Hello and welcome to Bonjour Quilts, where you are about to read a blog post that has nothing to do with quilting. Very off brand, but hey, it’s my blog and I can post what I want to! But seriously, I do enjoy seeing the sights on other quilters’ blogs (especially in countries other than Australia) so I thought I’d do my bit for Australia tourism.
During the school holidays here in September I was looking for something to do with the kids, our youngest (13 years old) in particular. The 13 year old is having a snake phase at the moment, so he was very keen to head to a zoo and see them in real life. Turns out our nearest zoo is none other than Australia Zoo, in Beerwah on the Sunshine Coast.
Australia Zoo is probably best known for being the home of Steve Irwin, the ‘Crocodile Hunter’ who poured his heart and soul into making it the venue that it is today.
Steve was larger than life, and he had a dream to help conserve natural habitats and animals in Australia (and the world). And not just the cute and fluffy ones, but the ones with venom and big teeth, too. Because food chains can’t be healthy when any of the links are on the brink of extinction.
Some zoos, well I’m just going to say it, are depressing. Particularly zoos that aren’t well funded or well run. Australia Zoo is a joy to visit. It’s obviously well run, well maintained and the people who work there do amazing and meaningful work.
The zoo is BIG! There is plenty of land where they’re located and the enclosures are all really roomy. (I commented to my 18 yr old daughter how large/nice the wombat enclosure was and she said she would be happy to spend the day in there!) They’re all really well landscaped, with native plants, rocks, sand, water features and the like. I don’t know if animals pick up on fengshui, but if so, their health and wealth is assured. The lemurs have a whole island to themselves to roam around on (see below)!
I know some people oppose zoos, and I understand why. We could argue back and forth about how happy an elephant in captivity really is. (The elephants have a delightful enclosure and a comfy life *but* elephants can’t become their best selves without the hardships they experience in the wild *but* they have a beautiful balinese water hole and lots of good food *but* they miss out on living in a herd.) So many valid points, and I’m not sure there’s one answer.
However, I know these animals have it pretty good, and their being in the zoo is raising a ton of awareness (and money) for the conservation of their brothers and sisters in the wild. That’s one of the reasons I really enjoyed our Australia Zoo visit – the intent to educate the public on these animals, their habitat and conservation is everywhere you look.
Terri Irwin (Steve’s widow), and Steve’s two kids, daughter Bindi and son Robert, are doing a fantastic job of carrying on Steve’s conservation legacy. Bindi and Robert are adults now (Bindi’s married and has a sweet little 3 year old), and part of the charm of Australia Zoo is that it’s a family affair. And not just in the marketing (which they do so well) – they literally hand feed crocodiles together. But more on that excitement in a minute!
The Snakes at Australia Zoo
Okay, friends, this is what we came for. Well, what my 13 year old came for. I will say that I am not a big fan of snakes. They are scary and living in Australia you have to be aware of them (apparently we have 21 of the 25 most venomous snakes here).
Generally though, they will leave you alone if you do the same; they’re not usually aggressive unless provoked. Just give them a wide berth.
The reptile enclosure at Australia Zoo holds some great snake specimens, from Australia and abroad. When you can look at them safely, and put out of your mind that they can kill you, they are quite beautiful. The scales have wonderful colours and patterns, and can give quilters some good neutral palette ideas.
In these photos most of the snakes are asleep. My son informs me that snakes don’t have eyelids so the way you know they’re asleep is when their tongues aren’t flicking. And the flicking tongues are actually how they smell, as they don’t have nostrils.
They also don’t see terribly well, so they use their bottom jaw and their bellies to feel vibrations to hunt prey (or run away from loping humans). Is it strange that knowing all these things about snakes makes me a little more appreciative of them?
A couple of other good things about snakes: they eat rats and mice that might otherwise spread disease. And there are actually some non-venomous snakes that eat venomous snakes, so it’s happy days if you see them around.
This is Alimah, an albino Burmese Python who is pretty special. He’s yellow and he’s huge. At 4.6m (15ft) long it takes about 5 people to hold him up (he’s 62 kgs/136 lbs). Impressive!
A Snake Encounter at Australia Zoo
The love affair with snakes culminated in a Snake Encounter at Australia Zoo – you can pay to hold a snake and have a photo taken with it. The snake was Ollie, the Olive Python, and she was roughly 2m (6ft) long. Her scales were cool, but not cold, and very smooth. You could feel the strength in her muscles, it was quite impressive and a little sobering. She was calm and curious and quite sweet, and I enjoyed holding her. Never thought I’d say that about a snake!
