21 Wildlife Parks and Zoos to Visit on the North Island N.Z.

If you love animals and their conservation, then the Zoos or Wildlife Parks of the North Island of New Zealand may be the thing you need. The following zoos not only feature animals from around the world but also showcase the wildlife unique to New Zealand, especially the elusive Kiwi.

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21 Wildlife Parks and Zoos in the North Island I have Visited

I have visited the following Zoos and Wildlife Parks, and I love them.

Auckland Zoo

Auckland Zoo is my hometown zoo, and I have visited this zoo throughout my childhood.

Opened on 17 December 1922, it is now home to more than 1400 animals and 135 species, plenty to keep you occupied all day, as well as Keeper Talks.

It has undergone many changes, with cages being gradually replaced by areas where animals can stretch out and roam freely.

Aviaries are also here now, where you can walk through and meet local birds at head height. The nocturnal Kiwi House is also a favourite with everyone, and you can nearly always see them up against the glass searching for grubs.

This is a large zoo with animals from around the world. They also have an important conservation programme running for not only these international animals but also locals as well.

Endangered birds and insects from New Zealand have been bred here at the zoo, with both being established on predator-free islands in the Hauraki Gulf.

Perhaps one day, these animals can be reintroduced to the mainland as New Zealand’s dream of becoming predator-free (eradicating introduced mammals) by 2050 becomes a reality.

You can find a link to the zoo map and keeper talks here to help you plan your day.

How To Get There

You can drive to Motions Road, where there are two large free car parks, or catch the bus, with stop 8124 on Great North Road just a short walk away.

A tram from MOTAT connects both attractions, passing by the wetland reserve, Western Springs.

This is also one of the stops for the hop-on, hop-off explorer bus.

Hours

Winter

• 9.30 am – 4.30 pm daily except Christmas Day.
• The last entry is at 3.30 pm.

Summer

• 9.30 am – 5.30 pm daily except Christmas Day.
• The last entry is at 4.30 pm.

Prices

Click here to find prices and book.

Sea Life Kelly Tarlton’s

Opened in 1985, SeaLife Kelly Tarlton’s was initially conceived by Kelly Tarlton, a marine archaeologist and diver.

Although it was sold in 2011 to Merlin Entertainments, it hasn’t changed much, keeping the spirit of Kelly Tarlton in its depths. It now houses over 1,500 marine animals and more than 50 species.

SeaLifeKelly Tarlton’s lets you come face to face with sharks in its Shark Tunnel. Walk beside and under these sharks, through a transparent acrylic tunnel around this underwater wonderland.

You can also visit the King and Gentoo Penguins or the many exhibits here on Antarctic life, including Scott’s Hut from Antarctica.

Kids won’t be disappointed either, with play and educational areas.

Feed and talk times can be found here.

How To Get There

If you drive, it’s only 6km from downtown Auckland, with a large free car park on Tamaki Drive. Alternatively, you can catch a bus, the TamakiLink, which runs every 15 minutes, 7 days a week, from Britomart Bus Station.

This is also one of the stops for the hop-on, hop-off explorer bus.

Hours

Daily 9.30 am – 5 pm with the last entry at 4 pm

Prices

Prices and bookings can be made here.

Hamilton Zoo

Just an hour and a half south of Auckland, Hamilton Zoo is another great place for the kids.

This zoo has had its ups and downs in the past 50 years it has been operational, but under the Hamilton City Council, it has become a place of significant animal conservation.

I was there on a rainy weekday, and to my surprise, I had the whole place to myself.

At only 25 hectares, it still packs a punch with mammals, reptiles and aviaries to walk through to see the bird life.

Inside the Chimpanzee enclosure, you can see them up close with only glass separating you.

You can find a link to the zoo map here. Keeper talks are unscheduled but may pop up, so be aware while you’re there.

How To Get Here

Hamilton Zoo is located just out of Hamilton at 183 Brymer Road. Driving will be the easiest way to get here, with a large car park in front of the entrance.

Alternatively, you can catch the Dinsdale number 3 bus.

Hours

9.30 am – 4.30 pm daily, with the last entry at 3.30 pm

Prices

For prices and to book, click here.

Kiwi House Otorohanga

The Kiwi House at Otorohanga is a great place to see New Zealand’s native wildlife up close.

