Willowbank Wildlife Reserve

Willowbank divides into three sections - introduced farm and exotic animals, native New Zealand species, and a Maori cultural area - but the reason most people come is the kiwi house. The birds are kept on a reversed light cycle in a large dark enclosure you walk through rather than look into, and sightings are good by the standards of captive kiwi, which are often invisible. The reserve also runs conservation breeding, including for kiwi released into the wild, and holds tuatara, kea and other natives. Evening tours cover the nocturnal species when they are active, and there is a separate cultural performance. Compared with a modern zoo the enclosures are simpler and the site is dated in places; compared with hoping to see a kiwi in the wild, which almost never happens, it is the practical option.

History

Michael Willis and his wife opened Willowbank in October 1974 as a typical zoo of exotic and farmyard animals, and it turned increasingly to native species and rare breeds. Its kiwi house, built from two kitset barns, was opened in 1996 by Princess Anne, and the New Zealand Conservation Trust based here raised 200 kiwi chicks between 2007 and 2013 (Wikipedia, Willowbank Wildlife Reserve).

What to look for

• The kiwi house - walk-through, dark, with reliable sightings.
• The native section - tuatara, kea and other endemic species.
• The breeding programme - birds raised here for release.
• The evening tour - nocturnal species when they are actually awake.

When to go

Any season. Evening tours are the better experience for kiwi and must be booked. Feeding times are posted daily.

What to expect

Older and simpler than a modern zoo, with some tired enclosures. Kiwi viewing is in near-darkness - photography is not allowed and cameras will not work anyway. The cultural show is a separate ticket.

Nearby

The International Antarctic Centre and the airport are close; Christchurch is south.