I was asked if I wanted to hold the back or the front end of the snake. The worst-case scenarios for each end didn’t fill me with delight. But the snake handler said that Ollie had eaten 2 weeks ago (very normal for snakes to have one big meal that sustains them for weeks) so she wouldn’t be looking to eat me. Also, she’d already had her (one would assume big) poop for the month so I was safe there too. I’m not sure if a bite or a poop would’ve been more traumatic, but I’m glad there was little chance of either!
Other Inhabitants of the Reptile Enclosure
As well as the snakes, there were some other critters at the Australia Zoo reptile enclosure. Hands down my favourite were the Poison Dart Frogs. They’re tiny with the most stunning bright colours. As the bright colours (and the name) suggests, their skin is very poisonous.
Some other interesting reptiles:
This next fellow is very clever – his butt looks the same as his head. He puts his backside in all the dangerous places, and if something bites him, he can rear his head around and spit out some poison. (That’s his head on the right hand side.)
The Crocodile Show
Throughout the day there are several very informative demonstrations for some of the animals (and feeding sessions too). You can see the meercats, otters and tigers get fed (and more). And there are excellent up-close displays by handlers of reptiles, birds of prey and tortoises, to name a few.
If you do go to Australia Zoo, don’t miss the Crocodile Show held every day just after 1pm in the Crocoseum. This show has demonstrations of flying birds and other Australian wildlife, finishing with an excellent crocodile ‘performance’.
Back in the day Steve would do this show, but now his family carry it on. We were very lucky on the day we attended that the whole family was there (Terri, Rob, Bindi and Bindi’s husband, Chandler).
Different crocs perform on different days. We had Murray- an older gentlecroc who I believe was actually caught and brought to the Zoo by Steve back in the day. Murray was big and heavy and frankly terrifying. Seeing him glide though the water with such speed and barely a ripple makes your stomach turn. They are truly modern day dinosaurs and should never be underestimated.
Like most of the big boys at Australia Zoo, Murray would be dead if it weren’t for Australia Zoo giving him a home. When large crocs start to impinge on populated areas, they are normally destroyed. Australia Zoo is another option, one that lets the animals live well and also contribute to education and the conservation of their species.
First up we had Terri (who turned 60 this year!!) showing us Murray on dry land. When I’m 60 I hope I’m capable of hand feeding enormous saltwater crocs.
Then Bindi demonstrated why you never want to hang over the water either. Murray did an impressive jump, lifting his torso out of the water to take a lump of meat.
And then he did it again for a tasty, fat, dead rat. Yummo.
The finale was Robert giving Murray a pig leg on a rope, which they had a bit of a tug-of-war over. This is good exercise for Murray and simulates what he would do in the wild with live prey. Murray then did 3 impressive death rolls in the water. It looked amazing but also makes you want to throw up when you think too much about it. Because Murray was such a good boy he got to gulp that pig leg down at the end.
As well as finding out all sorts of interesting facts about crocodiles and their behaviours, we also got some good travel tips. If you’re ever in crocodile country (northern parts of Australia), never go in the water, or even walk on the bank. Crocs can hang out underwater for 8 hours without a breath. So there’s no telling how many could be under the surface just waiting for you, you tasty snack!
Always stay a good 5m (15ft) from the water’s edge and you’ll be much safer. The crocs are quite cumbersome on land, so they don’t like to pull their entire body out of the water. They will not hesitate to lunge out and ruin your day if you’re on or overhanging the bank though. Good to know!!
The Crocoseum show is fantastic, so don’t miss it. You’ll absolutely learn something and come away with more respect and wonder for the natural world around us.
Alright, after all those scales and teeth, let’s move on to something furry and snuggly. But also with teeth…
Here There be Tigers
The tigers were gorgeous, and have many different enclosures that they move between to keep them stimulated. Only a few of the enclosures are viewable by visitors. This means they get plenty of relaxing time away from people, too.
Look at these huge paws!
I asked about the white spots on the back of the ears. Apparently all tigers have them (this is a Sumatran Tiger). One theory is that they look like eyes, so that they can appear to be seeing behind them.
The other theory (that I love) is the dots on the ears are easily seen above the grass by baby tigers. That way they know how to follow their mamas through tall foliage and not get lost. Awww.
What a handsome boy. These tigers participate in a worldwide breeding program to help conserve their numbers. The Zoo also cares for a blind tiger, and he’s living a much better, longer life than if he were in the wild.
Some Australian Specialties
You’ll only find these little beauties in the wild here in Australia. First up, a Tasmanian Devil, which is honestly just a little weirdo. But these weirdos have the most powerful bite to body weight in a mammal. So whatever you do, don’t put your hands anywhere near them! They will chomp down their meals, bones and all.
The kangaroos and wallabies are a much better option for pats:
Koalas at Australia Zoo
They have plenty of koalas at Australia Zoo. The Zoo has an associated Wildlife Rescue hospital for native animals, and there are a lot of koalas that get hit by cars unfortunately. At any one time in the hospital there are about 100 koalas recovering from injuries. Before their release they get to hang out in the koala enclosures and recuperate.
