
m.
Big park, we'll maintained. Loved their animals
I.
It's best place for families esp young children who get to see animals in their natural habitat.
B.
Many kinds of animals here. Kiwi is in the dark room. Take the tram for the tour around the ranch.
I.
It was amazing we love it up there and there caft was good to
B.
This place was sooo good. I used to think Auckland zoo was pretty unmatched in NZ but this place just had a different feel. Definitely a Wildlife Park rather than a Zoo if that makes sense. Was a good time with great experiences.
A.
This is a wonderful place for families and anyone really. These animals are kept in environments that are as close to their natural habitats as possible. Kids will be fascinated and learn valuable things about our natural world.
D.
Love this place support local. Great hot bevs, ideal for all ages
L.
Absolutely great day out, we spent the whole day there, I'd recommend comfortable shoes, lots of walking. Giraffe feed was really well organised despite how busy it was. Only downside was lack of shaded areas, but plenty of suncream and you're good to go 😊
F.
Half was run down and overgrown. A real let down and sad to see. The African animal side was good though.
M.
Unlike zoos, Orana is more a large park and it’s lovely ambling around the grounds and adoring the animals. It’s the undisciplined and unruly kids that should be behind bars though. The poor Kiwi in the Kiwi House are who I feel for. It’s dark and the staff ask over and over and over to keep quiet so as not to frighten them. Please refer back to my previous sentence! Aside from that, it’s well-worth a visit, and close to the airport if you’ve got time before a flight.
J.
Park ranger in her natty pressed khakis eyed me eyeing cars pulling into the lion safari drive-through.
"Oy hope yew know whoy ye're not gonna reed in there onna boy-cycle."
She smiled. I smiled.
But I appreciated her concern this Yank looked like the type who just might be that daffy.
D.
Wonderful, our family really enjoyed it. The animals had fantastic enclosures, all looked well cared for. Zoo staff were friendly and helpful. Definitely plan on visiting again
S.
Quite cool to see these animals. Especially the relatively large number of white rhinos that they have here. The gorillas are fun to watch as well. Its good fun to come around with friends or family. There're also lion encounters and several animal feedings you can partake in throughout the day.
F.
Had a great time at Orana Park! So many different animals to see and the staff are awesome! Christian (a volunteer at the park) was fantastic and knew so much about each animal. Our family enjoyed talking with him as he answered all our questions. Fun day out with the kiddies, would definitely recommend!
S.
Spent close to 4hrs at Orana park on Saturday.
Many empty enclosures at the moment which was a shame. The meerkats are always a huge hit with my boys though.
After walking around the park we took the shuttle tour. It was a nice day out.
M.
We love the park. Great for kids. Was a bit of a shame today our boy got told he couldn't bring in his balance bike. But the next family could... and there were many inside aswell. Made him a bit upset, consistency would be nice.
C.
The Silverback was the best. He was engaging, and I felt really privileged to spend time there.
L.
Nice to walk around zoo is quite big. Alittle bit expensive but better than willowbank for the same price. loved the gorilla's. Pity they don't tell you what animal's aren't in cages on the day my son couldn't wait to see some real tigers but when we got there nope no tigers he wasn't impressed and you's know how 2year olds show their frustration haha. Was good to feed the giraffe's an farm animals good place to get all the energy out of you kids haha nice and friendly staff also
M.
Always a great day out to see the animals great and small.
j.
Great open wildlife park where the animals have plenty of space. Had a great day but looking a bit tired in places. Covid has no doubt sucked some funding. Would recommend for kids and family days.
P.
A very nice zoo with friendly staff and well looked after animals.
B.
Firstly, it was a lovely day and the staff were friendly, helpful and professional.
On the whole, I had an enjoyable day with the highlight being the Lion Encounter... Fab!
I did observe a few enclosures closed/empty with no real explanation or education as to why.
I noted good sized enclosures for the cheetahs, Lions and rhino's but was very disappointed with the size of the painted dog enclosure especially but also the giraffes.
With regards to feeding, it was great to have the timetable for different sessions and some education about said animals.
It would have been interesting to learn different ways in which the keepers keep the animals engaged in order to find their food as opposed to given on a platter, so to speak.
