Lyttelton Shore Excursion: Christchurch Sights with Willowbank Wildlife Reserve

We had an amazing experience on this tour. It was incredibly well-organised and in-depth, providing us with a wonderful overview of Christchurch and its unique charm. Our tour guide, Joseph, was outstanding. His knowledge and passion for the area stood out, and you could tell he genuinely loved sharing his hometown with us. Growing up in the area gave him a unique perspective, and he offered insights we weren’t expecting – adding a personal touch to the experience. One of the highlights was the Riverside Markets, where we enjoyed a lovely lunch and had the chance to explore the vibrant stalls. It was a great way to soak up the local atmosphere before moving on to the main attraction – the Willowbank Wildlife Reserve. The wildlife reserve was absolutely incredible, and although two hours didn’t feel quite long enough, it was sufficient to see around 90% of the animals. It left us wanting more, and we would definitely come back to spend even more time there. Another great perk was the free shuttle from the cruise terminal at Lyttelton, which made getting to the tour hassle-free. Overall, it was a fantastic day out, and we would do it all again with Leisure Tours! Highly recommended.

We absolutely LOVED the nature reserve. The excursion came with a personalized tour which really made the experience even better. Learned so much and got to see some really great animals. Christchurch has lots to offer and definitely worth spending time in town. Our guide, Alan, was nice and gave us some good information although clear instructions about times and meet up spots would have been helpful.

Scotty was very knowledgeable but talked nonstop. My brain needed a break now and then. I found myself tuning him out unfortunately. The animal reserve was nice but the guide would start talking as soon as he started walking away from us all and only the first few people could hear him. He needs a microphone or not talk until we are all present. I told him we could not all hear him and nothing changed.