By Crikey! Australia Zoo

An August 2005 trip to Queensland by dolphoto

The Crocodile Hunters Crocs Photo - Australia Zoo: Home of the Crocodile Hunter,

Quote: Steve Irwin's Australia Zoo is a magical place with great animal encounters around every corner. Be sure to take advantage of all it offers.

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Australia Zoo: Home of the Crocodile Hunter

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Attraction | "Australia Zoo"

Quote:

Steve Irwin has become the iconic Aussie wild man. Love him or hate him, don't let your feelings interfere with enjoying Australia Zoo. This is a very special place that offers some one-of-a-kind experiences. About an hour north of Brisbane, this is a very easy day trip. It also makes a great stop on the way from Brisbane to more northern parts of Queensland.

From the moment you arrive, you know this is no ordinary zoo. Before paying a penny, there is one of the workers who appears on the show, posing with a camel and visitors. Close-up encounters are possible throughout the day. Keep your eyes open as you never know when someone might walk by holding a Tasmanian devil!

There are two major shows done in the "Crocoseum" during the day. One is the mandatory crocodile show. Not being a reptile fan, I skipped that one. The other is a fabulous free-flight show. Unlike some shows where birds just fly from point to point, the macaws in this show flew all around the stadium.

The shows are only the start. Exhibits are spacious, and the animals appear quite at home. Other than platypus, all the major species seemed to be there. One special place is the main koala enclosure near the back of the zoo. It was the only place in Australia (other than something special coming up) where I saw joeys with their moms. Nothing quite as photogenic. There is a large area where one may feed kangaroos. If the kangaroos are hungry, that is. They weren't on my visit.

Upstairs behind the Crocoseum is a full food court. The array of choices is dazzling and the quality exceeds that of most tourist attractions. The area is spacious with plenty of room to find the spot that's right for you.

What many visitors unfortunately miss are the behind the scenes tours. There are several options and they are very reasonably priced. I chose the Australian Wildlife Hospital tour and was thrilled that I did. Since nobody else signed up, I had the place and my guide all to myself. Injured animals from a wide area end up at the hospital. When I got there, a kangaroo was having an ultrasound. The guide introduced me to several of the residents, long-term and temporary. The highlight of the tour, however, were the koalas, especially the babies. Having just seen the babies in the park, I felt jaded. That was until I saw one little baby peeking out of the pouch for the first time. Too young to have all its fur yet, it barely looked like a koala. Being the only guest, there was no rush and I was allowed to take all the pictures I wanted, nice and close up.

Other special animal encounters include tigers, cheetahs, dingos, tortoises, possums, and wombats. I only wish I had time to do more of them. Read Less

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on May 28, 2006

Australia Zoo: Home of the Crocodile Hunter
Glasshouse Mountains Tourist Route
Queensland, Australia