There is an area which is quite unkempt near the main entrance.
I understand recent events wouldn't have helped and feel that they are doing their best.
I would recommend for a visit but awareness of closed enclosures.
G.
Love this place so amazing the animals and easy to get around well done orana will reccomend this place to others
M.
Good for family activities. Kids can interact through feeding the animals.
K.
Hadn't been to Orana Park since I was a teenager many moons ago, today I went with my husband and 20 month old daughter. Pro of Orana Park is that the animals have loads of space to themselves, however, this does mean that you need to do quite a bit of walking. At least 3 enclosures did not have animals in them which was disappointing, and because the areas are bigger, it can be difficult to spot the animals. I would highly recommend getting the feeding encounters as these are well worth it for getting up close and personal with the animals.
K.
Really enjoyed Orana Park. It was great to see the animals having lots of space. The silver back gorilla and his two brothers are a definite bonus. The shuttle bus is a good way to get an overview of the park. The volunteers are an asset to the park and give an informed commentary.
A.
There were a number of empty overgrown enclosures, and a few under construction which wasn't well signposted and took the shine off the total experience. But the animals we did see were great. Recommend following the feeding times around as we saw lots of animals close up.
D.
Love this place so much we just purchased all season pass, big ups to all the volunteers and staff you do great work.
C.
Fantastic park, loved the hours spent here and all the feeding times we were able to have. Took the opportunity the do the lion encounter too and so pleased we did. Absolutely brilliant park and all staff volunteers so knowledgeable and helpful! Thanks for the visit :)
M.
Superb Wildlife zoo, viewing lions by car is bit disappointed as it is sold out already when I arrive... probably need to book in advance before arrival. it is a very big area needs a day spend there. Walking 3 hours I still didn't finish viewing all animals... got children small playground as well. coffee restaurant place. feeding the giraffe is the most fun part of the zoo at 10:00am and 3:00pm only. they will provide free grass for giraffe.
T.
Very fun place to visit with family and friends. Lots of animals and birds
A.
Great for kids and animal lovers lion encpunter is awesome and gorilla enclosure is so cool
H.
The workers were nice and they showed us around,let us pet the giraffes.
C.
Once you realise this is Wildlife Park and not a zoo it is amazing
R.
Very fun, but some animals could not be seen
D.
Awesome zoo. Really enjoyed our day here
C.
Amazing experience, highly recommend, particularly enjoyed the feeding experiences
A.
Very nice park to see lots of animals including lions, giraffe, rhinos, and gorillas. There are scheduled feedings of the animals that take place at predetermined times which fit in nicely with a walk through the grounds. The staff was friendly and willing to answer questions about the animals after the feedings.
T.
Awesome day for the whanau. But you will need good walking shoe's.
k.
Had a fairly good variety of animals. Shame there were a few exhibits without the animals in them.
A.
Amazing day with great animals. If you follow the feeding schedule you get a mini tour. the lion experience is not to be missed!!
B.
Always hard to see animals in captivity. These guys looked well and I enjoyed the day
K.
Amazing place! Have been coming here since I was a child and I can't get enough!
Great place for the whole family. You can really experience the place like a wildlife park rather than a zoo. Worth every penny especially since it supports all the breeding programmes and the animal conservation.
S.
One of the best holiday things I have ever done. The lion encounter rocked. Lions got so close they drooled some of us. How many people do you know who can say they have been drooled on by a Lion. The rest of the displays and encounters are just as good. If you are in Christchurch this is a must.
E.
Such a great experience. And make sure you plan your day and follow the animals feedings schedule because the park is huge,and you really want to see the animals a bit closer.
K.
I have a one year membership which can be used as many times as you want.
K.
On this occasion, my initial visit, there was a lot of work going on. It was a bit hard to find the animals too, but that was mostly ok as this was mostly caused by big enclosures which is great. Great place for a walk.
R.
Fantastic day out with my Granddaughter she loved feeding the giraffes
c.
My family really enjoyed it here, so good to see the animals have plenty of space to move and be themselves x
R.
