The WILDLIFE of Sydney

The world knows Australia for its diverse and unique species of wildlife. When you visit Sydney, there’s a few places that allow you to see the various marsupials and other animals that call Australia home. If you ask someone what the best zoo is in Sydney, they’ll likely tell you Taronga. I wouldn’t dispute that claim either. However, there’s another place located right in the tourist hub of Sydney’s city that is extremely easy to get to if you don’t have much time. Enter WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo.

Located in the same building in Darling Harbour as its sister attraction, SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium, WILDLIFE Sydney is an indoor zoo that provides a great overview of Australian animal life. If you’re wanting to see the “Big 5” of Australian species – Kangaroos, Koalas, Wombats, Crocodiles and Platypuses – along with hundreds of other species of native animals, a trip to this small zoo is a must add to your Sydney itinerary.

The Basics:

• Where? 1-5 Wheat Road, Sydney NSW 2000
• When? 10.00am – 5.00pm daily (last entry at 4.00pm)
• How much? $35.00 AUD (adult), $24.60 (child) – online prices. Tickets are more expensive at the door.
• How to get here? Darling Harbour is a short walk from Town Hall or Wynyard Stations in the Sydney Central Business District.
• Website: https://www.wildlifesydney.com.au/

Touring WILDLIFE Sydney Zoo

For all the times I had been to the Sydney Aquarium next door, until recently I had never been to WILDLIFE Sydney. I quickly realised I had been missing out. When you arrive at the zoo’s convenient location, you’ll buy your ticket (or already have it online – highly recommended due to the lines at the entrance), then head inside the complex to experience a range of exhibits focusing on different Australian environments and the animals that reside in them. Lets take a look at some of them.

Tropical Adventures

You’ll enter the zoo into the Butterfly Tropics and feel the humidity set in instantly. Its as though you’ve been whisked off the top end of the country. That’s one of the great things about this zoo – because its all indoors, the different exhibits are acclimatised to feel like the environments in which you’d encounter the animals. This first part of the zoo doesn’t feature any of the big players, but you’ll see various forms of tropical reptile life such as frogs, pythons…and of course, lots of butterflies. I think its a nice way to begin your immersion into the zoo as you’ll quickly forgot that you’re right in the middle of the city.

Slumbering Species

As you leave the tropics behind you, you’ll (hopefully) encounter the nearly extinct Tasmanian Devil in the Devil’s Den. The reason I say hopefully is due to the fact that the species is nocturnal so there’s a fairly good chance it will be burrowed away sleeping. It was on my visit anyway. Speaking of sleeping, get ready for the Koalas, because you’ll see them perched up in the trees as you enter Gumtree Valley ahead. If you’re not from Australia, you have to see a live koala when you visit Sydney, so here’s your chance. Later on, you’ll even get the chance to take your photo with a koala for an extra fee.

They’re like kangaroos, but smaller

Moving on through the zoo, you’ll reach one of my favourite sections. The Wallaby Cliffs features plenty of Yellow Footed Rock Wallabies scrambling around their rocky habitat, with massive glass panels allowing a clear view into the spacious exhibit. These smaller relatives of the kangaroo were adorable as they hopped around a large sleeping wombat.

Thats a kicker

Continuing through WILDLIFE Sydney, the next area was the Daintree Rainforest themed exhibit. The star player here is the Cassowary. Beautiful, but deadly is perhaps the best way to describe this giant bird. Of course, its behind glass so there’s no danger here, and it will even take you a bit of time to see it as it wanders around the lush rainforest vegetation on display, but its definitely a sight to see. Why is it so lethal? If provoked or frightened, the massive bird will kick and easily tear up its perceived attacker. Being behind a glass barrier is the only time you’ll want to get this close to a Cassowary, that’s for sure.

Time to go walkabout

Leaving the Queensland rainforest behind, you’ll next head into the Kangaroo Walkabout, named for perhaps Australia’s most iconic native species. As is pretty much the norm in Australian zoos, this section provided the opportunity to leave the air conditioned halls and stroll through the kangaroo environment with the chance to potentially get up and close with Skippy and friends. It was good to see that the animals are well looked after here, as you have to stick to a clearly marked path. This gives the kangaroos an area where they can rest undisturbed by their visitors. There’s also other animals hanging around the area. In fact, I witnessed a very outgoing echidna attempting to make a claim to the kangaroo resting space.

Never smile at a crocodile

After spending some time among the kangaroos, you’ll move on to the Kakadu Gorge. Its here that you’ll come face to face with one of the zoo’s most legendary residents, the huge saltwater crocodile. Being the largest kind of reptile in the world, the crocodile is an impressive sight. Its another one of those species that you definitely wouldn’t want to encounter in the wild, but here at the zoo, you’ll be able to get right up beside it. There’s even a ramp that will take you down below the water tank of its exhibit to a clear overhead dome where you might get a glimpse of the reptilian king beside you.

In the dark

The final section of the zoo takes you into the dark of night. As you wander through the dimly lit Nightfall walk, you’ll be transported under the stars as you come across Australia’s nocturnal species. Among those animals that are more active when the sun sets are the endangered Greater Bilby and various forms of bat life.

There’s also a small section on spiders and other insect life once you leave through to the cafe area nearby, but I found that part of the zoo to be relatively underwhelming. With that said, the rest of WILDLIFE Sydney more than made up for this.

So, should I visit WILDLIFE Sydney Zoo?

I enjoyed my visit to the WILDLIFE Sydney Zoo, especially having walked past the attraction so many times on my visits to Darling Harbour and always wondering what was inside. There are a lot of things this zoo does right. The animals appear well cared for, viewing windows are massive, there’s plenty of large educational signs in each exhibit and the zoo staff run numerous talks throughout the day about each of the animals (check the website for details).

If you’re only in Sydney for a short period of time and want a chance to see some Australian animals, this is the place to go as you won’t need to dedicate more than an hour or so to see everything this place has to offer. Visiting the WILDLIFE Zoo becomes even more attractive if you plan on visiting the other attractions that are part of the multi-attraction pass when purchasing tickets.

If you’ve got a bit more time to spare, I’d recommend a visit to Taronga Zoo across the harbour for your trip to the animal kingdom. Considering that its further away from the rest of Sydney’s attractions though, you’d have to dedicate at least half a day to spend enough time there. I think WILDLIFE Sydney serves its purpose by being a convenient way to focus on the very best of Australia’s unique wildlife for city goers. Make sure you visit if you don’t have time to get out to see Australian species elsewhere. After all, did you even visit Australia if you didn’t see a koala?