australia zoo tour

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Open Daily 9.00am - 5.00pm

Bedtime for some of our animals is 4:30pm.

Back of House Tour

Embark on an exclusive behind-the-scenes journey that takes wild to a whole new level! Join us for a thrilling adventure where you'll witness our incredible animals including giraffes, rhinos and cheetahs! This is more than just a tour - it's an immersive journey into the heart of wildlife conservation. Join us for a day of awe and discovery that you'll remember for a lifetime!

Hire a Caddie Tour

Our passionate and knowledgeable tour guides will be your chauffer, taking you on a customised journey around our world-class 110-acre facility!

Platinum Zoo Adventure

Enjoy a full day of VIP treatment on the action-packed Platinum Zoo Adventure! This tour is the perfect day out for a true wildlife enthusiast. Crikey!

Sneak Peek at Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital

Stop in and enjoy a self-guided tour at our amazing Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital for a sneak peek! See some of our incredible vets and nurses at work from behind the glass at our dedicated viewing area.

Wildlife Hospital Tour

Visit one of the busiest wildlife hospitals on the planet! Watch our world-class vet team work to rehabilitate sick, injured and orphaned native wildlife.

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Australia Zoo

Top ways to experience Australia Zoo and nearby attractions

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Australia Zoo - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

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Australia Zoo

Crikey [krahy-kee]: interjection; an Australian exclamation of surprise or bewilderment. Made famous by our late champion crocodile hunter, Steve Irwin, the founder of Australia Zoo. And the perfect word to describe the buzzing excitement and magic of Australia Zoo!

Located in the beautiful Sunshine Coast lies Australia Zoo, a national Australian icon brimming with beautiful wildlife that are nurtured by a team of devoted conservationists working passionately to deliver the ultimate animal experience. Its vast growth and development is reflected in its journey from the mere 2-acre wide ‘Beerwah Reptile and Fauna Park’ in 1970 by Lyn and Robert Irwin (Steve’s parents), expanding to the 4-acre wide ‘Queensland Reptile and Fauna Park’, to the now phenomenal 1500-acre wide ‘Australia Zoo’ run by the Irwin family (the late Steve Irwin, Terri Irwin, and their two children Bindi and Robert). Their philosophy that the ‘zoo animals come first, zoo team come second, and zoo visitors come third’ is reflected in over 100 different species of animals living together harmoniously in the zoo.

Brandon and I were spoilt with the Australia Zoo VIP package, including a special tour of the Australian Wildlife hospital, personal photo encounters with Giraffes and Koalas, watching the Wildlife Warriors show at the Crocoseum, a personal tour guide, goodie bag & the whole day to soak up the rich wildlife.

Our day started off meeting our lovely tour guide Gaynor at the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital, a dedicated wildlife hospital and rehabilitation centre separate from the main zoo. Its mission to rescue, rehabilitate and release sick, injured, orphaned or displaced native wildlife is truly reflective in the whopping 76,963 animal patients admitted and nursed there since its establishment in 2004. Coming from a medical background, Brandon and I were astounded by the similarities of the wildlife hospital to human hospitals – there was a triage bay, operating table, x-ray and pathology labs, little wards, patient charts! Looking at the equipment resonated with that scene from Zoolander where his model building looks like a ‘centre for ants’ – the tiny ETT tubes, cannulas and bandages were so miniature! But hands down the highlight of the visit was meeting a local wildlife carer ‘Bev’ and her 4 teeny tiny wallaby joeys aged between 6wks to 1.5yrs whom were coming in for a local check-up – even Gaynor shed a quiet tear over the innocent little joeys! Any visitor can check out the Wildlife Hospital for a small $2 donation – a must see for anyone interested in the conservation and care of wildlife.

We eventually parted ways with the beautiful wildlife hospital and continued our journey into the main zoo! The zoo is split up into 5 regions according to the shuttle bus stops – station 1 (Reptiles), station 2 (Crocoseum), station 3 (Wetlands/ Roo Heaven), station 4 (South East Asia) and station 5 (Africa) – which visits stops every 20min and is highly recommended unless you’re a 10,000 steps per day fanatic! We rode the shuttle from stop 1 to 5 on arrival to “Africa” for our first animal feeding encounter with the giraffes. Most striking thing was how excessively long and strong giraffes’ tongues are – my two handed grip on some tree branches and carrots was no match for that feisty tongue!