I would highly recommend NOT going when it's cold and raining BUT that's my fault. The animals all hid away so we didn't see much and we got soaked. The Apes were worth every penny as were the giraffes. Plus free kid entry for holidays was so good, thank you so much for that. The cafe is yum! Defo eat there, delicious coffee too. Highly recommend this wildlife park didn't feel too bad for the caged creatures they all seemed well loved.
Will go again in the warmer season to see all the animals.
a.
Lots of spectacular animals really an amazing place to spend a dayoff in orana
S.
Nice layout, almost like walking through a park with animal enclosures dotted around.
However there were a fair few empty enclosures with no real explanations, the great ape house was disappointing signs for orangutans but none there and only 2 gorillas when they would normally be in a much larger family unit which was sad.
C.
A lot of the animals were not visible. The whole place looked like it needed to be given a tidy up. The signs at the enclosures were dirty and hard to read. I was quite disappointed.
C.
Orana park was well worth going to see it would be an amazing experience for the children
T.
Always enjoy checking out the animals here. Had nice day out with son checking them all out.
G.
Amazing, could have spent all day there. So nice to see animals in a relatively natural environment. The gorillas are sooooo big & you can get a really close up view of them when they venture into the enclosure.
n.
Loved the place very nice staff, who care for there animals....sadly person on ticket sales lacks respect towards visitors. (Maybe she was just having a bad day.) Definitely recommend visiting this place.
T.
Loved the Giraffe encounter. Beautiful animals. Last time we visited the park was before the earthquakes. Sad to see less merekats and no otters. Please support the park, it raises awareness of the animals it holds and their plight and an opportunity to see African wildlife up close .
God gave us a responsibility to care for all living creatures great and small.
J.
We had an awesome day with our grandchildren, we spent the whole afternoon there, we especially loved the rainbow trout, lions, tigers and the gorillas who put on a chest beating display and scared people watching in the habitat area, boy did they scream when he hit the window.
Awesome and friendly staff!!!😁
J.
Always good fun to do the lion encounter
i.
It's always good to see the animals in large enclosures, loved seeing the gorillas.
The shuttle ride around the park at the start is great as you get a good idea of the layout
H.
Firstly, I'd recommend to not go on a rainy day as all the animals will be hidden and it's just a big walk around a relatively empty park.
Secondly, it's a wonderful place filled with large open spaces, and a lot of animals that are really well looked after, it's worth reading all the signs to make you feel more comfortable with the work they do.
Lastly, if you're a fan of Mycology, theres a heck of a lot of fungi lying around, outstanding.
D.
There is a lot to see and do. The wildlife encounters are a point of difference. It was fun to feed a giraffe. Only down side is there were a few exhibits closed for numerous reasons.
N.
We go a lot of weekends as local residents with toddlers. Feeding the giraffes 🦒 is pretty fun. Flying fox is fast. Feeding the farm animals is great. Yearly pass is amazing value, check out Orana!!!
C.
Nice place to walk around and enjoy. Would love to see more animals next time.
S.
Loved it spent six hours there felt like one.
T.
Last time I was there, was 2008, arrived at 3pm, they close at 5pm, so really, it was a little too late to see everything in 2 hours, I realised this at the time, but decided to go with my partner off the cuff. Shouldve got there earlier when it was feeding times, no sign of the tigers, tasmanian devil, and very few lions about. Was disappointed only one shuttle, and that was packed with people, so, had to walk everywhere, which wasnt too bad, it was pleasant weather, no good though if it was cold. However, did enjoy seeing the gorillas. Next time, will arrive earlier
M.
Had a splendid outing with my husband today at Orana Wildlife Park. Seeing wildlife in person is a beautiful experience. The highlight of our visit were the Gorilla's. Absolutely beautiful animals.
M.
Always a nice day at Orana with the kids and there is often a different experience based on what the occupants feel like doing on any given day. We had the tiger sleeping next to the fence which was awesome because the tiger is often hard to find. The lions were their usual self but one of the males kept charging the fence towards onlookers which was a thrill. The big silver back gorilla sat right on the window looking at people on the other side of the glass and that was very special. The staff ran the cheetahs across the plain, also very special (but difficult to see with the crowds). The giraffe feeding is always a highlight and tip here that you can walk up a good 10-15 minutes after the feeding time starts and you won't have to queue. The café is now upgraded and run with military precision! Tons of great food options and awesome service. Overall a great day thank you.