Australia Zoo also has a koala nursery enclosure, and it was amazing. A bunch of koala mamas and their joeys (baby koalas) at various stages of development. You can just see a little joey nose poking out from between the two females in the photo above.
This more developed joey charmed us all as it climbed off its mother’s back and practiced some of its new skills.
It practiced wedging its butt in the forks of branches:
So it could grab some juicy gum leaves to chew on:
It also practiced climbing up trunks:
And jumping from branch to branch (we were all holding our breath as it did this, nervous it might fall).
But the little one seemed to have it all under control, and when it grew tired it climbed back onto mum’s back.
A few random photos and thoughts to finish
Obviously, we had a great day. If you like zoos, then Australia Zoo won’t disappoint. It’s a great day out for kids and adults alike. And you’ll learn something new no matter how much of a smarty-pants you are. If you’re local, then the annual pass is a great option. I should also say this is not a sponsored post, we just had a great visit and thought you might enjoy it too if you get the chance to come to Queensland, Australia.
And if you’ve ever wanted to hold a snake, the Australia Zoo is where it’s at!
Hope you enjoyed this wander through a little part of Queensland, Australia. We’re lucky to live here and I hope you get the chance to visit one day.
And if you enjoyed this post, you’ll also love my review of the 2 weeks we spent in Tasmania. I can’t believe that was 5 years ago now!
Kirsty x
I love the zoo. There are animals you would never get the chance to see normally . The zoo is amazing and so were your pictures . I loved having you as a tour guide. It was very informative . Thank you for taking us with you
Thank you for dropping by the blog, Renée, I’m so glad you enjoyed the photo tour.
I have not been to a zoo since forever. Great photos! The koalas are just so cute! Great to see Steve Irwin and his family, too.
It’s a great day out, Danette, hope you get the chance to visit a zoo soon!
thanks so much for the tour and the pictures – even the “creepy” animals are fascinating and beautiful in their own way. Nature really is amazing. I follow all the Irwins on Instagram and know that Steve would be so proud of his two kids and his sweet little granddaughter. How fun they were all there the day you were :)
I think Steve would be super proud, too. The Zoo is fantastic and it really carries on his ideals of education and conservation.
Great tour of Australia Zoo, Kirsty. Thank you. Even though I live in Queensland have never visited the zoo. Enjoyed the practical information you provided, especially about crocs. Have to admit I scrolled past the snake section.
It would be a bit of a hike to visit for you, Cheryl. But then you could probably find some of the residents hanging around waterways in your local area! None of those croc tips would be news to you, I bet!
Hi, Visited theZoo a few years before Steve passed, great Zoo at that time, lots to see. Nice to hear that the Irwin family is carrying on with Steve’s dream.
His family have really done him proud.
wow, your zoo looks amazing! i live in st louis, missouri, usa. we are very fortunate to have a wonderful zoo also. (yup, been to some really sad zoos too). ours is free so we spent many days there when our kids were small. am looking forward to visiting during holiday season when they light up the zoo for evening visits (a very popular fundraiser event)
Oh, that sounds wonderful – holiday lights at the zoo. I’d love to see that too. I agree zoos are an amazing day out with little kids. Lots of time outside, learning about animals, lots of walking. And they are exhausted when they get home so good naps!
Great pictures, thanks for the tour. I hurried by the snakes but spent time looking at the cat, the zebra and the giraffe.
I hear you – the snakes are an acquired taste…not for everyone. The less slithery animals certainly were lovely to look at.
Great pictures!!
Thank you!
Too many snake pictures. But as you said, your blog.
They’re not for everyone, that’s for sure! The funniest thing is that as I was writing that post, we had our first ever snake at this house. It was a small carpet python (harmless) and it went up over the fence into the neighbour’s yard. It seemed like a sign….
Thank you for taking us on this wonderful tour! I too have a zoo photo with a snake, but without the cheery smile :-)
Ha, yes I understand. A fair bit of my smile was nerves! The things we do for our kids :)
Thank you for sharing your beautiful zoo! You also gave so much fascinating information on the animals, facts that I didn’t know. I have a new appreciation for these beautiful animals.
We all learned a lot – they have information boards at each enclosure that tell you so much about each animal. The world is a pretty amazing place!
Thanks so much for the tour! I always enjoy your blogs!
Thanks Susan!
Love the photos!! You must have one heck of a fantastic camera. The info on the snakes & on the Irwins was great. Thanks for sharing with us.
So glad you enjoyed it, Patricia. I did take the ‘big camera’ out for that day, it’s a pain to lug around but it sure does give a nice photo :)