Visitors can choose from a whole range of animal encounters – meerkats, lemurs, cheetahs, red panda or tigers to name a few! Roaming around Africa, we also stumbled upon zebras, rhinos and my absolute favourite animal ‘meerkats’ – their stoic hindleg posture and teeny paws sends me into a meltdown! Another huge attraction is Bindi’s island, a tropical paradise with its main attraction being a three-storey treehouse overlooking ring-tailed lemurs (who like to ‘move it move it’!).

Moving onwards to ‘South-East Asia’, you’ll find the main Tiger enclosure attraction featuring some very talented and friendly tigers, as well as the exotic red panda in its own separate enclosure. In the midst of the zoo at station 3 lies ‘Roo Heaven’, an open range enclosure for Red and Grey kangaroos that gives visitors a rare opportunity to pat and feed the roos – just purchase some roo food for $3! Around this area also lies the Wetlands, containing some weird and wonderful bird life.

The main attraction of the zoo is the Crocoseum, which features their famous 12pm ‘Wildlife warriors show’ hosted by the wonderful Terri, Bindi and Robert Irwin on this special occasion. It offers a unique, educational and interactive experience with the Australia zoo wildlife, including their notorious crocodiles that exhibit their ferocity and calculated killing strategy during the show. Just a little warning if you have any aversion to birds to brace yourself during the show too! Also around the Crocoseum is the photo lab that gives you a unique opportunity for posed photographs with a koala, snake, bird or alligator. Your final destination at station 1 ‘Reptiles’ has an extensive array of wonderful reptile, including the Irwin favourite ‘crocodile’.

Australia Zoo is a must-see for any animal lover, not only to see the wonderful wildlife, but also to support the ongoing efforts of their devoted zoo conservationists who continue to uphold Steve Irwin’s legacy!

What: Australia Zoo

When: 364 days per year (open daily 9:00am – 5:00pm)

Where: 1638 Steve Irwin Way, Beerwah, QLD, 4519

Contact: 5436 2000, https://www.australiazoo.com.au

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The Zoo, one of Australia's most revered live music venues, to close down in July

Brisbane's The Zoo, one of Australia's most revered live music venues, will close its doors this July.

The 500-capacity venue, which opened in 1992, is one of the longest standing live music spaces in Brisbane's entertainment hub Fortitude Valley.

Over its 32 years it has played host to thousands of the biggest artists from Australia and beyond, with everyone from Powderfinger to Pixies gracing its stage.

In a statement posted to social media this morning, the venue said that it would close as it is no longer financially viable.

"Sadly, the financial reality of keeping music venues afloat in 2024 is all too stark," the statement reads.

"The Zoo reached its highest ticket sales in its 32-year history last year, yet this was still not enough to combat rising operational costs and decreasing returns."

Venue operators say they have been unable to find the support required to keep the venue afloat. 

"The hard truth is that we've been running at a loss for over three years," the statement continues.

"Despite exploring every avenue available to us, we could not secure the level of support needed to surmount the continued financial strain.

"We have no choice but to call last drinks for both of our beloved music venues."

The owner of the venue also runs Stranded Bar, a cocktail bar and 250-capacity venue next door, which will close from Monday. 

The Zoo was the brainchild of young Brisbane women Joc Curran and C Smith. Curran ran the venue until 2016. Current owner Shane Chidgzey took over the venue in 2020.

Attending a gig at The Zoo has been a rite of passage for just about every music fan in Brisbane over the past three decades, and scoring a spot on its stage is a boon for local and touring bands alike. 

The news of the venue's closure has prompted an outpouring of sadness from both fans and artists.

"I have had so many amazing nights watching my favourite bands at The Zoo and have played one my favourite shows to date there," Brisbane artist Tia Gostelow wrote on social media.

"I'm so sorry to hear this. The Zoo is so important to the scene," wrote Megan Washington.

In a 2023 report, venue owners around the country told the ABC that small- to medium-sized venues were facing a crisis.

Increased operating costs, the rising cost of living, an influx of high-profile and high-cost international tours, and a cultural shift that has seen young audiences spending less money over the bar have made staying financially viable more challenging than ever. 

The Zoo will close its doors for good on Monday July 8. Those holding tickets for concerts after that date will hear from the venue or concert promoters soon.

Read the venue's full statement below:

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