Wild Earth Nature Park Bush Cafe

This restaurant is an amazing place to visit! The atmosphere is so laid-back. We all loved seeing the animals, the food was fantastic, and we topped it off by feeding the eels. We will definitely be back.

Apologies for the confusion, I meant to give 5 stars in my review. Not sure what happened before! Sorry about that. Just want to say you guys rock!

A must see! Beautiful gem in takakka. Go there on wednesday evenings and on the weekends!

This restaurant is truly enchanting and was a perfect stop on our way home. It was a wonderful experience for everyone, and we only wish we could have prolonged our visit.

We stumbled on this gem hidden on the hills of Takaka one sunny day in Nelson. Frustrated that we couldn 't catch a fish in Anatoki Salmon yes, we didn 't catch a fish in a pond! , we decided to check out the Wild Earth Bush Cafe next to it. And what a pleasant find! There was a mini-zoo on the ground that kids and the kids at heart can explore. There 's also a pathway to the nearby river where you can check out the eels. There 's a wheel swing and stilts that surprisingly, were tried by mostly adult guests. The cafe 's ground also featured a mini-golf that my husband and daughter enjoyed playing in despite the searing heat of the sun. The rest of the area was surrounded by trees which provided the badly needed cool breeze. The place had a nature earthy gypsy feel that lives up to its name. I had a feeling the guests were lingering longer than usual with some of them even lying leisurely under the trees. We were so distracted by the sights on the grounds that we entered the cafe a tad late and we were told they only have 5 minutes before the kitchen closes. But friendly as they were, they accommodated us. We didn 't have time to read the menu so we quickly ordered a venison gourmet burger and a beef burger. The staff at the counter said the venison was a great choice. When our orders came , I dug into the salad that came with the meal and the venison burger , and right away, knew what the staff meant. The salad was perfect, I mean, if it 's the only thing I ordered, it would be enough. Crunchy tossed veggies in caramelised onion I think but honestly, it 's my first time to have a salad that tastes that good so I 'm not sure what else is in there. I have been trying to recreate it at home since but never got close. Then there 's the burger, I have never raved on any burger in my dining life ever, but hands down, this was the best burger I ever ate. I couldn 't help gushing to my husband and he said his beef was also very good . I was absolutely convinced it was gourmet . Two days after, we would find ourselves on detour to Picton on our way to Christchurch and we tried another joint there that advertised gourmet burgers. I ordered a beef and to my utter dismay, it tasted so bland that I only had two bites before I gave it to my husband. I could do better at home , I said. When he tasted it, he said, it isn 't too bad. I said it 's nothing compared to the burgers at Wild Earth. He looked at me in agreement and replied, If that 's your standard, then yes, prepare to be always disappointed. We hope to be back again at Wild Earth to try more from their menu. It was a great experience for the whole family ! Go ahead , endure the long winding steep hills knowing you 'll have a great place as a reward.