J.
Great annual pass offer. Good to stretch the legs.Got to see the otters
L.
Lovely place for children. Has café and playground as well. Can spend whole day there.
C.
Public feeds were good. There is a lot of walking if you don't take the free shuttle around the place. The animals are a long way off, thought that I should have brought binoculars! Very open and dry, my favourite area is the native part because it has a lot of native trees around and was a lot cooler than the rest of the park which was dry and very hot.
R.
Great time for all, families and extended families. Great to see the picture of the drive thru lion park in 1979-1980, and my 1962 VW with my late parents in the back and my wife and I in the front - what a hoot!! Brings back memories!
S.
Fantastic little park. Nice and clean and no smell. Very good variety of animals from across the world. Animals look well looked after and happy. Some exotic animals such as rhino and tigers. Seeing the keepers feed the animals was a favourite. Lunch at the cafe was also good. Despite the rain the keepers still made an appearance and gave excellent educational talks. We would visit again. Would have stayed longer if we didn't have a flight to catch.
J.
The animal looked all healthy. They had big enclosures and it's beautiful in the nature. Good for kids, too
J.
Amazing place. Shuttle is recommended first it goes around whole park. Then pick your favorite and go back later. Great cafe and facilities.
d.
We in christchurch are so lucky to have a place as awesome as orana park I have been coming since I was a teenager, now I bring my son. We particularly love the gorillas and now the orangutans.
L.
Awesome, friendly staff and make sure you stay for the afternoon feeds to see the big animals come alive.
H.
Absolutely brilliant!!
We expected a small place but we explored for over 5 hours and loved every minute.
The planned talks / feeding experiences are excellent and the volunteers also attending the talks / experiences have a wealth of knowledge which they are more than happy to share with you as you walk around.
We did the lion feeding experience (additional $45pp) which was beyond worth the money. The two male lions were at the sides of the truck cage and on top asking the keepers for food which allowed for amazing photos.
Z.
Amazing. I have never seen rhinos not in concrete barriers before. This made me extremely happy to see then outside and happy.
P.
Amazing place. Will go again and again as we always see something different.
L.
We had a great time. Thanks to the shuttle driver, very friendly, my nephew enjoyed the ride! Thanks. 👍
E.
Great place for the kids and an experience up close with such exotic animals
l.
Absolutely amazing place. Its amust do whenever im in christchurch and more than once. Highly recomend you include the lion encounter in your visit. Not every day you can grt up close and personal with lion up top , lion on all sides within 1 meter of you
J.
we had a great day. Looking a bit tired in areas would be great if the park could get more support for funding. The lion encounter was fabulous
G.
Not all animals were available to view but worth the visit.
E.
Great child friendly activity, lots of walking but the loop train is great too
R.
Great place to visit. We had 5 children (aged 3-10) with us, perfect for all of them. Shuttle is good when youngest get tired. Disappointed there appear to be no tigers now. Took lunch with us, plenty nice spots to sit and eat. Recommended.
G.
Great large and small animals here. Keepers seem to love their jobs. Lots of space for animals and space for visitors so never feels crowded. Kids playground could do with a few more things to play on. Nice new refurbed cafe.
d.
Great wee zoo. Awesome friendly knowledgeable staff.
K.
Good place for family tour, don't have elephant, However it's biggest zoo in nz.
s.
Awesome place to spend time with kids outdoor. Support Arana park maintaining quality lives for these animals.
M.
Fantastic. Not cheap but we'll worth every penny. Gorillas!!!
L.
Huge park- great way to spend a few hours with the wee ones. Quite expensive.. The park still needs a lot of maintenance (uneven surfaces and loose pavings- generally needs a spruce up!)
S.
Our two wee ones loved feeding the giraffe, watching the lions get fed and the gorillas. Lunchbox idea from the cafe is good value for money. Had a great time
A.
