Christchurch, South Island

Orana Park gorilla

Orana Wildlife Park Christchurch - Gorilla

Orana Park cheetah

Orana Wildlife Park Christchurch - Cheetah

Orana Park giraffe

Giraffe at Orana Wildlife Park Christchurch

Orana Park kiwi

Kiwi at Orana Wildlife Park Christchurch

Orana Park kea

Orana Wildlife Park Christchurch - kea

Orana Park rhino

Orana Wildlife Park Christchurch - rhino

Orana Wildlife Park

Orana Wildlife Park provides amazing opportunities for people to connect with wildlife. See Aotearoa’s only gorillas, hand feed majestic giraffe, meet mighty rhino up close, see the stunning tiger, observe kiwi and encounter mischievous kea. With 12 scheduled presentations daily, visitors can enjoy the antics of our meerkats, Tasmanian devils, friendly farmyard creatures, monkeys and much more! Visitors can board our Safari Shuttle for a tour of the zoo or join a guided walkabout to explore the Park. Orana’s adventure playground is fun for young and old, especially the 50m flying fox! With 185 hectares of grounds, you can travel Orana on foot (walkabout tour available), or by our Safari Shuttle.

Conservation
Orana is operated as a registered charitable trust. Over 60% of our income is generated through visitation and we separately raise 100% of funds for all developments, animal transfers and involvement in key conservation programmes. Park staff are proud to make genuine contributions to breed for release recovery programmes for threatened NZ native wildlife including kiwi, whio (blue duck), pāteke (brown teal), kākāriki karaka (orange-fronted parakeet), kōwaro (Canterbury mudfish) and Maud Island/Hamilton’s frog. By visiting the zoo, you are directly supporting our conservation work.

Price:  Adult $39.50, Student $33.50 (ID required), Child $12.50 (5-15 years), Pre-schoolers FREE, Family $91.50 (2 adults + up to 3 children)
Child push chairs and buggies are available for hire.  Wheelchairs are free to use.

Hours:  Daily, 10am - 5pm (last entrance 4.00pm, closed Christmas Day) – check website for animal presentation times.

MUST-DO

Hand Feed the Giraffes - Hand feed our majestic giraffe at 12pm and 3pm daily.

For more information on feeding the Giraffes at Orana click here.

Meet NZ’s only gorillas! – Orana Wildlife Park’s Great Ape Centre is the single biggest project in our history.

For more information, including best viewing times on the gorillas at Orana please click here.

Rhino Encounter - This encounter takes place every day at 3.15pm. The Rhino Encounter is fully supervised and no additional charge applies.

For more information on the Rhino encounter at Orana please click here.

Farmyard Experience - Because of the importance Orana attaches to "hands-on" education, there is a farm area that gives visitors the opportunity to touch and pet a variety of friendly domestic animals. The farmyard is a critical component of the Orana Wildlife Park experience, as it has been developed to inspire children to take an interest in animals and the environment. 1pm daily.

For more information on the Farmyard Experience at Orana please click here.

NZ Native Fauna - Orana houses an exciting range of NZ natives such as the kiwi, tuatara, kea, geckos and more.

DAILY FEED AND TALK TIMES

Many other scheduled animal feeds available throughout the day. Be sure to check out full details on the animal presentations at Orana Wildlife Park by clicking here.


Picnic & Playground

Orana Wildlife Park is a family-friendly venue and there is something to entertain visitors of all ages for the entire day! Orana has a fantastic children’s adventure playground and plenty of picnic tables around the Park so we encourage you to pack a picnic, or purchase lunch at our fantastic cafe, and enjoy your lunch in our surroundings. There are two BBQ areas within the Park, one opposite the rhino habitat and the other one is the Zambesi BBQ area which is opposite the Farmyard. The gas barbecues in those areas are free to use (on a first-in, first-served basis).

Orana's Cafe

Orana’s café is open daily from 10am and serves sumptuous food. We have a wide range of delicious home style baking, espresso style coffees, deli-selection and daily specials.

EDUCATION

Zoo School - Orana Wildlife Park's education programme provides a wonderful educational environment offering, with many hands-on experiences that cannot be replicated in the classroom. Our on-site, registered teachers provide interactive learning experiences for students ranging from New Entrants to Year 13. Our team welcome suggestions for activities from all teachers. Entrance costs for schools are considerably discounted, but booking is essential.

