I visited the zoo the other week , and am pleased to say that it is still a very good zoo . The entrance had changed , and there was a new education centre . The old elephant house had been converted into a conference centre . There is now a small factory in the zoo that produces zoodoo from animal manure and whatever clippings are too small for elephant browse . I think the idea of the zoodoo manufacturing plant is a good one , bit I feel it should be sited on the edge of the zoo backing out into the road . Although there were no new species that I can recall , there is alot more vegetation and gardens , and they are starting to give the zoo more of a natural rustic look with bars/concrete being phased out as much as possible . There were no negative points , apart from my personal ideas . The elephants were being used to help build/create their own behavioural stimulation frame that holds baskets of hay which they can eat , but it takes a little bit of patience to get out of the baskets . The keeper was riding them like a mahout would do . I will send photos to Sim as soon as I get them developed for inclusion on this site . It is definately worth the admission fee ( I think it was NZ$12.00)