The Hamilton Zoo is a favourite outing for our family. It is very affordable, and the animals seem…read morewell treated and live in relatively open spaces on the outskirts of Hamilton's western suburbs. Entry fees are very affordable for individuals and families, and we have a season pass. It is very reasonably priced! The zoo has undergone major renovations over the last five years, expanding well beyond where it was only five years ago (the time of our first visit). It includes an enormous, well-equipped children's playground, an upscale café and dining restaurant. In the near future, there will be a hotel on the premises where guests are welcome to stay and observe the animals after- and before-hours. To get to the zoo, visitors may drive to the facility or choose to take the city bus. The city bus is very convenient, since it leaves from the Hamilton CBD and arrives directly outside the front entrance to the zoo. A highlight for the kids include the tigers, ostriches, American buffalo, and, of course, giraffes. Also, they certainly like to use the slides located near the chimpanzee enclosure.

Not the largest zoo but what they lack in variety, they definitely make up in quality. There are…read moresome definite gems here like an extremely active red panda, ring-tailed lemurs that you can play with, the cutest bobcat and beautiful tigers. My boyfriend and I definitely had a lovely time here and I could be found squealing like a child about the cuteness of the animals. The zoo itself is not suffocating and the enclosures are well-maintained and adequately-sized to give the animals space to play in. There is also a playground for kids and lots of interactive experiences. There are also a lot of talks given by the zoo staff about the different animals which were informative and interesting. If I lived in Hamilton, I would definitely visit again.

We stopped by Hamilton Gardens on our drive back from Hobbiton to Auckland and really enjoyed the…read morevisit. The gardens are no longer free, they charge $20 admission but it's worth visiting. There are a number of different gardens to walk through (e.g., Japanese, Chinese, Italian, Egyptian, etc) with a lot of thought put behind the design to pay homage to the different artistic styles and evolution of gardens. You really get to immerse yourself into different cultures and expression of art in the garden form through time. I loved the gardens so much I ended up buying the book and have been learning more about the history and development of the gardens (fun fact: it used to be a garbage dump). By the far the best gardens I've visited.

The Hamilton Gardens was our stopover on our way back to the AKL airport from Rotorua. It was our…read morelast bit of sightseeing before flying over to Australia. Parking was free but did take awhile to find an open spot considering it was a weekday. At the garden entrance we found out that admission was still free for anyone showing up instead of just for local Hamilton residents. That was a nice savings of $20NZD pp but not sure how much longer that exception will last. There were 17 different gardens to explore, all different and a joy to wander through. Our top favorites were the following: Mansfield Gardens - According to the signage, the garden may have been influenced by a novel written by Katherine Mansfield. It included a home, grass tennis court, outdoor piano and more. Chinese Scholar's Garden with the pathways lined with towering bamboo. Italian Renaissance Garden with its villa facade, fruit trees and statues. Te Parapara Garden for inclusion of Maori culture and traditions. We spent almost 2 hours here and we all agreed this was a must see when in Hamilton.

cheap and OK, only $3 for a senior swim. clean and friendly. I missed an outdoor pool thoughread more

Beautiful walk, if you are out on the road to Whatawhata or Raglan. It's a short walk around the…read moremain track, but worth a visit to take in the regional tree varieties, even in winter. Redwoods, oaks, flowering trees, along with a China section and bamboo forest, just to name a few, reflect a global arboretum collection. Free entry. Modest but clean facilities. UV purified well water available (nonflouridated). Lots of chickens (which little ones seem to love ). Nice trails (~90 minute including return).