Orana Wildlife Park

Experience the ultimate animal adventure at Orana Wildlife Park, NZ's only open-range zoo. Orana is home to NZ’s only gorillas – visitors are amazed at the antics of these majestic animals; they are simply stunning! The Park specialises in providing amazing animal encounters: hand feed majestic giraffe, meet mighty rhino ‘face-to-face’, stroll through a massive aviary for a close encounter with NZ Kea, see the Tasmanian devils and travel through the Lion Habitat on board our specially modified vehicle for extremely close views of the “King of Beasts” (additional cost and conditions apply). View kiwi and a range of native birds and reptiles.

With 80 hectares of grounds, you can travel Orana on foot (walkabout tour available), or by our Safari Shuttle. We also offer a range of scheduled feed presentations and exciting animal encounters throughout the day.

Conservation
Orana is operated as a registered charity. Over 95% 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 $36.50, Student $29.50 (ID required), Child $9.50 (5-14 years), Pre-schoolers FREE, Family $82.50 (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 viewing times.

ENCOUNTERS

Lion Encounter - hop onboard a specially modified vehicle that takes you through the Lion Habitat  at feeding time! (Bookings necessary, extra cost, minimum height 1.4m). Departs 2.30pm daily.

For more information on the Lion Encounter at Orana click here.

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.

More exciting encounters - With lots more exciting encounters and new exhibits coming soon, please click here for further information.

DAILY FEED AND TALK TIMES

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

OTHER STUFF

NZ Native Fauna

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

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 'Learning Experiences Outside The Classroom' (LEOTC) education programme supported by the Ministry of Education. Our on-site, registered teachers provide interactive learning experiences for students ranging from New Entrants to Year 13.

School Visits - We provide a wonderful educational environment offering many hands-on experiences that cannot be replicated in the classroom and we welcome suggestions for activities from all teachers. Entrance costs for schools are considerably discounted, but booking is essential.