The keepers talk about the Kiwi, Kea, Kaka, Kakariki and Eels throughout the day. It’s a small park to walk around, but you can see endangered New Zealand wildlife and walk through an immense aviary with birds flying freely. The Kiwi House at Otorohanga is an excellent place for kids to see and learn all about our local wildlife.

You can find the Keeper Talks here and a map of the zoo here.

How To Get There

The Kiwi House is in the small town of Otorohanga at 20 Alex Telfer Drive. The best way of getting there is by car.

Hours

Daily 9 am – 5 pm (last admission 4.15 pm)

Closed Christmas Day.

Prices

Click here to see and book prices.

Agrodome

The Agrodome is the place to visit to give you great insight into New Zealand farming.

Dog shows and shearing the sheep are all part of the experience.

You have two options: the Farm Show, the Farm Tour or combine them both.

In the Farm Show, you will learn about the 19 breeds of sheep in New Zealand, see them being shorn and herded by the farm dogs and have a chance to feed the lambs or milk a cow.

In the Farm Tour, you are guided around this 350-acre farm. Learn about farming life in New Zealand, feed the farm animals and have photos taken with them.

Both tours are an hour each, or you can combine them.

How To Get There

If you’re in a car, it’s just a 10-15 minute drive from the city centre, at 141 Western Road, Ngongotaha.

If you don’t have a car, you can take a bus. Get on the Number 1 CityRide bus; hourly departures from the Rotorua iSite directly into the Agrodome. For full details, refer to the Rotorua Bay Bus information page.

Hours

9 am – 5 pm Daily

• Farm Experience Show times are 9.30 am, 11.00 am, 1.30 pm and 2.30 pm
• Farm Tour times are 9.30 am, 11.00 am, and 2.30 pm

PRICES

For prices and booking, click here.

The National Kiwi Hatchery

The National Kiwi Hatchery is the place to learn all about the Kiwi bird.

All ticket proceeds support the breeding and conservation efforts that ensure these birds thrive in the future.

You have the choice for your visit of the National Kiwi Hatchery Experience or Behind the Scenes Exclusive tours. Click on the links to find more information about these extras.

How To Get There

Now located at the Agrodome at 141 Western Road, Ngongotaha.

Hours

Daily

Tours run from 9:30 am until 2.15 pm. 
Book online to reserve your space.

Prices

For prices or to book, click here.

Paradise Valley Springs Rotorua

Paradise Valley Springs is only a 10-15 minute drive from Rotorua.

Here, you will come face to face with everything from native and introduced wildlife, including trout and African Lions.

You can walk amongst the native bush and rainforest on the Treetops Walkway. Catch a glimpse of the wild native birds that frequent the walkway. Feeding troughs along the way attract the birds, so you see them better and take fantastic photos.

Lion feeding is every day at 2.30 pm. This is the best time to take photos as they are so active.

How To Get There

Paradise Valley Springs is located at 467 Paradise Valley Road. By car, it’s the best way to find it, as it’s only 10-15 minutes from the city centre.

Hours

365 days a year from 8.00 am until dark. Last entry 5.00 pm.

Lion feeding is at 2.30 pm daily.

Kea and possum feeding is at 3 pm daily.

Check their website to see if Lion Cub patting is available.

Prices

Click here to find prices.

The National Aquarium of New Zealand, Napier

On the waterfront, the National Aquarium of New Zealand sits proudly just down from the Spirit of Napier.

Opened in 1976 in its present location, it welcomed 230,082 visitors in its first year, and I may have been one of them.

Housing aquatic life not only in New Zealand but around the world, you walk through rooms with pools and tanks showing fish up close that we don’t see in everyday life, like the Piranha.

Reptiles such as American Alligators, Tortoises and Tuatara share the space with Kiwi, tropical fish, penguins and sharks.

Like Kelly Tarlton’s, a tunnel takes you on an underwater adventure where the water is above and beside you. You can see sharks, stingrays, and other marine life gliding over the dome. It’s a great view, especially of the stingrays, as you can see their smiling faces.

To take part in guided tours, click here. School holiday program information can be found here.

The National Aquarium is a great place for all members of your family.

Keeper Talks are at 10 am for Reef Fish Feeding, 9.30 am, 1.30 pm and 3.30 pm for Little Penguins Feeding and 2 pm for Oceanarium Diver Hand Feeding.

How To Get There

Located on the southern end of the Marine Parade, you can either drive or walk from the city centre.

