93. Australia Zoo. As Wild As Life Gets. Queensland, Australia
Crikey – this week we are taking you to the iconic Australia Zoo! As wild as life gets.
Come with us as we walk over 10,000 steps and visit as much of the zoo as we can in one day.
Firstly though, for all those people out there who think Australia is full of things that can kill you – we visit the Robert’s reptile house where we see at least half of the deadliest snakes IN THE WORLD.
We take you to see Australia’s unique wildlife including wombats, koalas, wallabies, echidnas, kangaroos, emus, and did I mention deadly snakes? Oh and don’t forget the giant crocodiles.
We make it to the Tiger Temple just in time to see the tiger show, and then past the elephants having a bath and dinner in the lake.
Of course we go to Bindy’s Island where there are Lemurs swinging through the trees, boa constrictors in the tree house, and tortoises just munching their way around the island.
Next up is Africa, where we learnt some fascinating facts about zebras, giraffes, cheetahs, rhinos and my favourite – Meerkats.
We tell you as much as we can about the facilities at the zoo as well all the shows and feeding times. We also share the story of Steve Irwin and about the stunning memorial they have to honour him at the zoo.
Stay listening to the end to hear how brave we were (and that’s a total exaggeration) as we recorded live in different locations around the zoo where we were stalked by water dragons -which if you can believe it - wander freely around the zoo and are as scary as they sound.
Hope you enjoy our wild exploration of Australia Zoo.
Australia Zoo is located about an hour north of Brisbane at Beerwah. It has over 1,200 animals on display. The zoo is open from 9.00am to 5.00pm everyday, except Christmas day.
You can visit the zoo here Australia Zoo and tickets are available at the zoo or can be pre-purchased online. Check the website for the availability of animal encounters as well.
The zoo is very easy to navigate and the paths and roads are flat and make pushing prams etc easy. You can hire buggies and there is a shuttle bus that circulates around the zoo at regular intervals throughout the day.
All the gardens and enclosures in the zoo are so lush and well kept. It is so nice just to wander and enjoy the landscapes.
One of the first enclosures and displays you come across is Robert’s Reptile House which is home to some of the deadliest snakes and reptiles in the world. A lot of people think Australia is full of things that can kill you - well here they are (except the lizard - he is just posing for the picture)
One of the most popular areas in the zoo is Roo Haven and the Koala walk through area. Here you can see the animals up close and personal without any fencing. You can feed and pat the kangaroos and wallabies and pat the cuddly koalas. The wombats are my favourite and they are in an enclosure just outside the snake and reptile house.
The main show of the day is held in the Crocoseum. It is a large stadium with ample seating. The show is on at 1.15pm each day and you will see giant jumping crocodiles, snakes and free flight birds. It is a fabulous show that also includes an audio and video production.
You can access the auditorium from underneath the Crikey Cafe. The cafe is the main eating area at the zoo and is massive. There is so much room and you have a variety of food and drinks to choose from. You can sit and watch crocodiles while eating your lunch as well. The facilities at the Crikey Cafe are great, family friendly - with highchairs and lots of space.
Past the Australian animal area is the wetlands. Here you will see many birds including brolgas and jabirus. The birds are free flight and can fly around the zoo and some of the birds even make an appearance in the main stadium when called on and fly from their area in the wetlands into the auditorium.
Once you are past the wetlands the next in line is South East Asia which is home to the Sumatran elephants and red panda. We missed the red panda, but were lucky enough to see the elephants taking a bath.
Across from elephants is Tiger Temple. There is an informative tiger show every day and the crowds gather early to find the best seats to view the tigers jumping into the water and finding their food.
We left the Tiger Temple happy with the show and my photos, then we headed to Bindy’s Island. You have to cross a bridge and enter the island through a shipwreck. On the island you will find lemurs, a boa constrictor, a tree-house, a giant tortoises. It is a lovely shady spot to explore which the kids love because as well as the treehouse that they can climb, there is another playground area. The lemurs usually are just hanging around the in the trees.
Another favourite area, and it is one of the newer enclosures at the zoo, is Africa. The thing that I love about this area is the huge open green area that allows the animals to roam freely. Here you will find zebras, giraffes, rhinos and meerkats. Actually the meerkats are separate from the large animals. The zoo has many easy to read and interesting signs all around the enclosures. You can learn about each animal, and all the conservation efforts that are being done to protect endangered species. A new enclosure at the top of Africa is the home of the cheetahs.
Once you have finished exploring the zoo, a great place to stop if you have kids is the Crikey Kids corner. This is where you will find the Laughing Frog Lolly shop and the kids water play area. So good to let the kids run and cool off or try jumping on the giant pillow. There is an amenities block with change rooms next to the water play area.
We had a fabulous day out and we share heaps more in the podcast as we recorded live in several spots around the zoo. If you want to know more, then click one of the players above.
If you would like to see what other areas we have covered in our Aussie Summer Series then click the button below.