Sydney is packed with family attractions, and there are a number of animal and marine life attractions in and around the city that you can visit during your stay. Here are details of just five of them:
1. Taronga Zoo (Bradley’s Head Road, Mosman, Sydney)
Taronga Zoo is only a 12-minute ferry ride from Sydney’s Circular Quay, and is a great place to visit for a day. It’s home to animals native to Australia, Antartica, Africa, Asia, South America and North America, and there are many exhibits to see. The zoo’s residents include Tasmanian Devils, koalas, penguins, seals, lions, chimpanzees, meerkats, elephants, leopards and bears.
There are two excellent shows that you can watch: the Energy Australia Seal Show and the QBE Free Flight Bird Show. There are also talks by zoo keepers and opportunities to have your photo taken with various animals throughout the day. There are a number of food outlets within the zoo, and you can buy souvenirs in the five zoo shops.
Image: Brian Gieson
2. Sydney Wildlife World (Aquarium Pier, Darling Harbour, Sydney)
Sydney Wildlife World is situated in Darling Harbour, in the centre of the city, and is only about 5 minutes’ walk away from Sydney’s Central Business District. It’s home to more than 130 species of Australian animal and is divided into a number of exhibits representing different habitats.
In Kakadu Gorge, for example, you’ll find Rex, a 5 metre long saltwater crocodile, and you can even watch him being fed. You can also see Red Kangaroos in the Semi-Arid Habitat, wombats and wallabies in the Wallaby Cliffs Habitat, and possums, ghost bats and bilbies in the Nocturnal Habitat. You can even pay a little extra and have your photo taken with a koala at Koala Rooftop.
You can stop off for a meal or snack at the Lizard Lounge bar and cafe, and buy souvenirs at the Wildlife Gift Shop.
3. Sydney Aquarium (Aquarium Pier, Darling Harbour, Sydney).
Sydney Aquarium is situated next to Sydney Wildlife World, in the Darling Harbour area of the city. Its exhibits are divided into six sections: Shark HQ; Southern Rivers; Northern Rivers; Southern Oceans; Northern Oceans; and Mermaid Lagoon.
Shark HQ is the aquarium’s most recent exhibit and its highlights include a shark hatchery, talks by shark experts, shark tunnels and the largest animatronic Great White Shark in the world. In the Southern Rivers section of the aquarium, you can see freshwater fish, water dragons, yabbies and platypus, whilst the Northern Rivers section is home to barramundi, lungfish and saratoga.
The Southern Oceans section of the aquarium is home to fairy penguins, sea dragons and pineapple fish, and also contains an open aquarium, where you can see sharks, stingrays and fish.
The Northern Oceans area of the aquarium contains the Great Barrier Reef exhibit, in which you’ll find angelfish, anemones, triggerfish and many other species, whilst Mermaid Lagoon is home to Pig and Wuru, the aquarium’s dugongs (or sea cows).
You can listen also listen to talks by experts, take a trip on a glass-bottomed boat, stop off for a bite to eat at the aquarium’s cafe and buy souvenirs in its two gift shops.
4. Koala Park Sanctuary (84 Castle Hill Road, West Pennant Hills, NSW)
The Koala Park Sanctuary was established during the 1920s in order to provide a safe place for koalas to live at a time when they were being hunted for their fur. It’s situated about 30 minutes’ drive from Sydney’s Central Business District.
The Koala Park Sanctuary covers 10 acres of rainforest and eucalyptus groves and is home to a range of animals and birds, including emus, kangaroos, wombats, dingoes, echidnas and lorikeets, as well as koalas.
You can cuddle a koala and have your photo taken with it, watch the koalas being fed, and see presentations about the different animals. There is also a cafe and gift shop.
5. Featherdale Wildlife Park (217 – 229 Kildare Road, Doonside, NSW)
Featherdale Wildlife Park is situated in Doonside, about 45 minutes’ drive from the centre of Sydney, and claims to be home to the largest collection of Australian native animals in the world. The park attracts more than 300,000 visitors each year.
Highlights include Ngukurr, the park’s 4.5 metre long saltwater crocodile; opportunities to have your photo taken with a koala; and the chance to watch pelicans, flying foxes and Tasmanian Devils being fed.
Many different airlines operate flights to Sydney from London and other major international airports, and you’ll find a wide range of hotels within the city.
Tags: Australia, Featherdale Wildlife Park, Koala Park Sanctuary, Sydney, Sydney Aquarium, Sydney Wildlife World, Taronga Zoo
