Orana Wildlife Park

Orana Wildlife Park is an excellent day out with the family!! We went this week and really enjoyed ourselves. There are so many cool animals to see (we saw all but the zebra and cheetah). I recommend going during the animals’ feeding times so you have a guaranteed chance of seeing them - this made a big difference for us. It’s definitely worth a visit! You do need to be prepared with good walking shoes, as the park is spread out over a large area (like any zoo), plus layers in case it gets cooler and hats for when it’s sunny. Yes, the park is older, but there’s a really good variety of animals and it was absolutely worth the money we spent. The only negative was that the ice creams we bought had the absolute tiniest scoops ever 😂. We spent about 5 hours wandering around Orana, so expect a long day - plan ahead, bring snacks, or buy lunch at the café (which was actually very decent).

A great place to visit in Christchurch! It would take you around 4-5 hours depending on your pace. There is a map with timing provided for all activities. I loved that you don't have to pay extra for feeding animals and it's all included in the entry ticket. Plus the place has barbecue spots, so you can get your own food. So it's a good place to spend time and not spend a lot of money. Kids would love the place, saw farm animals, lion and feeding girrafe was my favourite experience. Saw wild dogs for the first time! It's currently too hot and it's an open area so dab lots of sunscreen, take sunglasses and a cap and you are good to go!! Only feedback is that the ape looked sad and lonely! :( Also the staff is lovely and will explain everything with expertise,passion and patience! ♥️

Great place to take the family. I've been to a few zoos around the world. This place has a nice point of difference with its open spaces. Great to see the water buffalo cooling off, close encounters with the giraffes, gorilla having a sleep, rhino's chilling out, and the biggest lioness I've seen. The real fruit ice-cream was a winner.

I had a great experience at Orana Wildlife Park. The park is clean, spacious, and easy to walk around. The animals are well cared for and there’s a good variety to see. Staff were friendly and helpful, and the exhibits are nicely set up. Parking was easy and the entry price was reasonable. The only downside is that the food and gift shop are a bit expensive. Overall, a wonderful place to visit with family or friends. Highly recommend! 😍✅

The animal encounters are super fun. The cheetah gets a giant hunk of meat, and sometimes (when it's functional) there is a lure that pulls meat across their paddock and they chase after it to show off their speed. The giraffe feeding is from a platform so they are right in your face! We also saw the white rhinos up close, like 2 ft away!! We missed the lion feeding, so it is def worth it to get there in the morning. They were kind enough to store our luggage, we came straight from the airport. The animals have giant enclosures, so it doesn't feel zoo-like.

So cool! Good value for money! Had a shuttle if you didn't feel like walking. Lots of cool animals to see. Even got to feed the giraffes! Very ethical place no forcing the animals to interact it's all on there terms. Plenty of very friendly staff and awesome guides.

Huge space - seems great for the animals. There is also a little tram to get around. We really enjoyed the free giraffe feeding. Great playground and cafe.

I purchased the year pass for me and my 3 yr old Grandson and loving it. Very different from Willowbank as so big and spread out but we always have a great time and takes us around 3 hours or more. Sometimes weve had great lion Roaring visit other times its the monkeys 🐒 or feeding the 🦒 🦒 🦒 Next visit aiming for the farmyard feeding and the playground is always fun. The cafe seems quiet and we end up always spending ages in the gift shop as brilliant array of things.

Had a fantastic experience at Orana Park! For just under $30, you can spend a day visiting different animals and interacting with them. The feeding schedules were timed so efficiently that it helped lead you throughout the park at the perfect pace. Although the variety is small compared to other zoos, the focus on the wildlife was great. It was fun going through the bird sanctuary and seeing a Kea asleep on the rail just a foot away from me. The lions, tigers, kiwi, and giraffe feeding are real highlights! The on-site cafe had a wonderful variety of great food and the gift shop had a huge assortment of souvenirs that don't break the bank! There was seating inside the cafe, nice outdoor picnic spots, and also extra activities to do while visiting Orana. The highlight of my experience was being able to hand-feed the giraffes! WOW. We wanted to do the lion encounter however they were sold-out. Next time I go, I'll be sure to pre-book the lion encounter! According to my friend who brought us to Orana, depending on the season and if you're lucky, you can have the opportunity to pet baby cheetahs. The volunteers were fantastic and full of knowledge. If you're ever in Christchuch, go check out Orana Wildlife Park. A unique and amazing experience- well worth the money.

This is the 'zoo' of Christchurch, and it's huge! While it doesn't have a huge range of animals - it mainly sticks to farmyard, elephants, lions, tigers, giraffes, hippos, monkeys etc it still is a great day out. It even makes you feel a little like you're on safari! There is a bus that drives around the park to take you from place to place if you'd rather that than walk. There are a few food outlets, but once you get deep into the animal areas you generally have to walk back to the main entrance to find the food. It's definitely stroller friendly, and there are a few good areas for smaller kids, like the farmyard where you can pat alpacas, sheep and goats.