Mar 25, 2025
Fantastic Fun and Educational - I have been travelling to NZ regularly for 30 years. I have been to Willowbank many times with friends and family and it continues to excite each new generation that visits.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Feb 20, 2025
Don't miss this if you have time - One of the best wildlife parks I have visited. It is laid out so well that it is very easy to navigate. All the animals seemed to be content and happy to engage where possible. It was very difficult to see the Kiwis (only saw one) in the dark environment but that is the way it is. We had previously seen 3 in Queenstown so it wasn't a problem for us. Highly recommend the visit.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jan 28, 2025
Highlight of our NZ trip! - Fabulous wildlife reserve for all ages. All of the inhabitants were happy, healthy & well cared for. The staff were dedicated to the animals & friendly to visitors. We only had a few hours there, but wished we could have stayed all day. The setting was peaceful & tranquil, with well-maintained paths, fauna & foliage. Plenty of shaded areas & also picnic tables. Heaps of massive eels you can feed, reindeer!, we saw a kiwi!!, magic show, lots of ducks & geese, farmyard animals. 10/10!!
Cafe had the best food we had ever tasted. 10/10 all around.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jan 28, 2025
Beautiful day out - Such a beautiful reserve with well cared for animals, shuttle from cathedral square was handy and the cafe has great food options
Review provided by Viator
Jan 11, 2025
The walk way through the... - The walk way through the preserve was clear and easy to navigate. Patience in the kiwi exhibit is rewarded with seeing these birds acitive in a simulated nighttime environment.
Review provided by Viator
Jan 8, 2025
See New Zealand's wildlife - Willowbank Wildlife Reserve specialises in native New Zealand animals, both introduced and wild. There are also free roaming ducks throughout the park. The park is nice for walking and is divided into three sections. The first features exotic animals. The second features farm animals and the last focuses on native wildlife.
A very special reptile, found only in New Zealand, is the tuatara. The Tuatara is the only survivor of a class of reptiles that are as old as the first dinosaurs.
The Takahe was thought to be extinct when a few were found in an isolated area in 1948. Since then they have been bred and have been introduced to predator-free islands and wildlife sanctuaries.
There were lots of ducks and ducklings wandering the reserve. You can buy food for the animals and the farm animals do approach visitors for a handout. I was sitting on a bench, which was high enough so that my feet did not reach the ground. The ducklings strolled by. One of the ducklings is actually under my right foot! It's a good thing I did not step down then.
Most visitors come by car. But if, like me, you do not have a vehicle, it is easy to get to by two buses from the central city.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jan 3, 2025
See a kiwi and so much more! - Our family of 4 had a wonderful couple of hours here. We wanted to see a kiwi and we did and it was amazing but we also loved the whole experience. The animals were very active, we loved the layout of the zoo and seeing the emus, otters, monkeys and interesting animals we had not seen. Feeding the eels was a cool different experience too.
The kiwi was the standout. We opened one of the little flaps in the dark area and got lucky and one was right in front of us! We also loved the quiet, dark area for the kiwis and seeing them in their natural habitat. This experience was great value and we loved all the information around and seeing the kiwi egg . We throughly enjoyed it.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jan 25, 2025
Great morning - Well set out lots to see, loved all the birds and watching the eels getting fed there was lots to see and do and did manage to see the kiwi
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jan 9, 2025
Young kids trip - I can see taking younger kids here would be an experience but for the cost seeing ducks, geese, parrots a couple of monkeys and a kiwi in the dark, well it just didn't cut it for us. Can see 80% of these things in the wild. We were in and out in 1 hour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jan 31, 2025
Don’t bother if u don’t have small kuds - Don’t bother if you don’t have kids. Just ducks, parrots, farm animals. You WON’T see a Kiwi. It’s just a dark room where you see nothing. Very disappointed. Save your money.
Review provided by Tripadvisor