Within 5 minutes of city high-rises, you can watch and hear Sumatran tigers snarl, lions roar, and monkeys chatter. Over 1,000 birds and animals from every continent make their home in this outstanding parkland, recognized as one of Australasia's leading zoos. It is home to New Zealand's largest collection of native and exotic species. You can meet kiwi, tuatara, and other locals at the Daily Native Fauna Encounter. Or you can visit the beach and see shore birds and little blue penguins. You can also watch sea lions through a spectacular underwater viewing window. At the McDonald's South American Rainforest, troops of spider monkeys, bonnet macaques, squirrel monkeys, and siamangs swing from branch to branch. Check out Pridelands for giraffes, zebras, lions, and rhinos. And visit the zoo's two most famous residents, Kashin and Burma, in their state-of-the-art elephant house. Ask about the special Backstage Pass (bookings required), or treat the kids to a Safari Night sleepover and barbecue.

Copyright: Excerpted from Frommer's New Zealand, 5th Edition, (c) 2008, Wiley Publishing, Inc.

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