Over the past two weeks, we’ve been lucky enough to visit not one but TWO great zoos in Australia. The Australia Zoo in Beerwah QLD and The Western Plains Zoo in Dubbo NSW.
Two zoos separated by 900km and two states, and two zoos that are completely different. My intention was to give a detailed comparison of the two, but after seeing both, I realised that you really can’t compare the two. Where Western Plains Zoo is designed to feel more like a safari, Australia zoo is more hands on with reptile and animal encounters.
So, with that in mind, I couldn’t look at them comparatively because BOTH are just as amazing as each other, but in different ways.
Australia Zoo, QLD.
Australia Zoo encapsulates everything that Steve and Terri Irwin stand for. Both wildlife warriors throughout their lives, these values were embedded in their children, Bindi and Robert as well as everyone that works at the zoo.
When you enter the zoo, the ‘zoo crew’ are set up waiting along the footpaths with reptiles and other animals for you to get up close and personal with. The zoo crew are committed to making your visit memorable and their love for animals shines through as they passionately answer any questions you might have about their animals and reptiles while you pat them. And believe me, they know a lot about them!
Animal Hospital, Australia Zoo.
The zoo has an Africa exhibit filled with rhinos, zebras and giraffes (amongst other animals), as well as a tropical climate at Bindi’s island where she filmed Bindi, the Jungle Girl. Here, you can visit Bindi’s treehouse as well as the boa constrictors, lemurs, parrots, aldabran tortoises and red-eared sliders.
A standout was the animal hospital, which you can pay to go and take a look at. The animals and vets are all behind glass windows, but you can stand and watch them tend to the sick and feed the babies in the incubators and honestly, Avery loved this.
Hot Tip: Don’t go on a 40-degree day unless you hire a cart. The sun reflects on the footpath and whether you’re wearing a hat or not, you still get burnt in the face. Plus, the walk between some of the exhibitions is LONG and after a while the heat is nearly unbearable. Take plenty of water!
Western Plains Zoo, Dubbo NSW.
The Western Plains Zoo on the other hand is much more like a safari. Where you can comfortably walk around at Australia Zoo, your best to either hire a bike or cart, or take your own car around to the Western Plains exhibits in the 5km loop.
While there are some of the same animals in both zoos, the difference is that Australia Zoo has a strong focus on reptiles such as crocodiles, where Western Plains Zoo has a lot of larger, furry animals such as monkeys and lions, as well as less known animals such as the Addax, Blackbuck, Banteng and Tahki.
Amongst the zoo is the Billabong Camp – a campground set up for groups of four or more in permanent tents. They provide dinner and breakfast and you get to listen to the nearby lions roaring during the night. What an experience.
Western Plains Zoo is also set up for you to climb onboard a safari truck and head into the enclosure with the giraffes, white rhinos, Eland and Blackbucks. With the Asian elephants and cheetahs next door, the exhibit feels like you’ve flown to Africa for the day and you’re adventuring in a real-life safari.
A standout is that you can drive your car around the zoo and stop where you like, making the whole experience quite comfortable when you have young kids with you. Plus, there are great parks and rest areas you can stop for lunch at along the way. The café at the start/end of the 5km loop overlooks the spider monkeys and lemurs jumping and swinging through the trees on their own island, only meters away.
Overall, both zoos have their standouts, and both are completely different experiences. Both are educational and fun, but where Western Plains Zoo has larger animals that you can’t touch, Australia Zoo is more about getting up close and personal, so it depends on what kind of experience you’re after.
We loved them both and would recommend getting to each of them at some point with the kids. It’s a great day out, a full-on day that will see your kids climbing into bed happy and exhausted, giving you some time for a much-needed night cap.