Glenorchy Animal Experience — Attraction in South Island

To start off, I'm not too keen to provide feedback on the places I've visited, but will be making an exception for this place based on the experiences I noticed while visiting with my family, and reading the feedback that I have gathered online. As a small business owner myself, I would recommend this place to be visited by all business owners, product owners, UX leads, and trainers to perhaps observe how this place engages their customer from their first step, till the time they leave and the reviews that may appear, and if you are lucky, how the owners provide their feedback, specifically to those that didn't quite agree with the owners high standards. Will leave it to you to make a fair assessment in terms of the poor reviews, and the replies that follows. There is a coherent theme in the poor reviews (for those that are still up) and hopefully can be picked up by first time travellers and visitors to NZ@queenstown, and it would be a real pity if their experiences be marred by the experience offered by this place. (irony that the name of the place include "experience").

To add abit more color. I do understand that there maybe rules that needs to be followed, but the rules dished out in this place beats the rules I've read for bungy jumping, para gliding and luge Combine. Given the lengthy rules, adults are expected to be like superheros, with squid like arms holding on to their kids (bless them if they do), while they thread carefully into their "experience". I do pity parents when they cant grab hold off their little ones, as there will be a telling off regardless of the age, Young and old. So parents you have been warned. Even if the animals come throdding at you and the kids are afraid. PLEASE NOTE, that running is PROHIBITED! Please hold on to your kids for dear life and buckle ur seat belts and have an "experience" that hopefully ended better than the family I observed while I was there.

Just to add a pic (Mr Mostache) to show I have visited the place in case, the feedback gets pulled down by...

Would not recommend at all. Terrible experience. We went there on the 7th day of our New Zealand trip and did not experience such indifferent, demeaning and rude attitude anywhere. We had unanticipated delay while getting there (we reached much before 4.00 pm, ie the official closing time) and they refused entry to us with no refunds stating that we need to be there at-least an hour advance. Since, we did not have local phones we had dropped them an email which they conveniently ignored. It was very clear that they intend to rip off tourists. The lady in-charge is very rude, arrogant and un -accommodative.

REPLYING POST OWNER COMMENT: Thank you for your reply, I just wish you were as prompt in replying your emails as you are in replying posts here. Let me summarise some of the facts here (which all the readers can substantiate with other comments as well) Your reply and choice of words such as ” ..we refuse to take responsibility for our visitors ' time management” , “… begging over and over again” and “You bought two heavily discounted ticket on Bookme” - is a clear testimony to my comment about your rude , indifferent and money minded behaviour. This is also clearly evident in many other google comments here (some of them even mention “racist”). All I can say to you is - Get Well Soon! :) and be more polite to people :). I paid for the farm experience and not a lesson on time management. So your taunt on time management was unnecessary and irrelevant. Tickets were bought on bookme because you published them at a certain price, at which we bought. Whether it’s heavily discounted or not is not something that is determined by the customers.

To readers: please stay away from such establishments and given the comments by the owner, please refrain from buying tickets on any platform as you would be deemed and treated a ‘heavily discounted ticket buying’...

Reply to the owner: Love how you didn’t deny the fact you made comments about our race. If it had nothing to do with race, you SHOULD NOT HAVE MADE ANY REMARKS ABOUT OUR RACE. You also should not have mocked my family’s accent. If that isn’t racism, I don’t know what is. Reminding people about rules does not give you any excuse to insult any race or skin colour.

Original review: The owner is incredibly racist! 1. If you don’t speak perfect English, he will correct you. 2. If you start speaking in any other language, the owner will make fun of you. Came here with my family visiting from overseas. They were on the verge of tears and absolutely shocked from the abusive mockery received from the owner for speaking their own language!! It was heartbreaking to see them so upset. It’s the first time in 5 years I’ve been able to meet my family in person. To know that this experience will tarnish their memory of New Zealand is awful. A sad sad way to end their trip that would otherwise have been amazing. All the other tourism operators and people they’ve met along the way have been so welcoming.

FYI totally respect and understand the need for rules…BUT the way the owner conveys these rules (yelling, mocking, remarks on our race) is never acceptable. We have never had any issues in other similar places (or any places at all). I just don’t understand how someone can still be so racist. If it wasn’t for the limited time I have with my family, I would absolutely take the matter to the disputes tribunal. To the owner: please, have a think about...