Very good place for family good time. Well maintained. You can walk or use the shuttle inside the park ( which is included in the entrance fee). All animals seems to be well looked after. Chance of really good photos. The caffe is a bit over priced as you can expect, but offers large variety of quick food options and amazing views towards the rhinos. You can sit and enjoy a cuppa feeling like you are in Africa.
Z.
Gorillas are massive so loved seeing them, kids had fun feeding giraffes and farmyard fallahs.
If you're going to follow the feeding schedule and got young children, make sure you take a buggy/stroller
H.
Had a lovely day out with our Autistic Son.
Was disappointed that the Otters were no longer there.
My only complaint is the uneven surfaces and rabbit holes people can trip in especially elderly and people like me who have a foot injury & am a bumble foot.
The Cafe/Gift Shop are fantastic.
K.
The animals are amazing but I can't help feeling like some of them are very depressed and some of the enclosures are quite small.
Thank you for replying Orana Park. I'm pleased to read this 😊
T.
Fantastic day with 6 grandchildren (2 adopted) our son and daughter in law, picnic lunch and a slow wander around looking at the animals and seeing the joy on the kids faces, well worth taking the day off.
S.
Was a lovely place to stroll around and feed the animals that you could very interactive 👌🙂
e.
Lovely too see large enclosures. Wish they were more suited to the animals natural habitat
W.
This was the first time we had visited in many years and pleased to see the increase in animals and how well kept it is. The animals were active and looked to be very well looked after. The gorilla's, cheetahs and lions were worth the visit alone. We spent 4 hours walking around the park, it could be done in 2 to 2.5 if you don't spend a lot of time at each enclosure. The cafe had a good selection of food and although more expensive than in the city, not too much more. It would be to have non-reflective glass in the enclosure and the height of the trees and bushes around the lion and giraffe enclosure could be reduced as they interrupt the view of the animals. Would visit again
L.
Awesome all animals were cool
C.
We love Orana Park! Always a great day out. Be prepared for lots of walking, unless you want to use the shuttle. Plan to spend more than a couple of hours here.
G.
Lovely day,nice weather,very greatful indeed to staff who helped us with 2 wheelchair people, thanks so much forgiving us oldies a great experience of being up so close to the animals. Volunteer Kathleen was so kind
E.
Super cute Meercats! A great experience even on a wet day; with beautiful animals! :)
P.
a great experience and a must do if you havent been
J.
Fabulous day - the feeding times are great as you can get quite up close to the animals. They are well looked after and the staff are all friendly and knowledgeable.
Food was reasonably priced and well cooked. The park is extremely large, and although initially it looks overgrown, in places, I liked it as it gave the place character. Wear good walking shoes.
We did the lion experience and it was just amazing! Very highly recommended! As it is run 100% as a charitable trust, their breeding programme and what they want to achieve is a credit to them. I will be going back!
J.
A very worthwhile trip. I went especially to see the orangutans and the gorillas and was not disappointed. We got very close up and it was amazing. The only slightly downside was the shuttle that runs round the park. This only goes every hour and does not co-ordinate with the feeding times. I was visiting with a friend who has limited mobility and she couldn't stop at the various points and view the animals.
T.
Good but some closed exhibits, Lemurs were missing :(
A.
We got an annual pass for Xmas..brilliant way to visit with preschooler as many times as we like for 52 weeks.
The farmyard is a favorite as it's hands-on with daily feeding.
We have found staff lovely and welcoming.
As annual pass holders we never feel rushed and have evrn gone for just 30min to feed farm animals
S.
Essential to your trip to Christchurch. An institution. Support the park and it's dedicated staff. Cheetahs up close!
S.
To begin with, there is a lot of parking and a great diversity at Orana Wildlife park. You get close to New Zealands only gorrilas and get to feed giraffes. There are so many things to do and so much to learn aswell. If you choose your timing right you can see animals like Cheetahs and Lions be fed. They also supply for additional cost a chance to be in a cage in the back of a truck and drive through the lions enclosure. There is also a great cafe and so many cute animals. I go atleast once a year and will continue to. Please take a day out and visit this wonderful place
L.
