A 12-minute ferry ride from Circular Quay, Taronga Zoo has 75 hectares of bushy harbour hillside full of kangaroos, koalas and similarly hirsute Australians, and imported guests. The zoo’s 4000 critters have million-dollar harbour views, but seem blissfully unaware of the privilege.
Highlights include the nocturnal platypus habitat, the Great Southern Oceans section and the Asian elephant display. Feedings and encounters happen throughout the day, while in summer, twilight concerts jazz things up.
Tours include Nura Diya , where Indigenous guides introduce you to native animals and share Dreaming stories about them, giving an insight into traditional Aboriginal life; advance bookings essential. Roar & Snore is an overnight family experience that includes a night-time safari, a buffet dinner, breakfast and tents under the stars.
Catching the ferry is part of the fun, and given that parking is expensive (per day $17), it's well worth considering. From the wharf, the Sky Safari cable car or a bus will whisk you to the main entrance, from which you can traverse the zoo downhill back to the ferry. A Zoo Pass (adult/child/family $53/27/148) from Circular Quay includes return ferry rides, the bus or cable-car ride to the top and zoo admission. Disabled access is good, even when arriving by ferry.
