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Melbourne Zoo has been named the top zoo in Australia and the South Pacific while Busselton Jetty has been named the top aquarium in the region in TripAdvisor's Travellers’ Choice™ awards for zoos and aquariums around the globe.

The leading tourism website identified 275 winning zoos and aquariums around the world, and included dedicated lists for the South Pacific, Asia, Canada, Europe, India, South America, the United Kingdom and the USA.

Australia leads the tally on the South Pacific lists of zoos and aquariums, with 20 of the top 25 zoos, including Melbourne Zoo, Australia’s first zoo dating back to 1862, taking out the top position. Seven of the top 10 South Pacific aquariums are also in Australia, with Busselton Jetty in Perth topping the South Pacific list.

Top Zoos – South Pacific

1. Melbourne Zoo, Melbourne
2. Australia Zoo, Queensland
3. Auckland Zoo, Auckland, New Zealand
4. Taronga Zoo, Sydney
5. Taronga Western Plains Zoo, Dubbo
6. Wildlife Habitat Port Douglas, Port Douglas, Queensand
7. Werribee Open Range Zoo, Werribee, Victoria
8. Perth Zoo, Perth
9. Adelaide Zoo, Adelaide
10. Orana Wildlife Park, Christchurch, New Zealand

Aquariums – South Pacific

1. Busselton Jetty, Busselton, Western Australia
2. Sea Life Sydney Aquarium, Sydney
3. Aquarium des Lagons Nouvelle Caledonie, Noumea, New Caledonia
4. Kelly Tarlton’s Sea Life Aquarium, Auckland, New Zealand
5. Ocean Park Aquarium, Denham, Western Australia
6. Aquarium of Western Australia, Perth
7. UnderWater World, Gold Coast
8. Reef HQ, Townsville, Queensland
9. National Aquarium, Napier, New Zealand
10. Reefworld Aquarium and Shark Swim, Hervey Bay, Queensland

Outlining the awards, Barbara Messing, TripAdvisor Chief Marketing Officer Barbara Messing explained “for those wanting to see the world’s most wondrous creatures, TripAdvisor has named the Travellers’ Choice Zoos and Aquariums, as chosen by the community of millions.

“Travellers can enjoy a fun and educational experience at any of these popular award-winning attractions around the globe.” 

Travellers’ Choice awards honour top travel spots worldwide based on the millions of valuable reviews and opinions from TripAdvisor travellers. Award winners were determined using an algorithm that took into account the quantity and quality of reviews for zoos and aquariums worldwide, gathered over a 12-month period.

Welcoming Melbourne Zoo's recognition, Director Kevin Tanner stated "TripAdvisor is an excellent way for us to get immediate feedback from our visitors, and it’s great for us to be recognised as one of the region’s top zoos.

"We seek to create experiences for our visitors to connect with wildlife, understand their circumstances in the wild, and join us to take action in helping wildlife in a variety of ways, including our community conservation campaigns."

Click here for more information on the TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice™ awards.

Images shows Kimya, Melbourne Zoo's Western Lowland Gorilla Kimya.

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