Orana Wildlife Park, Open-range zoo in Christchurch, New Zealand.
Orana Wildlife Park is an open-range zoo on the outskirts of Christchurch, in the Fendalton-Waimari-Harewood area, where animals live in large enclosures designed to resemble their natural surroundings. The grounds can be explored on foot or by car, giving visitors a choice of how closely they experience the animals.
The park was founded in 1976 by the South Island Zoological Society, originally as a drive-through lion reserve. Over the years, the site grew steadily and expanded to include animals from many parts of the world.
The park gives particular attention to native New Zealand animals such as the kiwi, tuatara, and kea, which visitors can observe up close. The keepers work openly throughout the grounds, so the daily care of the animals is something you can actually watch and follow.
The park is close to Christchurch Airport and easy to reach by car. Feeding sessions with different animals take place throughout the day, so it is worth checking the schedule on arrival and planning your time around them.
Orana is the only place in New Zealand that keeps gorillas, which makes the encounter with these large primates something you cannot find elsewhere in the country. Because the gorillas live within an open reserve setting, you can observe them from your car, which is an unusual way to meet them.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
