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Brisbane - Australian Zoo or Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary


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1 hour ago, jamieandsam said:

One day in Brisbane, should I go to the Australian Zoo or Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, and why?

You don't need a whole day at Lone Pine so you could do something else as well.

Australia Zoo is north of Brisbane (1hr/1hr1/2) so it will take the whole day.

 

I like them both but for different reasons.  If I could do only one it would probably be Australia Zoo especially if I was unable to get to any others while I visited Australia.

 

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If your day in Brisbane is on a schedule i.e. you have to be at the airport in the evening or back on board the ship by say 4pm I wouldn't chance Australia Zoo.

 

I travel up and down to Brisbane regularly from the Sunshine Coast (Australia Zoo is located about 30 minutes from where I live) and the traffic is heavy in both directions most of the time.  If there is an accident on the highway the traffic can be horrendous and the delays significant and you run the risk of not making it back to Brisbane in time.

 

If you aren't on any schedule then Australia Zoo is fantastic.  My grandson loves it and we spend around 4 hours there (after which time I've had enough) and we still haven't seen everything.

 

The drive there is about 1 hour 30 each way if the trip is straightforward.  Not sure when you will be in Brisbane but Sunday afternoons in summer returning to Brisbane the traffic can be very, very heavy.  Ditto for holiday weekends.

 

I don't want to sound negative, as you could travel up and down to and from the zoo without a hitch but you do need to be aware of the traffic issues as any hiccup could ruin your day!

 

I hope you have a great day in Brisbane whatever you decide.

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40 minutes ago, bronte2 said:

If your day in Brisbane is on a schedule i.e. you have to be at the airport in the evening or back on board the ship by say 4pm I wouldn't chance Australia Zoo.

 

I travel up and down to Brisbane regularly from the Sunshine Coast (Australia Zoo is located about 30 minutes from where I live) and the traffic is heavy in both directions most of the time.  If there is an accident on the highway the traffic can be horrendous and the delays significant and you run the risk of not making it back to Brisbane in time.

 

If you aren't on any schedule then Australia Zoo is fantastic.  My grandson loves it and we spend around 4 hours there (after which time I've had enough) and we still haven't seen everything.

 

The drive there is about 1 hour 30 each way if the trip is straightforward.  Not sure when you will be in Brisbane but Sunday afternoons in summer returning to Brisbane the traffic can be very, very heavy.  Ditto for holiday weekends.

 

I don't want to sound negative, as you could travel up and down to and from the zoo without a hitch but you do need to be aware of the traffic issues as any hiccup could ruin your day!

 

I hope you have a great day in Brisbane whatever you decide.

We are from Melbourne and go to the Sunshine Coast on a regular basis of at the least twice a year, so we endorse bronte2's advice. The  Lone Pine has other advantages, like Platypus and Kookaburra exhibits. A nice way to visit is to go up the Brisbane River on the MV Mirramar which leaves and returns to central Brisbane

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8 hours ago, bronte2 said:

If there is an accident on the highway the traffic can be horrendous and the delays significant and you run the risk of not making it back to Brisbane in time.

 

This is very true. That stretch of road is a horror if there is a holdup.

 

For reliability, I would take the train from Roma Street station Brisbane to Beerwah station. It takes just under two hours and you can use a Go Card. Then a short taxi ride to Australia Zoo.

 

Lone Pine is a koala zoo, the other animals are there as afterthoughts. If you want to see koalas, Lone Pine is the one to go to. If you want to see a wider range of animals, then Australia Zoo.

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If the OP's ship (assuming they are on a cruise ship) is docking at the Grain Wharf, they will either have to take the shuttle or a taxi into town which will add quite a bit to travelling time. It would also depend how they intend to travel to Australia Zoo - if it is a ship's tour, there shouldn't be a problem but if they intend making their own way there I would choose Lone Pine.

 

Leigh

Edited by possum52
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Sorry, I forgot to mention taking a ship's tour to Australia Zoo.  Of course Possum52 is correct, as if you are on a ship sponsored tour it takes the stress our of any traffic problems.

I have  read where passengers complain about not getting enough time at the zoo but if you decide what is a priority and head there straight away you will make the most of the time available.

Have a look at the Australia Zoo website as there is a map to help you plan your day.

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Thank you all for your feedback. The ship does not offer an Australian Zoo excursion so I'm going to pass on that. I wish the ship offered the river cruise with Lone Pine - the excursion that is included is bus tour with Lone Pine. Deciding if I will do that, or will pay myself for the cruise/Lone Pine tour.

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31 minutes ago, jamieandsam said:

Thank you all for your feedback. The ship does not offer an Australian Zoo excursion so I'm going to pass on that. I wish the ship offered the river cruise with Lone Pine - the excursion that is included is bus tour with Lone Pine. Deciding if I will do that, or will pay myself for the cruise/Lone Pine tour.

Whatever you decide to do Jamie, enjoy your day! 

 

Leigh

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1 hour ago, jamieandsam said:

the cruise/Lone Pine tour

 

It takes considerably more time than the bus, so allow for that.

 

As a Brisbanite, I apologise in advance for the Grain Wharf. From Oct 2020 there will be a nice new International Cruise Ship Terminal on the opposite side of the river. 😁

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On 10/27/2019 at 9:34 AM, jamieandsam said:

Thank you all for your feedback. The ship does not offer an Australian Zoo excursion so I'm going to pass on that. I wish the ship offered the river cruise with Lone Pine - the excursion that is included is bus tour with Lone Pine. Deciding if I will do that, or will pay myself for the cruise/Lone Pine tour.

 The Bus direct from the wharf has a bonus of not having to pay for the Shuttle Bus, also a nice scenic tour of Brisbane.

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