Nice range of animals, many of which you can get really close to. Loved having the option to go off the beaten path and there are plenty of angles and views of the different animal enclosures. Not too overpriced, not overly busy. Was a fascinating and relaxing way to spend the morning!
F.
This place is great and a must visit specially if you have kids
J.
Amazing day out with kids ♡
P.
Orana park was the experience of a lifetime. I did the lion encounter which is $52.50 on top of the entry fee which may sound expensive but so so worth it! The staff are experienced, friendly and knowledgeable,Great day, good to see the wild dogs back. All the big apes were inside so that was interesting. The giraffes were not interesting in feeding time but that did not distract from the experience.
m.
Well worth the visit, great day out for family outing
M.
This was insanely amazing! The lion experience is a must do!
N.
Getting quite shabby, neat to see wild animals, but is getting quite run down... new gorilla part is awesome, be good to see an upgrade done, and see more feeding... used to love seeing the cheetahs being fed, but this not done anymore
M.
large spaces for the animals to roam unlike Zoo's I have visited. Very neatly maintained. An excellant tourist attraction that should not be missed. It is a little expensive but feeding and veterinary care for all these animals wouldn't be cheap, so someone has to pay the costs
S.
Locals get the benefit of an annual pass so you can go as often as you like. Great open spaces. Get a feeding timetable as you can get close up to the animals and hand feed giraffes (wonderful experience for all ages). Walk or get a tractor ride around the park. Check out the Facebook page or website before going as there are often specials, like school holidays kids go free etc.
Y.
We went with a group of friends and unfortunately wasn't such a good experience but more of a let down. Staff are friendly there.
I was annoyed that most animals had signs of no animals available... And got anoying after the fifth animal sign. I don't know why they don't have as many animals as they say as there was no explanation but I was fustrated as I wanted to see these animals and they weren't available.
The gerrafs and the neercats were lovely to see but the rest of the animals were dissapointing, too far away, not seen or just curled in a ball.
Sorry but I wouldn't recommend this place until they sort thier animal issue of not having them... Tiger...otter... kangaroo.... wallabies.. ect
E.
Really good experience. Not the best Zoo we did but a pretty good one. Lions, Girrafe, kiwi, tasmian devils and the only Gorilla in NZ. Kids were super excited and loved it.
P.
Had alot of fun, the volunteers were great too.. I cant wate till my little baby has grown up a little more to appreciate what everyone at the park does in there day to day thing.. keep up the great work and my family and i will be back asap.
M.
Areas of the park looked worn out and poorly maintained, the Cafe has nice food and staff. We have had many visits over the past 25 years. Staff need to monitor some of the exotic animals as there were members of the public taunting some of the primates, which was saddening. It would be nice to see the park kept to its old standards
m.
Do the lion feeding, well worth the extra money. Awesome place even if you don't do lion feeds, lots of stuff (free) to do. Feed the giraffes, see the Gorillas. Shuttle tours around the park were really informative and friendly.
K.
What an absolutely amazing experience. I highly recco the Lion Encounter, which is only $52! Was incredible. All the keepers are super informative and very helpful. I will definitely be going back next time I am in Christchurch. They are also a not for profit charity, so the money you spend goes straight back in to the park. Very impressed, best wildlife park I have been too. They also have NZ's only Gorillas including an impressive Silverback, weighing over 190kgs! All the talks are scheduled one after the other, so you will miss nothing. Very highly recommend.
What an absolutely amazing experience. I highly recco the Lion Encounter, which is only $52! Was incredible. All the keepers are super informative and very helpful. I will definitely be going back next time I am in Christchurch. They are also a not for profit charity, so the money you spend goes straight back in to the park. Very impressed, best wildlife park I have been too. They also have NZ's only Gorillas including an impressive Silverback, weighing over 190kgs! All the talks are scheduled one after the other, so you will miss nothing. Very highly recommend
J.
Our family loved going there. We got there when it opened and left when it closed. We took our own lunch we loved seeing the gorillas and giraffes best will definitely go again.
L.
Really cool experience, highly recommend going to Orana Wildlife Park. Really cool how the zoo is in a big outside area just outside of city; allowing the animals to have lots of space to move around.
A.
Great experience. Went into the Lion cage during feeding time. Excellent staff - dedicated to the animals.
