🐾 A Little Adventure at Hamilton Zoo

Last weekend, we took the kids to Hamilton Zoo, and it was a lovely experience! Here’s our mini-review: 🌿 The zoo has a fantastic environment—huge spaces for the animals, so they seem happy and relaxed. It feels more spacious than Auckland Zoo, though sometimes the animals are harder to spot (maybe because we visited at midday and some were napping 😴). 🎤 Keeper talks & feedings happen throughout the day! We caught the tiger feeding (so cool! 😎), but missed the bird show since we were too far away. Pro tip: Listen for announcements! 🚗 Getting there: ~1.5-hour drive from East Auckland. We arrived at 10:30 AM, planning to have lunch inside… but ⚠️ surprise—there’s NO proper restaurant! ❗ Only vending machines (drinks, chips, cookies) and an ice cream stand. We only brought snacks for the kids, so PACK A LUNCH! There are picnic tables, perfect for a little outdoor meal. 🧺 🐅 Route tip: We started from the right side of the entrance. Near the end, there’s a playground, but our little one was already exhausted 😂. ☕ After the zoo: There’s a Western-style café outside the gates. Coffee was decent, food was okay—nothing special. ✅ Key Takeaways: • ✅ Bring your own lunch, drinks & snacks! • ✅ Listen for keeper talks & feeding times • ✅ Arrive early—animals are more active • ✅ Let kids unwind at the playground (if they still have energy!) • ✅ A long lens helps—some animals like to hide far away A great family outing for animal lovers! 🦁🐒🦜 #FamilyTravel #HamiltonZoo #NZLife #AucklandDayTrips #KidsActivities #NatureLovers 🌿✨