Australia Zoo - Home of the Crocodile Hunter

This morning we were on the road by 9am on our way to Australia Zoo, which is about an hour north of Brisbane.  It was one of my only bucket list items for the johnstonstouraus and I wasn’t disappointed!   It really is a zoo like no other!

There’s plenty of animals to see, as you would expect, but I was simply amazed by the breathtaking beauty of the place!  These very lucky threatened and/or threatening wildlife live amidst a stunning array of native and exotic flora.

We saw all the animals you would expect – crocs, alligators, kangaroos, tortoises, dingoes, wombats, rhinos, giraffes, zebra, devils, snakes, lizards and loads of birds.  My own personal favourites were the Aldabran Tortoise and the Rhinoceros Iguana.

At midday we headed for the world famous Crocoseum to watch the Wildlife Warriors show.  The Crocoseum is the fulfilment of one of Steve Irwin's lifelong dreams.  He wanted to provide the visitors to Australia Zoo with the opportunity to see crocodiles in clear water ponds. This idea was to help educate the public by showing them how crocodiles live and behave in the wild.

We were taken on a jaw snapping adventure with Mossman the saltwater crocodile.  At almost 13 feet in length he is a very impressive croc.  He weighs in at 500 kgs and has three thousand pounds per square inch jaw pressure – Crikey! 

The show was exciting and informative and another great reminder not to hang out in or over the water or at the water’s edge in croc territory.

This was followed by the most amazing free-flight bird show I have ever seen.  We watched wedge tailed eagles, condors, white tailed red cockatoos, macaws, rainbow lorikeets and more soaring close above our heads, one even stealing a $5 note from an unsuspecting person in the audience.

At the Koalas Live show we learnt all about the love life of koalas and got to see some cuddly koala mums with their joeys.  I also got to witness a koala in a full gallop – apparently they can get up to a speed of 30 kph!

At the afternoon Croc Show Live we met Agro.  This bloke is awesome; weighing in at over 600kgs and measuring over 15ft long.  In 1988 he was removed from Cattle Creek in north Queensland to protect him from being shot dead by hunters.  He was Steve Irwin’s favourite male croc and lives happily here with the love of his life, Cookie.

Then it was on to the Birds of Prey Live Show.  Here we watched these impressive birds finding, capturing and eating their prey, under the watchful eye of their keepers of course.

The roving wildlife was really cool.  We saw a cheetah, a wombat and a dingo walking on leads.

And had photos taken with snakes, owls, lizards, koalas and kangaroos.

Oh, and of course we had to have the obligatory photo with the Irwins!
 

The Irwins really do eat, sleep and live for wildlife.  They employ over 500 staff who walk them, talk with them, care for them, train them and love them while educating visitors to Australia Zoo about conservation and animal behaviour in the wild.

These animals live in the most picturesque setting I’ve ever seen.  Much of the 100 acres is covered with African, American and Asian palms, lillies and grasses, Australian natives and the most impressive collection of stag horns I have ever seen.  The enclosures are grassed, with clear running water and dappled shade, with tunnels and ponds and plenty of tucker.

We got kicked out when the zoo closed at 5pm.  We didn’t get to see any of the Irwins in person, but it was still an absolutely wonderful day.  My only regret is not arriving earlier.  We could have done and seen much, much more had we had more time!

I have to admit to feeling a little emotional at times, marvelling at the passion and vision of one man, and reflecting on the randomness of life.  May Steve Irwin's family, friends and followers keep his dream alive for many years to come!



We arrived home at Spring Hill well after dark and enjoyed a late BBQ dinner with John and Janine.  A few reds and warm soft beds.