A.
Great day out despite the cold! It's worth paying attention to the feeling times and planning out the day to see the animals closer. By doing this we were able to interact with the giraffe, get quite close to the Lions and see the tiger in "hunting" mode.
L.
Loved going back here after heading there all the time as a child 🙂
R.
Great local attraction.
Our experience would have been better if there were shuttles more often. It's a hard trek for little legs that are too big for a pram but too small for all the walking.
D.
The Gorilla enclosure is great.
B.
There's something special about this Park. The workers & volunteers seem to genuinely care and enjoy the work they do, it shows and adds to the warm feel this park has. We really enjoyed the gorilla enclosure and the shuttle was a great option of getting around the Park. I wouldn't bother paying to get a close-up of the lions, as you get as good a view from outside the enclosure.
D.
This gorilla gave me the look. I got chills as I was scared as I know how powerful he is.
L.
Great, sprawling zoo! We were a little disappointed that the lion feeding encounter wasn't available. The little buggy train to take you around to see the whole zoo was invaluable (and FREE!) - I'd highly recommend doing that as soon as you enter if you're not familiar with the place, or it can be a bit difficult to navigate. The cafe there provides a good range of food - huge serving sizes though! There is a bbq area for you to bring and cook your own food if you want. Because the zoo was SO large, it'd be nice to have a few more shaded/sheltered areas and perhaps seating every now and then. Worth a visit.
K.
Awesome zoo that you could easily spend the whole day at. The talks are very informative and is fun for the kids to feed the farmyard animals and giraffes. The animals have heaps of room to move and look like they are well cared for
M.
Great place to visit or to take the kids...
Plan for at least a couple hour visit, as it will take a while to see all the animals and to go arround the whole park, maybe pack a picnic as there are places where you and your family could enjoy one while taking a break from all the walking and viewing :)
Great place for a day out!!
N.
Great experience! Not so many animals but the park itself is great. Took about 2 hours of slowly rambling to see everything. Sunny warm weather made this visit unforgettable. Absolute relaxation. Lots of entertainment for kids. Good cafe with a big choice of snacks. Highly recommended!
S.
Such a great place to explore with little ones and the free shuttle is awesome for tired little legs! The staff are always so lovely and helpful and the enclosures are always clean. The only thing stopping me from giving 5 stars is the cafe, it's pretty uninspiring and I would highly suggest taking your own packed lunch.
M.
A bit dissapointing. There seemed to be a lot of empty exhibits. It's still a beautiful and well maintained park and we enjoyed our morning out but we did a lot of walking to not look at much. The staff were friendly and helpful and the exhibits that were populated were lovely. We were there first thing in the morning so it's possible that some of the animals hadn't been released yet.
F.
Wonderful animals look so well looked after fabulous day out
J.
Very nice park even has a playground for kids and has shuttles you can go on and see the whole place but shuttles come every half an hour
H.
A wonderful day out. The staff are amazing. Very reasonable entrance fee for all the great experiences.
K.
Lovely staff.. the shuttle needs to go more often but instead it might be a cost thing. It is a bit tired and needs a tidy up.
T.
Wide open spaces for the animals to Rome with in their enclosures you can either take your time to wonder around or take the shuttle where you can hop of and on as you please. Feed time a must as apart from seeing each exhibit you also get a lot of information from the staff. Clean ablutions and good cafe
x.
Great for every one and massive enclosures for animals very natural looking habitat. Staff very passionate about the care of the animals . Must go see place for everyone.
K.
This park is amazing. We were able to interact with so many animals and watch the different animals at their feeding times. The staff are awesome and the layout is really easy navigate. Feeding the giraffes was a good animal bonding activity
T.
I have had a lovely time at Orana and found the staff lovely, large clean enclosures with evidence of enrichment everywhere, and the ride along tour is definately a recommendation to all visitors. I was really happy ans proud of the staff as everywhere I went I was offered education about conservation and how choices I make in my recreational and everyday life can help towards helping wildlife both native and internationally. The only thing I would change is maybe updating some of the older looking signs or giving them a reseal so people are encouraged to ake notice of them a little more :)
T.
