Taronga Zoo, Sydney

----Overview----
Taronga Zoo is Sydney's centrally located animal park. It is not to be confused with Taronga Great Western Plains Zoo, which is located far away in Dubbo. These Zoos and the Taronga Conservation Society all come under the Taronga parent organisation, and all three sites can be accessed via http://www.taronga.org.au/. Taronga Zoo boasts the most diverse range of wildlife from around the world in all of Australia, including ...
.../> ----Location----
The name Taronga is an Aboriginal word meaning beautiful view. With the recent introduction of Google Street View in Sydney (and the rest of Australia,) you can judge for yourself why this rings particularly true. Follow this link for an example of the view from the area where Taronga is located. The below link should open the Street view of the Harbour Bridge and the Skyline.

http://snipurl.com/3bjtw
more

----Overview----
Taronga Zoo is Sydney's centrally located animal park. It is not to be confused with Taronga Great Western Plains Zoo, which is located far away in Dubbo. These Zoos and the Taronga Conservation Society all come under the Taronga parent organisation, and all three sites can be accessed via http://www.taronga.org.au/. Taronga Zoo boasts the most diverse range of wildlife from around the world in all of Australia, including a very diverse range of Australia's own famously majestic animals. The Zoo will celebrate its centenary in 2016, only 8 years away at time of writing.

----Location----
The name Taronga is an Aboriginal word meaning beautiful view. With the recent introduction of Google Street View in Sydney (and the rest of Australia,) you can judge for yourself why this rings particularly true. Follow this link for an example of the view from the area where Taronga is located. The below link should open the Street view of the Harbour Bridge and the Skyline.

http://snipurl.com/3bjtw

The zoo is a huge affair that encompasses an entire peninsula on the city's North Shore, east of the Harbour Bridge. Its location is one of the top qualities that make it the best zoo I have ever visited. For starters it is much bigger than other famous zoos such as London Zoo or Bristol Zoo. It is placed on elevated land. Most of your visit is spent facing south as you enter the zoo. This means that above the thick lush vegetation that follows each of the paths that criss-cross the peninsula each visitor is treated to snapshots of the iconic Sydney skyline (you can be staring at a Giraffe and the Sydney Opera House at the same time, as the photo of the product on Ciao shows you!)

The zoo is so expansive that a cable-car has been built in that reaches from the northern entrance all the way to the South-East corner of the park, making a trip to the furthest extent significantly less punishing - you won't have to walk all the way back (uphill!)

----Getting There----
There are 3 main ways to get to Taronga. As it's central the options are all pretty solid, and not too challenging.

-1) The Taronga Zoo ferry-
This is very popular for many tourists and is certainly a more visually exciting way of travel to the zoo. These depart from Wharf 2 - Circular Quay (Sydney Harbour), every half hour on the quarter hour. You can take in the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House while you wait. Passengers debarking at the zoo's Bradley's Head Road, can enter the zoo via a cable car or connect with local State Transit bus services.

There is a combined "ZooLink" ticket covering ferry fares, park entry and cable car ride. This can be bought from the Sydney Ferries site via the following link (15% discount on general admission of an adult:

http://snipurl.com/3bk5x

-2) Buses-
In Sydney's Central Business District (CBD) Bus Stop 247 departs Wynyard Station and goes all the way to Taronga Zoo. If you are arriving in Sydney by train, you will first get to Central Station. After arrival, head to the underground station (you don't even need to leave the station, they are above and below each other.) Take either one of these lines running north:

Bankstown (Orange)
Inner West (Purple)
Airport and East Hills (Green)
Southern Line (Light Blue)
North Shore Line (Yellow)
Northern Line (Red)
Northwest Metro (This is yet to be completed) (Cream)

At Wynyard get the Bus and you're laughing in just 2 steps!

-3)- Car - (Taronga Zoo has LIMITED car space so it's easier and better not to do this. The zoo discourages travel by car. And think of the environment!)

