Orana Wildlife Park
Overview
"Orana Wildlife Park, New Zealand's only open range zoo, provides amazing opportunities for people to connect with wildlife. We care for over 1,000 animals representing 90 different species, many of which are critically endangered. Visitors can see NZ's only gorillas, the South Island's only tigers, meet the delightful otters, hand feed majestic giraffe, meet mighty rhino up close, observe iconic kiwi and encounter mischievous kea. Scheduled presentations occur daily. Visitors can enjoy the antics of lions, cheetah, lace monitors, Tasmanian devils, painted dogs, stunning native birds and reptiles, friendly farmyard creatures, meerkats and much more! Visitors can board our Safari Shuttle for a zoo tour or join a guided walkabout to explore the Park. A wildlife themed shop is stocked with fabulous gifts for any occasion and our magnificent café offers stunning views of the animals. Park staff are proud to make genuine contributions to breed for release recovery programmes for threatened native wildlife, such as South lsland whio and kākāriki karaka/orange-fronted parakeet. By visiting, you are directly supporting Orana's conservation efforts. Following us on Facebook is a great way to hear our latest news and updates. Experience the ultimate animal adventure at Orana Wildlife Park! Opening Times Mon - Sun 10am - 5pm, although the last entrance into the park is 4pm Additional Information Suggested time to allow for maximum enjoyment of visits is 3+ hours (the average visit duration is 3-5 hours). We highly recommend following the presentation schedule to maximise your visit. Park maps are handed to visitors upon entering the zoo, detailing our 12 presentations for the day. Children under 14 years of age must be accompanied by an adult and supervised at all times for health and safety reasons."
Contact details
793 McLeans Island Road Christchurch Canterbury 8051 New Zealand
Access Card notes
"We strive to ensure that everyone has a great time and enjoyable experience at Orana Wildlife Park. Please contact us if you wish to discuss any aspect of your visit. Our friendly team are here to ensure we create a memorable experience. We wish to encourage you to visit Orana Wildlife Park and are delighted to offer the cardholder a 50% discount on normal admission and 50% discount off normal admission for an essential companion. We hope this gift to you, allows you to come join us here at Orana Wildlife Park; we would love to meet you!"
Access guidance
- During our peak times – weekends, public and school holidays – there will be queues to enter Orana Wildlife Park (though the majority of visitors arrive in the morning). Generally we are quieter on weekdays off peak when there are not likely to be queues at all. We do have some seating in our main reception building and would happy to offer you a seat if you have trouble standing whilst waiting to enter. Please let our reception team know ahead of your visit and will happily arrange an easy transit into the zoo. Around the zoo, there are a number of seating areas both for enjoying a lunch break (including our spacious café with amazing views) and also rest stops while you are exploring the Park's beautiful setting and animals.
- The Park is happy to provide you with a wheelchair if you cannot transport your own. Please contact us to arrange this in advance on 03 359 7109. Orana Wildlife Park is wheelchair friendly, though please note that the internal road is approximately 3km long – we are NZ's only open range zoo so are an expansive site.
- Orana is NZ's only open range zoo and is set on a large expanse of land. Our main internal road is around 3km long. Please advise staff if you require extra support with mobility. We would be happy to accommodate you and can offer a range of options. Sealed footpaths run around the entire site, our internal roads have recently been upgraded and ramps are included on most animal viewing structures (such as to hand feed our majestic giraffe). There are three areas of the zoo with a steep incline. Accessible parking spaces are available closer to the entrance building.
- Three toilet blocks are located within the zoo (Information Centre near the entrance, near our Kiwi House and at the side of the Great Ape Centre). All blocks have accessible toilets.
- Orana Wildlife Park is a quarantine facility. Please contact us in advance to discuss the possibility of an assistance dog. Please note we cannot permit dogs in all areas of the zoo due to the potential impact on some of our precious animals.
- The same discount applies to the essential companion as it does to the cardholder (50% off regular admission fee). We understand that some cardholders will require a support person for different reasons. This is why we offer you a discounted admission fee as well and are certain that your companion will love meeting our animals too.
- Though we have extensive interpretation throughout the zoo, we also offer 12 scheduled presentations each day. We have a wonderful crew of friendly wildlife guides who conduct daily walkabout and shuttle tours and are here to help enhance your visit. They love chatting to visitors including on a one-on-one basis. Please reach out to us ahead of your visit as we would be delighted to assist with your visit. Please note that our nocturnal Kiwi House is a dark space and our team can help you enjoy this part of the zoo.
- Orana has extensive interpretation throughout the zoo to help enhance your visit and connect you with our wildlife. We offer scheduled presentations through the day and have a committed team of friendly guides who can help if you have difficulty with audible information at the feed times. Our amazing experiences are available for all, such as meeting NZ's only gorillas and hand feeding majestic giraffe.
- If there are any other aspects of your visit you would like assistance with, please advise the Visitor Services Team or Reception staff on arrival or prior to your visit. We are always happy to do anything possible to make your visit enjoyable.