It should be in the must visit list when travelling to christchurch
Keep in mind it is a reservatory not a zoo so you need alot of time in hand to explore al the part of it. Atleast keep 3hrs in hand.
J.
Great place, one of the best zoo cafes we've been to. Would love to see more development of the areas between the animal enclosures, particularly where the playground is. Needs more greenery and trees.
B.
Great family zoo with respectable (but not overwhelming) selection of animals to see. Well laid out to stroll around, and good keeper demos / info sessions throughout the day. Even had a half decent flat white at the cafe. You'll want 3-5 hrs here.
R.
Loved it! Never been so close to such amazing animals!!
S.
Felt more comfortable about seeing the animals in the enclosures here than I have at any other zoo. They appeared to have strong involvement with conservation and education which was great. Spent a lovely morning with my grandmother walking around investigating the different animals.
K.
We took our two grandsons to this wonderland of amazing animals.The experience for the boys was superb, seeing animals up close and interacting with creatures they knew only from books and film. For us, the adults the greatest thrill was seeing the magical light in their eyes and listening to their laughter and the delight in their voices as they explored an environment they hadn't been in before. Thank you to all the amazing dedicated staff and volunteers who not only take care of the animals, but who ensure a delightful experience for all who come to visit. They do a wonderful Kobe, from the scientists and apologists to the volunteers, the cafe staff and the people who run the shop. Well done! We will be back, and will bring or send friends.
Thank you for a great day.
K.
This place has a Jurassic Park movie feel to it. There are few fancy enclosures and instead you move around past paddocks of animals at their level. Thr lions get fed from a large caged truck driving around that you can pay extra to be inside. You can hand feed giraffes. We saw Tasmanian devils interacting together. We were three feet away from huge rhino feeding. And then we saw Gorilla and Orangutans eating at the end of the day. Initially i thought the $36 an adult expensive but not now. The only drawback was that some platforms were not wheelchair or pram friendly.
R.
Orana Park is, in my opinion, the best "Zoo" in NZ because the animals have so much room. A lot of thought has gone into planning many of their enclosures so the animals have a good life.
L.
Only place in Christchurch to see some wildlife animals all over the world. Like lions and tigers and gorillas and such.
Sure the selection isn't as vast nor is the place fancied out like big city zoos, but this one has a character. Very close encounter feeding experience with some of the animals and very conservative when it comes to preserving nature.
Plus, a nice playground and great location cafe looking towards the giraffes and rhinos in distance.
Annual pass starts from 1st July every year, so if you hit the right time, you can get more than a year's worth of membership!
J.
Really great place to go for a relaxing walk. We have the annual pass so can go as many times as we like. Prefer weekdays as not as many crowds. Volunteers at the park are very friendly & helpful. Cafe has great coffee and food.
S.
Worth a look but not at full price..The place is very run down the zoo its self lacks animals in there enclosures it's like one half of the zoo has animals and the other half doesn't. Mane attraction they have would be the Gorillas..
S.
It's a nice cool zoo, gotta get up close with a lot of cool animals.
D.
Amazing to see the animals so closely. Great enclosures. Really nice, knowledgeable staff. Lion encounter a must do. Entry fee and lion encounter fee very reasonable. Will definitely be back.
P.
Fantastic .
I took my rest home residents to visit the Zoo . Pauline your volunteer employee was so caring and accomatating to my residents . We had a fabulous afternoon driving through the park .. feeding the giraffes watching the lions and your lovely gorillas.
Thank you for a wonderful afternoon
C.
I came on a rainy day so we had the place to ourselves. Massive exhibits with happy animals.
J.
Amazing park for NZ.we did the Lion experience. Wonderful. Great team working there.si pleased we did it .The money goes to the wild life sanctuary. So you not only have the lion up close experience but you are also donating to a wonderful cause. Everyone please do it.saves going to Africa. Haha.
J.
Such a great little wildlife park, these folks really care about and understand their animals and love to pass on their knowledge about their wards. I recommend getting the encounter/feeding schedule ahead of time and planning your visit accordingly. The cheetahs are the stars in our minds, and the feeding of them is something not to be missed.