Hours

Daily from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm (including public holidays). Last entry 4:30 pm.

Closed Christmas Day.

Prices

For prices, booking and animal feeding times, please click here.

Brooklands Zoo, Pukekura Park, New Plymouth

Broadlands Zoo is very small. As it is a U-shape, you can stand on one side and look across to the other.

Birds, farmyard animals, reptiles, amphibians and small mammals like Meerkats, Otters, Monkeys, Red-rumped Agoutis and Capybaras call this place home.

Zookeepers give talks twice a day on weekends and during school holidays.

It’s a delightful little zoo that will keep the kids entertained for hours with the antics of the otters and monkeys.

How To Get Here

The Brooklands Zoo is located inside the Pukekura Parklands at 30 Brooklands Park Drive.

Hours

9.30 am – 4 pm Daily. Check their website for any changes.

Prices

Free.

Pukaha National Wildlife Centre, Mount Bruce

If you come into Wellington via Masterton, you should stop at the Pukaha Mount Bruce National Wildlife Centre.

If you want to see native New Zealand birds and lizards, this is the place for you. With an interactive history of the area and a café, there is plenty to see and do, as well as walking through the many tracks in the parkland. You can see New Zealand birds HiHi (Stitchbird), Kaka, Tui, Kakariki, Takahe and Kiwi. Geckos and Tuatara also call this place home.

Opened in 1962 for conservation, it didn’t open its doors to the public until 1982. In 2001, the grounds were expanded from 55 to 942 hectares, providing ample walking tracks.

Manukura, the white Kiwi, lives here. Not an albino, she has a recessive gene making her white instead of the usual brown colouring. There is also a Redwood forest growing here.

There is also the only Kokako in captivity. Kahurangi, the Kokako, has been hand-reared and is so used to humans that she thinks she is one.

This is also where you can see the endangered Takahe walking around. They were once thought to be extinct until they were discovered in Fiordland on the South Island.

The Kaka and Eels have public feedings daily, where you can get up close with these locals. You can spend 3-5 hours here seeing the animals and walking the tracks, and it is an excellent stop on your drive down to Wellington.

How To Get There

On State Highway 2, driving is the only option with this attraction. It’s 30 km north of Masterton, an hour south of Palmerston North, 10km south of Eketahuna and 2 hours northeast of Wellington.

Hours

Summer Hours	Winter Hours
9:00 am – 6:00 pm During daylight savings Last Sunday in September – first Sunday in April	9:00 am – 5:00 pm First Sunday in April – last Sunday in September

Our café closes at 5 pm in Summer and 4 pm in Winter.

Prices

Click here for tour prices and booking.

Wellington Zoo

Nothing beats a day at the zoo, and the Wellington Zoo is no exception.

Even though it’s over 100 years old, improvements are continuously made, with the animals’ well-being their top priority.

Want to have an encounter with your favourite animal? For an extra cost, you can, but be warned that they do book out early, so be quick. You can find more information about Close Encounters and the Behind the Scenes Experience by clicking the links. You can also find the Talk Times and availability of Close Encounters and Behind the Scenes here.

Talks and feeding times happen throughout the day, where you learn more about the animals, and have a better chance of seeing them, as they could be hiding in the large enclosures. You can find the times and a map of the zoo here.

How To Get There

Located in the Wellington suburb of Newtown, the zoo is easy to get to.

You can always drive as it’s less than a 10-minute drive from the city, although the car park fills up quickly.

Catching the bus is an easy option. The number 23 bus stops right outside the Zoo, with service running every hour, every day of the week. You can find more information here.

Hours

9.30 am – 5 pm except for Christmas Day

Prices

For more information, check out their website here.

Zealandia Wellington

If you want to see some New Zealand birdlife, Zealandia is the place for you. This 500+ acre area has been fenced off to protect it from pests, helping to safeguard the wildlife that inhabits it.  

There are many ways to see and do this world-first ecological parkland, from wandering around to doing day and night tours. You can find the link to the tours here.

With many tracks to explore, you could easily spend all day trying to find New Zealand’s wildlife, including Tuatara, Takahe and many more bird species, including Kiwi, on the night tour in their natural habitat.

How To Get There

Zealandia is located at 53 Waiapu Road, Karori. Driving is always an option, although there isn’t a large car park. They have 10 electric car charging stations available for use to recharge your vehicle. Additional car parks are 500m away at the Birdwood Road car park.

