Are you thinking about going to Australia Zoo but not sure if it’s worth it? Or are you short on time and not sure if you’ll be able to put aside enough time to actually see everything at Australia Zoo?
After our recent visit to Australia Zoo in the rain, we were a bit unsure whether to go. Also, as two people who aren’t huge fans of zoo’s, we were a bit concerned if we’d walk out of Australia Zoo feeling a bit sad.
Known as being the best zoo in Australia and quite possibly the world, here’s our review and everything you need to know before visiting Australia Zoo.
Should you actually go and visit Australia Zoo?
We’ve been fortunate enough to visit various countries where we could see a lot of animals in the wild like when we trekked in Uganda to see the mountain Gorillas or when we went on a safari to see the wildebeest migration in Kenya’s Masai Mara. We’ve also seen Blue Whales in Sri Lanka as well which was incredible.
These experiences, as we know, isn’t something most people could just up and do anytime so as we’re extremely lucky to have seen what we’ve seen, so we’ve always been a bit sceptical of the zoo thing.
When we were visiting Sunshine Coast recently, we wondered whether to visit Australia Zoo. Knowing it’s one of the main highlights in Sunshine Coast, heck one of the best visits in Australia, we still felt a bit sceptical. So we decided to check it out and we were actually really surprised at how amazing this place is.
Firstly it’s super clean and all of the animals and staff looked happy. The staff are super passionate and completely knowledgeable about everything to do with the animals at the zoo.
As we’re writing this, we’ve just visited a very popular zoo in America and we can confirm Australia Zoo is without a doubt worlds apart. The energy and respect this zoo has for animals is second to none.
Here’s what you need to go and see if you’re visiting Australia Zoo in the rain or only can spare up to 2 hours.
1. Go see the 12pm show at the Crocoseum
If you have just an hour free to go to Australia Zoo, we recommend going to see the 12pm show at the Crocoseum which seats around 5,000 people at one time. Although there are various shows throughout the day, the 12pm show is the main show where you’ll get a real taster of what the zoo is all about.
You’ll get to see the croc show where mini Steve Irwin’s get up close to the crocs in a nail biting show, showcasing not only their capabilities but speed.You’ll also see a mind-blowing bird show. It’s literally like the birds are performers in a way that they are trained to fly to certain points in the small stadium, even pulling out all the stops and doing tricks to various audience members. Sounds a bit wrong, we know, but it’s unbelievably fascinating to watch as the birds show off their skills.
We were blown away by this show especially after we had visited the Maleny Botanic Gardens & Bird World the day before. When we visited the gardens, we were taught a whole new appreciation of birds and wildlife, that it’s so authentic, you absolutely need to go and visit Maleny Botanic Gardens & Bird World.
Australia Zoo and Maleny Botanic Gardens & Bird World are completely different places and we definitely recommend you visit both of them.
At the Maleny Botanic Gardens & Bird World, you get the opportunity to go into the aviary with 700 exotic rescue birds. I doubt you’ll find anywhere else in the world that offers this up to the public. It’s a once in a lifetime experience.
Read about our experience below!
15 Reasons To Visit Maleny Botanic Gardens & Bird World In Sunshine Coast
Maleny Botanic Gardens and Bird World in Sunshine Coast easily made it onto our best botanic gardens in the world…
2. Get a cuddle and photo with a koala
After you’ve visited the Croc Show, we recommend heading over to the koala photo area. If you want to get a proper Aussie photo, this is your opportunity to hold a living koala for a photo opportunity.
Although we wondered whether it was an ethical thing to contribute towards, you could see the koala didn’t look stressed in the slightest. If anything he was enjoying all of the hugs on offer.
3. Go to the animal hospital to see how the animals are being cared for
On the other side of the car park from Australia Zoo, we recommend popping over to the Animal Hospital. This is an opportunity to go and see the other side of the Zoo. I think people forget that it’s not just a fishbowl to go and see loads of different animals in one place, it’s a place for conservation, a place where injured animals are taken care of.
4. Remember what a legend Steve Irwin was
I remember going to Australia Zoo just months before he tragically died back in 2006. I didn’t see him that day I visited, but what we really loved about visiting this time round was that Steve Irwin’s legacy is absolutely present throughout the entire zoo.
Even the zoo is located on the main road into The Glass House Mountains called Steve Irwin Way.
We loved how during the croc show we watched multiple videos of him and although it made us well up a bit, it reminded us of what a true Aussie legend this man was.
So yep, we were sold and we loved Australia Zoo. What an amazing place to visit!
If you’re thinking about going to Australia Zoo, find the best deals here >
Read Australia Zoo reviews and find the best deal on Trip Advisor here >
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Australia Zoo Map
Here’s an Australia Zoo map to prepare you as it’s pretty big to get around.
Australia Zoo opening hours
Australia Zoo is open 9am-5pm everyday.
How much is Australia Zoo?
Australia Zoo costs the following:
$59 for adults
$35 for children
You can find Australia Zoo discount tickets right here >
Accommodation near Australia Zoo
One thing we 100% recommend doing is staying in Glass House Mountains for a good few days as there is loads to do. Click here to read our top 15 things to do in Glass Mountains.
If you’re looking for accommodation options near Australia Zoo, check out these highly rated options below.
If you want to stay near the beach, check out where we stayed with ocean views in Mooloolaba here >
Budget Glass House Mountains accommodation
Jen’s Getaway: Glass House Mountains
$80 for a deluxe room
Find the best deal at stay at Jen’s Getaway here >
Mid Range Glass House Mountains accommodation
Glass House Mountains Eco Lodge
$100 for a room
$260 to stay in the church pictured above like we did
Find the best deal to stay at Glass House Mountains Eco Lodge here >
High End Glass House Mountains accommodation
Spicers Tamarind Retreat Maleny
$499 for a one bed luxury villa
Find the best deal to stay at Spicers Tamarind Retreat here >
To search for the best hotels and deals in Glass House Mountains, click here >
A big thanks to Visit Sunshine Coast for hosting us on this trip so we could bring you this content.
Australia Zoo
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