Still - No wasting time here. This link is to a GPS file download.

http://snipurl.com/3bklz

Download it for your specific GPS navigator model (by clicking the appropriate link on the page it leads to) it on your PC. If you have the appropriate data card reader on your PC, load it up into the SatNav of your choice, press go and it will navigate you to the door of Taronga Zoo.

Or - more traditionally: head over the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Take the turn off to Mosman, and simply follow the signs!

All other possible routes to the zoo are listed on Taronga's own site (link here: http://snipurl.com/3bkut)

--What to take--

-1)Camera-
You cannot take enough pictures. Taronga has gone out of its way to provide enclosures without the traditional zoo cliche: bars! this means that, especially for the tiger and lion enclosures (more below on these) you can get some really amazing shots that don't look like they were taken in the zoo.

-2) Water and other refreshments-
Even though the zoo has an extensive amount of outlets, (ice cream stand near the entrance, a huge cafe near the elephant enclosure, including very tasty Thai food and Mexican food etc etc) it's best to bring your own water and light refreshments. Just because it gives you more flexibility, and saves a detour. It's also a good way of saving money. But keep it light.

-3) This map
Although you get one at the entrance, this link provides a printable map showing everything you could possibly think of!

http://www.zoo.nsw.gov.au/lib/files/tz-map-200807.pdf

-4)Not Much Else-
The trick with Taronga is not to bring too much. You will need nothing but the above. Catch the Sky-rail (free) on the way back up to the entrance after you've done the entire trek. Buy your gifts on the way out. You'll be home-free!

----Pricing and Opening Times----
Taronga Zoo is open every day (including Christmas day) from 9am to 5pm. Get there early to avoid queues, although your wait won't be more than 20 minutes.

There are quite a few tricks to Taronga Zoo's pricing. Much depends on whether your visit is one off, or if you plan to make several trips in one year (likely for local families, whereas the one-off is very much a tourist thing.)

The standard pricing table is as follows:
Regular Admission Prices (9am to 5pm daily)
Adults $39.00
Children (4-15 years) $19.00
Children under 4 Free
Discounted Admission Prices (9am to 5pm daily)
Seniors $23.00
Pensioners $23.00
Tertiary Student $23.00
Family (2 Adults & 2 Children) $98.50

There are also group rates:
Group Rates
No. in Group Adults Children (4 - 15 yrs)
12-100 $32.00 $15.00
101-500 $30.50 $14.00
501-1000 $28.50 $13.50
1001-2500 $26.50 $13.00
2501-5000 $24.50 $12.00
5001 plus $22.50 $11.00

Group rates for seniors in groups of 12 or more: $21.50

Now, buying online through the Australian company Ticketek (think Ticketmaster for Australia) automatically yields a 10% discount. Very recommended (link to Zoo tickets here: http://snipurl.com/3clx8)

In addition to the General admission prices, there is a program called Roar & Snore, which, just as the name suggests, is an overnight stay at the zoo! I haven't done this yet but it's very high on my list. Book online, and you arrive at 6.30pm at the Zoos Education Centre. You get to pet some of the less dangerous animals, have a bit of a dinner buffet and then the educators at the zoo go on a hike through the zoo with you to witness some of the night-time activities of the zoo's creatures. I would imagine that it's a good time to see those animals that always tend to be asleep during the day!

There are a host of negotiable tickets for disabled or educational purposes available on request. Simple ask at the box office. You can also become a 'Friend of Taronga' - for $98 (Adult), you get:

* Free admission to Taronga Zoo, Sydney, Western Plains Zoo, Dubbo, Adelaide, Melbourne and Perth zoos.
* Zoonooz magazine quarterly
* Discounts at Zoo Shops
* Discount parking
* Volunteering opportunities
* Special activities for members only (at an additional cost)

This is a brilliant deal. Access the site to sign up here: http://www.zoofriends.org.au/membership/signup-start.php (will automatically start a secure Pop-up.) Half the fees for this membership go straight to the upkeep of the Zoo's education, conservation and research programs. So you're really looking after the planet!

