Ka pai Aotearoa for making Alert Level 2 such a success!

Ka pai Aotearoa! We’re so excited that science and hard work – by everyone! – has prevailed as we return to Alert Level 1. We’d like to say a huge thank you to our staff, partners and Zoo friends that made a visit to Auckland Zoo under Level 2 such a success.

It was essential that visiting Auckland Zoo was safe and easy to navigate under Level 2, and prior to the Zoo’s re-opening on 27 May, we introduced a range of safety measures to ensure the safety of our staff, visitors and animals.

As well as limiting the number of bookable sessions available we also introduced a clever Kiwi virtual queuing system, NextUp.

“Using NextUp at the Zoo helped eliminate the risk of a queue forming at our entrance as visitors were able to view waiting times via the web-based app and then check in at home, or on the way to the Zoo, whichever made the most sense for their arrival time. In the event of arriving early, visitors were able to wait comfortably in their car or if on foot, at Western Springs park until they received a text notification to enter,” says Phil McGowan, Head of Visitor Experiences for Auckland Zoo.

“We’re really grateful to NextUp for their tremendous support in helping us prepare for re-opening at Level 2. Their clever system is so easy to use and I’d already seen it in action at other businesses such as supermarkets, during lockdown, so it was no-brainer when they kindly offered to assist the Zoo”.

Thank you to everyone who has supported the Zoo with a visit these past three weeks and have sent us photos and videos of themselves and their whānau enjoying the Zoo once more. We’ve heard first-hand how, while we were closed, our Zoo stories – including Facebook live streams, were enjoyed by adults and families at home and we’d love to see even more of you under Level 1! Get your tickets here.