ZOO TRIPS · NEW ZEALAND ZOOS
Good zoos fill up weeks ahead and the great ones go first. Below: the 13 to book early, what each includes and how they differ.
Join two guides for a 2.5-hour Rotorua canopy adventure with six ziplines, swing bridges, treetop platforms, and native birds. The course builds from gentle lines to a 220-metre flight at up to 50km/h. Warm and rain gear, safety equipment, and free photos are included.
“Was amazing, a trip experience that I will never forget”
Join Luke and the Barefoot Sailing Adventures crew for a six-hour catamaran cruise from Paihia. Sail among the Bay of Islands, stop for two hours at a wildlife sanctuary, and choose between snorkeling, paddleboarding, swimming, a bush walk, or a quiet beach break.
“Wonderful all female crew, gorgeous island (definitely do the walk to the other bay!) we saw a huge stingray while snorkelling and fell asleep as we sailed by wind home. A perfect day”
Cruise from Picton into Queen Charlotte Sound with guides such as Bella, Andy, Will, or Cam, watching for dolphins, fur seals, penguins, and seabirds. Walk predator-free Motuara Island, use supplied binoculars, and enjoy hot drinks, biscuits, and local wine on afternoon departures.
“It was absolutely great, we saw many different birds, including one penguin and many dusky dolphins that were jumping out of the water. Marine biology specialist Bella and Skipper Andy were a great team and displayed expertise regarding tRead more”
Visit the Franz Josef Wildlife Centre to see rowi kiwi after dark, tuatara, glacier displays, and films about New Zealand conservation. Add the VIP Backstage Pass for a small-group look at kiwi care, eggs, equipment, and DOC work, with guides such as Steve and Devon.
“The behind the scenes was very informative and interesting. The guide Steve was great , funny and professional. Very good knowledge and easy to interact with.”
Visit Orana Wildlife Park, New Zealand’s only open-range zoo, on a self-guided day out near Christchurch Airport. Follow wildlife presentations, ride the free Safari Shuttle, hand-feed giraffes, see kiwi and native birds, and meet gorillas, rhino, lions, cheetah, and more across 180 hectares.
“It was really amazing how you can get so close to animals you can only see in movies and TV like the Tiger, Lion, Zebra, etc. I enjoyed feeding them even for a bit and seeing them in a large space habitat.”
Explore Willowbank Wildlife Reserve at your own pace, feeding farm animals, meeting capybara and wallabies, and seeking kiwi in a quiet nocturnal house. The reserve is close to Christchurch Airport, takes about one to three hours, and includes guaranteed kiwi viewing.
“This is an amazing place for the whole family, a vast array of different animals to spend the day looking and interacting with. Move around a your own pace, feed some of the animals, but watch the Deer they ambush you for your feed pouch hahaha.”
Spend a short, hands-on visit with Merino sheep, alpacas, pigs, cattle, rabbits, and lambs at Lake Tekapo Petting Zoo. An English-speaking guide explains the farm, provides animal feed, and may offer bottle-feeding with a baby lamb during the right season. The zoo is in The Cairns Alpine Resort parking area.
“Our tour was so much fun! Our guide was excellent - knowledgeable and flexible. We truly enjoyed our experience and it was definitely worth making a stop to meet and feed the animals.”
Spend up to four hours meeting New Zealand wildlife at Willowbank, five minutes from Christchurch Airport. See kiwi without glass, walk through the kea enclosure, find rare takahe and tuatara, and hand-feed farm animals, birds, or eels. The reserve suits families, wildlife fans, and airport-day stopovers.
“Amazing experience. Potencially the best bang for buck I got considering all the activities I had in my 5 week trip thru NZ.”
Spend two days visiting live kiwi in an open nocturnal habitat, ancient tuatara, and rescued kororā penguins at Franz Josef’s West Coast Wildlife Centre. Penguin feeding takes place at 11am and 3pm. The centre also runs South Island kiwi incubation and hatching work.
“we like the centre and the staff a polite and courteous. 2-3hrs is sufficient to read and experience all to offer. understand families benefit from the 48hr pass.”
Travel by coach from Akaroa to Christchurch via the scenic Banks Peninsula, then visit the Botanic Gardens, see earthquake recovery sites, and spend about two hours at Willowbank Wildlife Reserve, including a kiwi viewing area and breeding program talk.
“This was a very informative and interesting tour. There was a bit of confusion as to which bus was going where at Akaroa but all sorted out at The Museum first stop. The tour around Christchurch was very informative. The Willowbank Wildlife Reserve was well worth a visit and as our group of 5 was the only group going here we had a guide from The Reserve just for us. Our guide was excellent. Our return trip to Akaroa was eventful when we had a double tyre blowout. We were about 20 minutes from Akaroa at this time so our driver phoned another driver in Akaroa and arranged for him…”
Travel south from Greymouth with an English-speaking guide, stopping at Ross Goldfields, Franz Josef Glacier, the Wildlife Centre, Tree Top Walkway, and Okarito. Expect an active day with uneven tracks, a 30-minute glacier walk, native wildlife, and the option to add a scenic helicopter flight.
“What a joy to experience the west coast with a knowledgeable local. Helen not only was a great story teller, but after weeks of driving our own car around NZ it was so nice to have someone else do the driving for us.”
Spend a day at Te Nukuao Wellington Zoo in Newtown, home to more than 500 native and exotic animals. Your ticket includes daily keeper talks and vet-led demonstrations at The Nest Te Kōhanga. Add a red panda Close Encounter separately, or take your time with the zoo’s picnic spots, cafés, and conservation work.
“Un très beau zoo avec une grandes variétés d’animaux à voir. Ne pas hésitez à refaire un tour car certains animaux sont malicieux, soit ils se cachent ou ils dorment. Prévoyez au moins une demi journée.”
Join Bay Explorer at 9:00am in Tauranga for a five-hour wildlife cruise around the Bay of Plenty. Search for dolphins, seals, penguins, whales, seabirds and more from an open sun deck, with enclosed seating, commentary and space for up to 50 people.
“The crew was very professional. They were very diligent about locating the dolphins’ they allowed ALL of us on board the opportunity to see them from different parts of the vessel.”
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