Orana’s 50th Birthday: Marmite, Locusts and a Ratepayer Lifeline

Orana Wildlife Park, long a favourite for its koala cuddles and kiwi walks, celebrated its 50th anniversary with a programme that would make any accountant blush.

The headline act was a Marmite smearing contest held on the park’s central lawn. Visitors were invited to spread the beloved spread on the faces of their favourite animals – the result was a colourful, slightly sticky tableau that attracted more selfies than actual wildlife footage.

In a nod to New Zealand’s insect‑friendly ethos, the park also staged a live locust exhibition. The locusts, free‑flying in a secured enclosure, were presented as “the original New Zealand snack” in a marketing pitch that was as bold as it was questionable.

The celebrations came at a time when the park’s finances were as thin as a wafer. Earlier this week, ratepayers stepped in with a $1.2 million lifeline, a figure that dwarfs the average fee for a single visitor and leaves the future of the park as uncertain as the next bank’s cash rate.

While the grant provides a temporary cushion, critics point out that a sticky celebration and a swarm of locusts do little to address the underlying cash flow problem. Some say that a more prudent investment in dairy‑based revenue streams – perhaps a cheese‑made‑in‑the‑park line – would have been a wiser use of the money.

As the park’s board hovers over the next chapter, the only thing certain is that when money runs low, you can always find a way to smear, hop and hope for the best.