See native Kiwi, cheeky Kea, Tuatara and the very rare Takahe - and much much more.
Close encounters of the 'wildlife kind' are a Willowbank trademark.
Willowbank is the only place where you can meet New Zealand's Big 5 wildlife with the cheeky Kea, the ancient Tuatara, our bush parrot the Kaka, the very rare Takahe and of course the Kiwi. Kiwi viewing is guaranteed with no glass to hinder your view!
Feed the eels and make friends with the livestock breeds unique to New Zealand. Listen to the Kiwi as it forages by your feet. Embark on a journey through the history of New Zealand. See the impact of introduced species in 'Wild NZ'. Meet old livestock breeds in 'Heritage NZ'. Experience native wildlife in 'Natural NZ', and share our hope for their future. Relax and enjoy your experience in conservation.
Willowbank is a place close to both Christchurch city and the International Airport, where culture and conservation combine.
Bring a picnic or grab a bite to eat from our onsite cafe!
Guided Kiwi Tour available at 4.30pm (additional charges apply)
Hi Molly, wonderful to have you along for the first time! Unfortunately due to safety we cannot allow people to get right up close to the exotic animals like the Siamang Gibbons, but we do offer Lemur Encounters where you can feed our lemur troop. We hope to see you again soon
A wonderful range of wildlife to see in lovely natural settings. Just the right of simple information about each so as not to be overwhelming. Inevitably some inhabitants were not keen to be seen but most could be located somewhere, even if not where marked on the map. It was disappointing that there was only one kiwi on the whole kiwi house and he(?) Was extremely difficult to find,so in that respect didn't quite live up to its claim to be he best kiwi viewing experience in NZ. Allow plenty of time and go slowly. I spent 3 and a half hours wandering.
Hi Marie, thanks for coming to see us! We are pleased that you had such a wonderful time :)
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Molly Taylor from New Zealand wrote on 15 July 2020
Lots of family fun.
This was first experience at Willowbank. There were alot of interactive animals which was cool. Unfortunately by 3.30 in the day all the animals seem to be over human interaction, fair enough. haha. So I would suggest going earlier so you can catch the feedings etc. Overall a pretty good experience would be nice to get a bit closer to some of the more exotic/not farm animals they had.
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