Experience the native wildlife and cultural traditions of New Zealand while on a six-hour adventure with Willowbank Wildlife Reserve and Ko Tāne Waka on Avon, where you'll learn the story of New Zealand’s natural heritage and Canterbury's Ngāi Tahu Iwi history. Follow our passionate guide on a stroll around Willowbank Wildlife Reserve, learning about the conservation efforts and animal habitats operated by the local Willis family. See the flightless, nocturnal North Island Brown Kiwi thriving among a glass-free environment as well as the kea, the world's only alpine parrot. The farmyard is home to many rare and heritage breeds, such as KuneKune pigs, zebus and Damara Sheep, while an array of exotic animals Capuchin Monkeys, Ring-tailed Lemurs, Capybaras and wallabies roam around the park's zoo enclosures. Then you and your fellow team members will learn to paddle a traditional Māori canoe (waka) up and down the city’s picturesque Avon / Ōtākaro river. You’ll be welcomed in the warmest of Māori tradition, before learning some of the key techniques, chants and phrases you’ll need to be able to paddle the waka. Then experience the city from the unique perspective the river offers while navigating the historic vessel just as the early Māori had while learning some of the history that helped shape the city.