The easiest way is by free shuttle from either the City iSite, at 111 Wakefield Street, or the top of the Cable Car. You can check the times here.

Another option is by bus, with only a 2-minute walk from the bus stop. You can find timetables here.

Hours

Daily 9 am -4.30 pm except for Christmas Day. The last entry is at 4 pm.

Prices

For all prices, including tour prices, please click here.

Booking.com

Wildlife Parks and Zoos I Haven’t Visited on the North Island

I haven’t visited the following Zoos and Wildlife Parks, but I want to.

The Parrot Place KeriKeri

The Parrot Place Kerikeri is at 1 Mission Road, Kerikeri.

It features over 300 birds from around the world, as well as extensive subtropical gardens to explore.

Walk the grounds, feed the birds and have them land on you to say hello.

Wildlife Sanctuary Whangarei

Wildlife Sanctuary Whangarei is a sanctuary for big cats.

There are mainly Lions here, but also a black Panther and two Bengal Tigers. Of course, feeding times are when they are most active, but you can also do guided tours.

It’s located at 124 Grey Road, Kamo.

Ti Point Reptile Park, Leigh

Ti Point Reptile Park, Leigh, is the only reptile park in New Zealand.

They have a diverse collection of Reptiles, including American alligators, Turtles and Tortoises, Tarantula Spiders, Green iguanas, Tuatara and many more.

They are located at 27 Ti Point Road, Leigh.

Butterfly Creek, Auckland Airport

There is no excuse for me not to have visited Butterfly Creek at Auckland Airport, other than that I forgot.

You know how it is at the end of your holiday, and you’re taking the hire car back, and all you think of is the airport routine coming up.

All I can say is make sure you allow time before you fly out of Auckland to check out this park, especially if you love Butterflies and if you haven’t seen a Kiwi yet.

There are also bugs, reptiles, an aquarium, farm animals, Meerkats, monkeys, Otters, Crocodiles and even Porcupines.

Whiti Farm Park Kaimarama

Whiti Farm Park, located at 2414 Tairua Whitianga Road, Kaimarama, is an eccentric and fun place for kids.

Covering 8 acres, you can explore the farm and animals at your leisure and even bring a picnic lunch.

Birds, reptiles and exotic animals mix with the farm animals, which you can also feed.

Lilliput Farm Taupo

Lilliput Farm – Fun and Animal Park, located at 136 Link Road, Taupo, is another interactive farm for kids to enjoy.

Buy some food, and get to know the locals who call this park home.

Energy Trust Wildbase Recovery Palmerston North

Energy Trust Wildbase Recovery is at 20 Victoria Esplanade Drive, Palmerston North. The Wildbase Hospital is part of Massey University, and it’s here that you can learn about the recovery of endangered native wildlife that is brought into care here.

Take the time to look at the animals recovering in the hospital before they are released to their homes around the country.

Ngā Manu Nature Reserve Waikanae

Ngā Manu Nature Reserve is at 74 Nga Manu Reserve Road, Waikanae.

This 14-hectare reserve has free guided walks and an Eel feeding talk. You may also want to tag along with the knowledgeable staff at feeding time. Although you pay for this, you have the opportunity to get up close and have photos taken with the birds and lizards you visit.

Thursday to Sunday at dusk, you may join in on a paid guided walk to see Kiwis walking about.

Staglands Wildlife Reserve, Upper Hutt

Staglands Wildlife Reserve is at 2362 Akatarawa Road, Upper Hutt.

Another great park where you can get up close to nature by feeding the animals or joining the free Lunch Feed tour and Tractor Trailer Rides.

The wildlife reserve covers 25 acres of bush, farmland and wetlands for the resident birds, trout, eel, deer and farm animals.

Conclusion

These Zoos and Wildlife Parks on the North Island are great for kids, especially the farms and reserves. It’s a chance for everyone of all ages to learn about the animals we share this world with and how to help ensure their survival.

I hope you see the Kiwi (the feathered kind) while in New Zealand. Whether you see them in one of these Zoos and Wildlife Parks or even better in the wild on the North Island, I hope it will make your experience in New Zealand even more fantastic.

All of these Zoos and Wildlife Parks on the North Island are advocates for the conservation of animals and are part of a worldwide breeding program for endangered animals.

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