Review: Australia Zoo
Top Oz Tours offers a day tour to Australia Zoo from Brisbane, including return transfers and your entry ticket. You can book the tour here.
What was once just a couple of acres dedicated to Australian wildlife and known rather modestly as the Beerwah Reptile Park, has gradually been transformed into a 1,000-acre world-class tourist attraction known as Australia Zoo.
Tucked away in the Beerwah State Forest on South East Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, Australia Zoo is a testament to the passion and commitment of the Irwin family past and present to wildlife education and conservation. That commitment certainly hasn’t wavered since the tragic death of Steve Irwin in 2006. He remains a key figure at the zoo, which is beautifully presented and home to some 1,200 Australian and exotic animals.
A family trip to Australia Zoo is an experience that has cropped up from time to time over the past two decades, and like all previous visits, our latest meander through this wonderful animal kingdom didn’t fail to impress. Located about an hour’s drive north of Brisbane, and around the same south of Noosa, the zoo is well signposted and easy to find if you are self-driving.
There’s a huge amount to see and a lot of ground to cover, so heed the management’s advice and plan your day in advance. The Australia Zoo website has heaps of detailed information about what to expect, and what’s on where and at what time. You’ll have to be on your toes if you want to see it all and you need to have your timing just right if you are going to make it to all the shows and presentations that are offered. If you see none other, don’t miss the Wildlife Warriors show at the Crocoseum, and the Birds of Prey show. It’s breathtaking!
Inevitably the zoo has to make some compromises between providing appropriate living conditions for the animals and a rewarding experience for patrons, and it takes time and patience to get a glimpse of some of the shyer residents. But there are plenty of easy ‘oh look’ moments along the way — a wombat in a billy cart, a cheetah taking a walk with a keeper, and many more. The animals’ natural habitats are faithfully recreated, and a particular highlight for me was rounding a corner to see the Out of Africa display — complete with giraffes and zebras grazing a savannah-like grassy plain, and rhinos lazing in the sun. And let’s not forget the super-conscientious sentry meerkat — on a rock, on the job, and unflagging in his or her duty.
The interpretive boards at each exhibit use relaxed Aussie vernacular and are short enough even for younger children to read, and chatty enough to make the facts easy to remember. The snake displays are particularly informative.
There are around 500 people employed by Australia Zoo and a fair number of this khaki clad army is on the ground assisting guests. Their commitment is obvious. Just asking the way to something usually results in a follow up question from the helper: ‘…and have you seen…?’. They always seem happy to take the time to explain with authority something of interest.
If you are going to cover the entire facility on foot, it’s a lot of walking. Most of it though is through pleasant well-kept, shady greenery — but even so, a hat and sunscreen are must-haves. The zoo operates a large, comfortable shuttle, which makes numerous stops to pick up and set down guests at key locations throughout the zoo. There are also private transport options available — among them, a not outlandishly expensive private buggy with a driver. It can seat five people comfortably and costs $450 for five hours (at the time of writing).
Self-catering picnickers are welcome at the zoo and there are lovely places to set up camp at lunchtime (alternatively, the Crikey Café and other catering facilities offer an array of food choices at reasonable prices). Along with the picnic, pack your swimmers. When the kids have seen enough and you’re all longing for a break, the onsite water park offers lots of refreshing fun.
We managed to tick off most of the zoo’s main displays, but sadly something had to give. In the end, it was the Wildlife Hospital — one of the largest of its kind in the world. We decided to save that for next time.
All in all, Australia Zoo is a wonderful opportunity to view, guilt-free, a whole world of wildlife. And you’re sure to learn a huge amount about the natural world along the way.
Vicki Ford is a freelance writer based in Brisbane.
For more information, visit www.australiazoo.com.au.
Browse our range of Sunshine Coast tours and experiences here.
Additional images: Bigstock
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