Shipping costs
Orders over $50 — Free shipping NZ-wide on dry goods (equipment, food, supplies).
Orders under $50 — Shipping calculated at checkout based on size, weight, and destination.
Live fish & livestock — Shipped separately with special handling. Costs shown at checkout. Free shipping thresholds do not apply to livestock.
Rural addresses — A rural delivery surcharge may apply, shown at checkout.
Dispatch times
Dry goods (equipment, food, supplies) — Typically dispatched within 1–2 business days of your order. You will receive tracking by email once dispatched.
Live fish & livestock — Dispatched Monday to Wednesday only, so your animals never sit in a depot over the weekend. We may hold your order for the next suitable dispatch day — this protects your fish.
Weekends & public holidays — Orders placed on weekends or public holidays enter the queue on the next business day.
Estimates, not guarantees
Courier delays, weather events, and peak periods can affect delivery times. If there is any delay with a livestock shipment we will contact you before dispatch.Delivery timeframes
Estimated from the date of dispatch, in business days:
| Region | Dry Goods | Live Fish |
|---|---|---|
| Auckland | 1–3 business days | Overnight |
| North Island | 2–4 business days | Overnight |
| South Island | 3–6 business days | Overnight — where available |
| Rural addresses | Add 1–3 extra days | Contact us before ordering |
Live fish are sent overnight
All livestock travels via overnight courier in insulated packaging with oxygenated bags. Rural and some South Island addresses cannot be guaranteed overnight service — please contact us before placing a livestock order if you are rural, so we can confirm your address is suitable.How live fish are shipped
Health check & fasting
Fish are health-checked and fasted before travel to keep water quality high in the bag.
Oxygenated bags & insulated box
Each fish is bagged with oxygen and packed in an insulated polystyrene box with heat or cool packs as the season requires.
Overnight courier
Dispatched Monday–Wednesday via overnight courier. You receive tracking the evening of dispatch.
Be home for delivery
Someone must be available to receive the delivery. Acclimatise your fish promptly on arrival — never leave the box sitting outside. Our Live Arrival Guarantee requires the box to be opened on the day of delivery.
Tracking & missed deliveries
- You will receive a tracking number by email once your order is dispatched. Allow up to 24 hours for it to activate.
- If you miss a dry goods delivery, follow the courier card or tracking instructions for redelivery or pickup.
- For live fish, we strongly recommend being home on the delivery day. Fish left in transit or at a depot are not covered by our Live Arrival Guarantee beyond the day of delivery.
- If tracking has not updated for more than 3 business days, contact us and we will chase it with the courier.
Click & collect
Prefer to pick up? Choose click & collect at checkout and collect from our store, free of charge:
Creature Culture — Te Atatū Peninsula
MondayClosed
Tuesday – Wednesday10am – 5:30pm
Thursday – Friday11am – 7pm
Saturday – Sunday10am – 5:30pm
*Hours may differ on public holidays.
We will email you when your order is ready to collect — please wait for that confirmation before coming in.