Review: Hartley's Crocodile Adventures, Wangetti
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The saltwater crocodile is the largest reptile in the world, with an evolutionary pedigree that stretches back some 200 million years.
To learn more about these magnificent creatures, pay a visit to Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures — 45 minutes’ drive north of Cairns (roughly half way between Palm Cove and Port Douglas) in Queensland’s Tropical North. This has to be one of the finest wildlife viewing experiences anywhere in the country. You can get as up close and personal as you want with any number of native birds, marsupials, snakes, and of course, the scaly headline act.
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Hartley’s is bordered by the Queensland Wet Tropics rainforest. It’s the only wildlife park in Australia that sits adjacent to a UNESCO World Heritage-listed landscape, and the setting is incredible. Before heading to see the crocodiles, we decide to warm up with some of the less intimidating animal species that call the park home.
The Wildlife Discovery Trail — a simple-to-navigate boardwalk — circles the entire ten-hectare park and leads you past various animal exhibits, including that of the endangered cassowary. We also see koalas, quolls, emus, snakes, lizards, turtles, and waterbirds. You can even hand-feed the friendly kangaroos and wallabies.
Next we make our way to the all-important crocodile viewing area — Hartley’s Lagoon. There are six scheduled cruises on the lagoon throughout the day, and each is guided by one of the park’s knowledgeable crocodile keepers. The boat hasn’t left the dock before a croc comes into view — less than a metre away!
We set off on a lap of the lagoon, which is home to around twenty crocodiles — including a six-foot monster named Ted. He’s believed to be more than one hundred years old. The predators are lured to the side of the boat with food, and it’s seriously awe-inspiring to watch as they jump right out of the water to take the tucker with a lethal snap of their massive jaws.
After disembarking the cruise we wander over to the Wildlife Amphitheatre, which hosts a variety of daily animal presentations. First up is the snake and reptile show, presented by reptile handler and apparent snake-whisperer Leigh. He brings along several bags and containers, which hold some of the biggest and most poisonous snakes in the world. Australia is home to the eleven most deadly snakes on the planet. Six of those are found in Queensland! I guess there’s a reason Indiana Jones never ventured down under.
After the snake show, fellow handlers Drew and Mario come out to teach us more about crocodiles — assisted by a five-metre-long specimen named Bart (who apparently suffers from ‘severe anger management issues’). However, he seems more than happy to show off the notorious death roll.
Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures is suitable for all ages and shouldn’t be missed during your visit to North Queensland. You’ll gain a better understanding of one of Australia’s most feared predators.
The writer travelled as a guest of Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures.
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Additional images: Bigstock
About the writer
Chris Bright is a freelance writer based in Melbourne with a passion for travel, food, music, and film. He’s travelled to South-East Asia, India, Japan, parts of Europe, and much of North America. Chris is willing to try anything once, whether it’s leaping from great heights or eating things that don’t look the least bit appetising. When it comes to travel, he loves nothing more than meeting new people and sharing a laugh over their local drink of choice.