----Layout----
The zoo is Divided into eight zoologically geographic regions and is home to over 2,600 animals on 21 hectares, making it one of the largest of its kind. By comparison, London Zoo's size is some 36 acres (a mere 14 hectares) and Bristol Zoo is 12 acres (a puny 5 hectares.) Each enclosure is linked to its surrounding attractions via several different access paths, meaning you can navigate through the zoo in many different ways. This has the illusion of making the zoo seem even bigger than it is (it is already gigantic) and means you can satisfy everyone's wishes to see specific animals because it allows you to be very flexible.

You can also get lost! This is actually fun if it does happen, but the signs in the zoo really help. You will also be given a map when you enter the zoo. Keep a hold of this, it's a lifesaver.

----Major Enclosures----

-Koalas -
Immediately to the right after entering the zoo is a line of small open enclosures where you can view, or even pat the Australian icon - Koalas (not, they are not bears.) You can see how these enclosures are layed out in these Youtube videos:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TZ1agBskR8
http://www.youtube.c om/watch?v=cLQW4OpbHRE

At certain times of the day people are allowed in to pat, cuddle and generally take photos of these excessively calm and chilled out animals (just don't poke them and you'll be fine.) Details of times are available on request.

-Great Southern Oceans exhibit-
This was made into a massive deal in the media when it was opened in 2008. The seal enclosure especially has been widely publicized and is not a disappointment.The new 1.2 hectare exhibit features Australian Sea Lions, Australian Fur Seals, New Zealand Fur Seals, Californian Sea Lions, Leopard Seals, Penguins and Pelicans living in unique displays, and their natural habitats have been fairly closely imitated. The Sea Lions, which can be viewed from above, are extraordinarily big and very impressive.

-The Elephant Enclosure-
Located centrally south within the zoo, the elephant enclosure is open and at ground level, with a cordoned off viewing tower for special access (not open to the public on a general basis) - and the whole thing is surrounded by a moat. If you're lucky the elephants will play around in the water for you. A real treat seeing these giant clowns bathe and fire water at each other.

-The Otters-
Although a minor enclosure, everyone loves otters. Just search for 'Otters holding hands' in Youtube to see one of the all-time cutest otter moments. Well in the otter enclosure, slightly north of the elephant enclosure you are treated to several views of these lovely guys. The first, as you circle around from the north, is of the surface of the water in the enclosure. Here observe these furry piles of cute as they dive in and out of the water, paddle about and play in the surrounding foliage.

Around the corner is an enclosed space kept in darkness where a large window shows you what is happening beneath the water. This is even more fun, and allows you to witness just how agile these guys really can be!

-The Tiger Enclosure-
A large grassy space framed by 3 large pieces of (unfortunately scratched) Plexiglas forms the tiger enclosure. During my visit there was only one tiger there, but he prowled to and fro, right by the Plexiglas, jumping in and out of the bamboo at the edges of the space, and chasing flies with amazing agility.

There's nothing like staring into a tiger's eyes one foot away.

This enclosure is understandably popular. It follows the Koala, snake and insect enclosure, and is therefore the first major animal to appear if your journey goes westwards first instead of the also possible south or east. Lots of people will be pressed against the glass, so spend some time there and work your way to the front.

-The Lion Enclosure-
Much bigger than the tiger enclosure, the immediate downside is that you might not actually be able to see the lions (who sleep a lot and tuck themselves away so as not to get bothered by, well, you.) When they are out, these creatures are so impressive you almost get starstruck.

There are scores of other sections to the zoo I'll let you discover yourself. Particularly look out for the penguins, the Kangaroo and Wallaby enclosure and the sun-bears!

--Conclusion and Final Comments--
This zoo is head and shoulders above London, Bristol, Berlin, Melbourne and any other I have been to. For what you get access to it's also incredibly good value (although not exactly cheap.) But in short, this zoo gets full marks for its effort to make it comfortable and roomy for its animals, educate its visitors, provide original ways of viewing animals, and opening times right round the year to satisfy those who want to comer and see this crowning achievement of animal entertainment! 

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