Hamilton Zoo is hands down my favourite zoo. I know that other zoo’s have more animals and are bigger but for me there is something really special about this little zoo.
I put it down to my first visit, 9 years ago now, where I fell in love with a baby rhino. A weird concept I know but once you see one you will never be able to get over the cuteness of them (they have actually just had a new rhino baby born so you can read about it here). And the brilliant thing about Hamilton Zoo is that all the animals feel so impossibly close.
And it’s not just the rhino’s – all the animals feel really close to you (except the tigers which is not a bad thing) and even better than that, for the ridiculously low price of $15 you can go face to face with the animals. We chose the Lemur’s and oh my they are so cute!!
The girls were incredibly bad listeners and couldn’t resist sneaking a pat which they are absolutely not allowed to do so ask the keepers for recommendations of which animals are best for each age group if you are taking little ones.
Hamilton Zoo also boasts a huge playground, picnic areas, lush walkways and a cafe. It is a great spot for a day trip – or team it up with the Hamilton Gardens and make a low cost weekend of it (we thoroughly recommend Argent Motor Lodge for well priced, stylish rooms with exceptional customer service).
Don’t forget to pack your camera (I forgot my battery and had to buy another one!) and some good walking shoes.