Map of New Zealand
  • Central Otago
  • Auckland
  • Bay of Plenty
  • Christchurch
  • Dunedin
  • Coromandel
  • Gisborne
  • Fiordland
  • Marlborough Sounds
  • Manawatu
  • Northland
  • North Canterbury
  • Queenstown
  • South Canterbury
  • Taranaki
  • Southland
  • Taupo
  • Wanaka
  • Waikato
  • Wellington
  • West Coast
  • Whangarei
  • Bay of Islands
  • Tauranga
  • Gisborne
  • Hamilton
  • Napier
  • Kapiti
  • Palmerston North
  • Whanganui
  • New Plymouth
  • Arrowtown
  • Te Anau
  • Akaroa
  • Ashburton
  • Hanmer
  • Kaikoura
  • Methven
  • Mt Cook
  • Oamaru
  • Tekapo
  • Timaru
  • Abel Tasman
  • Motueka
  • Nelson Lakes
  • Blenheim
  • Picton
  • Catlins
  • Gore
  • Stewart Island
  • Central Plateau
  • Invercargill
  • Cromwell
  • Greymouth
  • Hokitika
  • Westport
  • Glenorchy

Our favourite destinations…

Auckland

New Zealand’s economic heart and biggest city is also an exciting family visitor destination, situated on a sunny harbour with city beaches just minutes away from the CBD. Orientate yourself by heading down to Viaduct Harbour, wandering the waterfront, checking out the super yachts or enjoying the waterfront restaurants. Nearby is the must-visit Sky Tower along with excellent and kid-friendly museums and tons of exciting activities!

Wellington

Wellington is New Zealand’s capital. Here you will find New Zealand's parliament buildings, including the 'Executive Wing', more well-known as 'The Beehive' due to its distinctive shape. Another icon to look out for is the Wellington Tram, which was the main means of public transport between 1878 and 1964.

Christchurch

With a population of around 400,000 Christchurch, in Canterbury, is the South Island ’s largest city, yet much of it has the feel of a small town. Perhaps that’s why it’s known as the Garden City but with the expansive Hagley Park, Botanic Gardens, Port Hills, River Avon and numerous beaches the city certainly has an open, relaxed feel that’s hard to beat.

Queenstown

With its well-deserved reputation as New Zealand’s activity adventure capital you’ll never run out of activities and things to do in Queenstown, but you may run out of time! With breathtaking scenery, activities and festivals, cafes and restaurants, skiing and snowboarding, shopping and wineries, this lakeside alpine resort rates as one of the world’s top vacation destinations for all ages and seasons.

Rotorua

Rotorua sits on the shore of Lake Rotorua, one of sixteen lakes in the area formed by hundreds of thousands of years of eruptions from the Taupo Volcanic Zone. The area is renowned for its geothermal activity and top of any activity list is to see the bubbling mud pools that are around the region for yourself. The Waimangu Volcanic Valley offers a first hand insight into the devastation caused by the 1886 eruption of Mount Tarawera and is a great place to discover steaming volcanic craters and bubbling, spitting  pools of mud!

Nelson and Golden Bay

The Nelson and Golden Bay regions, at the top of the South Island, boast enviable sunshine hours, glorious sandy beaches, safe swimming spots, lots of wildlife to look out for, and Abel Tasman National Park - an absolute must to explore, on foot, by kayak, your own craft or watertaxi.  Nelson is home to a vibrant arts and crafts community with a fabulous Saturday market, and is close to award-winning wineries and family-friendly bike tracks to take you around the coast.

Hawkes Bay

Napier was rebuilt after the 1931 earthquake and is now known as NZ's Art Deco City.  The Art Deco influence has created a unique city – nowhere else can you see such a varied concentration of art deco style. With over 2,200 sunshine hours a year, Napier is a year-round holiday destination with countless activities to entertain the kids – there's days of entertainment on Marine Parade alone, plus numerous other family-friendly trips and activities.  Add to that the beaches, walks and flat cycle paths, outdoor cafes and entertainment, and you have a perfect holiday destination!

Northland

Beautiful, unspoiled beaches, fishing, historic gum fields, kauri forests – the Far North has it all. With subtropical temperatures, it's often known as ‘the Winterless north', with warm, humid summers and mild winters.
Gateway to the Bay of Islands, Paihia is a pretty, lively beachside town and a perfect base for your family holiday. It’s your start point for Bay of Island adventures including day cruises, sailing, kayaking, swimming with dolphins and reef or wreck diving.