Discover what it takes to be a New Zealand wildlife celebrity:
- Feathers, flight optional
- A bird that walks with an enormous beak
- Orange tipped underbelly feathers and adept at forest flight,
- Glorious shimmering blue feathers and orange beak
- Ancient and sometimes described as a living dinosaur
Find out what it takes to belong to the exclusive club of New Zealand birds. For thousands of years there were no large mammals or people in Aotearoa New Zealand. The birds evolved in a unique, distinctive way, the kiwi and feathered friends emerged.
Wander through the reserve and meet the wildlife celebrities, the kiwi, kaka (NZ parrot), kea (NZ mountain parrot), takahe (blue gorgeous-ness) and our tuatara, ancient slumbering lizard.
Willowbank Wildlife Reserve is also home to exotic animals, experience an encounter with our lemurs or capybara. Willowbank Wildlife Reserve is a great place for encouraging an understanding of the kiwi with no glass between the kiwi and the public.
Kiwi Breeding:
- Part of Operation Nest Egg
- Willowbank incubates eggs for up to 4 species of kiwi – Ōkarito Rowi, Haast Tokoeka, Great Spotted and North Island Brown
- Record of 100 eggs incubated in one season and over 600 kiwi re-released to the wild to date
The farmyard section invites children to interact with animals.
Qualmark gold standard NZ tourism venture.
Willowbank Wildlife Reserve opening hours
Open Daily from 9:30am to 5:00pm. Closed Christmas Day
- Children under 16 years must be accompanied by an adult
Kiwi Nocturnal House open from 10.30am daily.
Public bus number 107 stops outside Willowbank and can be caught from Northlands Shopping Mall in Papanui. Save the hassle of finding a park on a busy day and catch a bus – do your bit for the environment!
Feel like some exercise or live locally? Consider cycling to Willowbank. There is a bike stand for your use right at the entrance.
Where is Willowbank Wildlife Reserve, Christchurch located?
60 Hussey Rd, Northwood, Christchurch 8051
What to do nearby Willowbank Wildlife Reserve, Christchurch?
- Styx Mill Conservation Reserve, a beautiful wetland with a quiet river running through the reserve
- The Groynes playgrounds, paddle boats for hire, fishing and orientating
Willowbank Wildlife is part of a network of parks and reserves for locals and visitors to explore Christchurch’s outdoor spaces.
Find out more about:
- Hagley Park
- Christchurch Botanic Gardens
- Mona Vale
- Travis Wetlands
- New Brighton beach attractions
- Sumner and Taylors Mistake
- Christchurch top short easy walks
And enjoy the town and country vibe that it is Christchurch.
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