South East Queensland has alot of big name attractions that advertise with alot of hype. Perhaps the most advertised of all is Australia Zoo. We visited Australia Zoo with very high expectations and, as a whole, it delivered.
One thing you need to realise before going to Australia Zoo is that it’s aimed squarely at children. While there is no doubt that the parents and older children enjoy the day, it is the smaller kids that enjoy the shows the most. From the moment we enterred the gate until the time we left, my pre-teen children were buzzing with excitement. As it turns out I took more photos of my excited children than I did of the park. Having said all of that, I have to confess to several belly laughs in the Crocoseum show.
While certainly not cheap, Australia Zoo is not bad value for money. Getting a family of eight (including grandparents) into the park cost us just under three hundred dollars. While that certainly doesn’t make it the cheapest zoo in the country, the thing that sets Australia Zoo apart from the rest is the interactivity. The kids (even us big kids) got to touch alot of animals, including very tame kangaroos and baby crocs. There are displays and talks at most of the animal enclosures and the Crocoseum shows are fantastic. One pleasantly unique feature among Queensland attractions is that you are welcome to bring a packed lunch. Alot of the Gold Coast based theme parks now prohibit the consumption of food not purchased at the facility, and that can almost double the cost of the entire day.
You cannot go to Australia Zoo and watch the Irwin family go through their paces without thinking about Steve. Terri, Bindi, Robert and the staff at Australia Zoo have done a magnificent job to keep the place thriving in his absense and to go on too much about Steve would be unfair to them. I can only hope they have been able to slowly recover from the loss of their Husband, Father and friend as well as the Zoo has.
All in all it was an almost perfect way to spend the day as a family. The kids had a great time and learned alot too. The only downside was that I was sore after all the walking!
For more information visit their website here.
