Australia Zoo has been made internationally famous by the charismatic Steve Irwin and,  if you are an animal lover, a visit to Australia just wouldn’t be the same without a trip to this national treasure.

It was a rainy day when we visited so the zoo was a bit quieter which was great for getting front row seats at all of the talks throughout the day. The zoo has lots of grassed areas where you are encouraged to bring a picnic and while away a few hours listening to the animals chatter. Bear in mind that if the weather is good, the zoo will be very busy.

An adult ticket for the day cost A$59 and there is also a two day ticket for A$87. If you have time for a two day visit then this saving of A$31 is a great deal. When buying your ticket, you will be given a map of the zoo. You can also download a pdf of the zoo map and there is an App on the Australia Zoo website. The zoo is open from 9am to 5pm and only closed on Christmas Day.

The zoo is split up into different sections with themed areas such as the African Savannah where rhinoceros, giraffes and zebras roam in the same enclosure, the Tiger Temple and the Crocoseum where you can watch a great show at 12pm.

We spent about 6 hours at Australia Zoo and made it to 4 talks and watched the Australia Zoo Wildlife Warriors show at the Crocoseum. All the details of each talk is on the back of the map you are given on entry and this info is also available on the zoo’s website if you want to plan your day in advance.

Australia Zoo is the most interactive zoo I have been to and it was amazing to see birds of prey sitting on a zookeepers arm less than a metre from you, only to turn around and see another zookeeper walking a wombat. Yup. Walking a wombat. You could even give the wombat a little scratch on the rump! There are also a few enclosures that you walk into where you can feed kangaroos and wallabies.

Some unexpected highlights for me were the bird display at the Australia Zoo Wildlife Warriors show at the Crocoseum where birds fly about from all directions in amongst the crowds and learning about Hunter the tiger and his amazing story at the Tiger Temple.